Network Rail to reopen March to Spalding

[Aictos]

In Network Rail's own Strategic Freight Network paper, it is discussing reopening March to Spalding (in conjunction with the proposed Joint line upgrade) which will allow freight trains from East Anglia to access the upgraded Joint line without having to pass though Peterborough.

That being said if it did go ahead, could passenger services be re-introduced between March and Spalding and if yes then what services should be considered?

https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=...ate/Strategic%20Freight%20Network%20paper.pdf

 

[caliwag]

I recall a Doncaster to Cambridge (101) sevice on that line. Didn't it take 6 hours? Obviously not meant to be the best route, but jeez.

 

[Old Timer]

I recall a Doncaster to Cambridge (101) sevice on that line. Didn't it take 6 hours? Obviously not meant to be the best route, but jeez.

I think you must be remembering the summer SO York to Norwich via Doncaster/Lincoln/Sleaford/Spalding/March/Ely.

There were as I recall March to Doncaster services, as well as Sleaford to Doncaster services.

 

[SouthStand]

According to Google Maps, the route seems fairly clear although there seems to be a large complex south of Guyhirn bisecting the old track area.

 

[Old Timer]

According to Google Maps, the route seems fairly clear although there seems to be a large complex south of Guyhirn bisecting the old track area.

I am sure part of the route was built on - houses ??

 

[caliwag]

Sadly OT I dont really hang onto old timetables, but I am probably talking late 70s early eighties. I just recall a 101 set sitting in a bay at Doncaster...destination Cambridge. I remember thinking, as a student, I must pack a picnic and do that...never did sadly. Next thing I read was that they were lifting Spalding to March (am aI right with that?)...bah.

 

[SouthStand]

I am sure part of the route was built on - houses ??

There is a new estate built on Magellan Way Spalding, whose access road overlaps the route, also a few new buildings at Moulton Chapel.

Also, just south of where the junction with the existing Spalding to Peterborough line was are houses whose gardens are "in the way".

 

[DavidBrown]

Looking on Google Maps, the new A16 road also appears to get in the way?

 

[PinzaC55]

I'll believe it when I see it. NR talk the talk but they don't walk the walk :roll:

 

[SouthStand]

Looking on Google Maps, the new A16 road also appears to get in the way?

You're right, going to take some work to bypass the obstructions on the old track route.

 

[Old Timer]

Sadly OT I dont really hang onto old timetables, but I am probably talking late 70s early eighties. I just recall a 101 set sitting in a bay at Doncaster...destination Cambridge. I remember thinking, as a student, I must pack a picnic and do that...never did sadly. Next thing I read was that they were lifting Spalding to March (am aI right with that?)...bah.

Sorry I hadn't meant to suggest you were wrong !

As I recall thinking further on it, I think there was a service daily from Cambridge to Doncaster each way but principally it was from March/Sleaford as I recall.

The reason I mentioned the York to Norwich was because that sounded about right for that particular service.

I am trying to recall the running times but I think they were about 1 hr Cambridge to Spalding, about 3/4hour Spalding to Lincoln, about an hour Lincoln to Doncaster.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Isn't there a prison built on the March end of the line too?

 

[Old Timer]

Isn't there a prison built on the March end of the line too?

Yes that was built on the site at Whitemoor Yard, but I am not sure if it is on the old mainline trackbed or not.

 

[SouthStand]

Isn't there a prison built on the March end of the line too?

Ah, Whitemoor Prison, that'll be be the building I mentioned earlier in the thread. I didn't know what it was though!

 

[a good off]

Yes that was built on the site at Whitemoor Yard, but I am not sure if it is on the old mainline trackbed or not.

Sadly the mainline formation runs straight through the middle of the prison with the site of Grassmoor Jn box being right in the middle of it. Amazing to think that only 10 years before the prison was built they were changing locos there every summer Saturday on the Yarmouth - Newcastles... :roll:

 

[Welshman]

18th June-9th September 1962 ER Timetable:-

Mon-Fri
Spalding to March
1.20pm [10.05 York-Norwich & Lowestoft]
6.05pm[1.15pm Liverpool Central-Harwich Town]
and a 4.29pm Lincoln-March [11.40am Newcastle-Cambridge - non-stop through Spalding].

March to Spalding
9.56am [7.30am Harwich Town to Liverpool Central]
10.10am [7.50am Colchester-Newcastle]
12.55pm[10.30am Lowestoft-York].

Saturdays
Spalding to March
8.54am [6.15am Derby Friargate & 5.40am Ollerton to Yarmouth]
12.45pm[9.46am York-Norwich]
1.10pm[9.39am Bradford Exchange & 9.58am Leeds Central -Yarmouth]
1.28pm[8.30am Newcastle-Lowestoft]
1.50pm[9.25am Manchester Central-Yarmouth]
2.05pm[8.53am Sunderland-Ipswich]
5.36pm[12.50pm Liverpool Central-Ely]
6.05pm[1.15pm Liverpool Central-Harwich Town]

and corresponding return workings.

So an interesting selection of cross-country and holiday trains, but I suspect there will be no attempt to revive these services were the line to be re-opened. Rather, it will be a useful link for freight to bypass Peterborough.

But although it has long been considered, the upgrade of the Joint line is still a long way off -for example, little progress has been made on the closure of the many farm/occupation crossings, especially between Sleaford and Spalding, which will be necessary if the present speed limit is to be raised.

 

[Bald Rick]

Sadly the mainline formation runs straight through the middle of the prison with the site of Grassmoor Jn box being right in the middle of it. Amazing to think that only 10 years before the prison was built they were changing locos there every summer Saturday on the Yarmouth - Newcastles... :roll:

True story. When NR sought planning permission for the first stage of the revitalised Whitemoor Yard (as a logistics centre), HMP Whitemoor unofficialy objected on the basis that someone could hijack a train at the south end of the yard, run it on a 'liberation' mission through the yard, bufferstops, across the road and through the wall into the prison grounds.

 

[TheBigD]

According to Google Maps, the route seems fairly clear although there seems to be a large complex south of Guyhirn bisecting the old track area.

As someone local to the area allow me to give you an update on the current route.

The old route has been lost in several places.

At the Spalding end a housing development north of the river Welland. A large house across the track bed just south of the river. Part of the old formation now a road.

The A16 has crossed the trackbed and, more recently the new route of the A16 has destroyed the formation around Cowbit. Also a house has been built across the trackbed at the former level crossing. Quite a lot of the formation between here and Guyhirn has been returned to agriculture, the a fair amount of the old formation still exists.

At Guyhirn the former viaduct was demolished years ago and a warehouse type building has been built, which is currently a kids activty centre. A little further south and the bridge at Rings End removed. The bridge at Twenty Foot Drain has also gone.

HMP Whitemoor has also been built across the route though there is space for a new formation.

As an aside a lot of the signal boxes are still in place, though derelict and one or two old signal posts still exist.

In my opinion you could get most of the benefits of reopening by remodelling Werrington Junction with a flyover and other remodellig around Peterborough.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

But although it has long been considered, the upgrade of the Joint line is still a long way off -for example, little progress has been made on the closure of the many farm/occupation crossings, especially between Sleaford and Spalding, which will be necessary if the present speed limit is to be raised.

The joint line upgrade is due to be finished for December 2013, which included modernising the crossings and raising the linespeed to 75 mph.

If you're bored you may want to have a look at...

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse.../2010/Route G - East Coast and North East.pdf

There's a few bits about it in there.

 

[flymo]

18th June-9th September 1962 ER Timetable:-

Mon-Fri
Spalding to March
1.20pm [10.05 York-Norwich & Lowestoft]
6.05pm[1.15pm Liverpool Central-Harwich Town]
and a 4.29pm Lincoln-March [11.40am Newcastle-Cambridge - non-stop through Spalding].

March to Spalding
9.56am [7.30am Harwich Town to Liverpool Central]
10.10am [7.50am Colchester-Newcastle]
12.55pm[10.30am Lowestoft-York].

Saturdays
Spalding to March
8.54am [6.15am Derby Friargate & 5.40am Ollerton to Yarmouth]
12.45pm[9.46am York-Norwich]
1.10pm[9.39am Bradford Exchange & 9.58am Leeds Central -Yarmouth]
1.28pm[8.30am Newcastle-Lowestoft]
1.50pm[9.25am Manchester Central-Yarmouth]
2.05pm[8.53am Sunderland-Ipswich]
5.36pm[12.50pm Liverpool Central-Ely]
6.05pm[1.15pm Liverpool Central-Harwich Town]

and corresponding return workings.

So an interesting selection of cross-country and holiday trains, but I suspect there will be no attempt to revive these services were the line to be re-opened. Rather, it will be a useful link for freight to bypass Peterborough.

Further to these, in the 1975 - 1976 timetable the following services ran

Mon-Fri
Spalding - March
1229 [0952 York - Cambridge 1351]
1447 [1255 Doncaster - Ely 1537]
1819 [1620 Doncaster - Cambridge 1926]

March - Spalding
0949 [0908 Cambridge - Doncaster 1208]
1230 [1043 Norwich - Doncaster 1448]
1539 [1539 March - Doncaster 1805]

Saturday
as Mon -Fri with the addition of

Spalding - March
1020 [0812 Derby - Yarmouth 1255]
1256 [0920 Manchester Piccadilly - Yarmouth 1542]

March - Spalding
1144 [0930 Yarmouth - Manchester Piccadilly 1539]
1620 [1415 Yarmouth - Derby 1842]

There may have also been a few SO services to/from Yarmouth running non-stop over the line, namely Newcastle - Leeds & Sheffield.

 

[DarloRich]

Well the Wisebech line has been protected through the new Whitmoor complex so you could always run off that around the prison and try and follow the route form there.

 

[TheBigD]

Well the Wisebech line has been protected through the new Whitmoor complex so you could always run off that around the prison and try and follow the route form there.

The Wisbech line leaves before Whitemoor and goes off in a different direction.

There is space for a line between Hundred Rd and around the back of the prison in the unlikely event that it was reopened.

 

[DarloRich]

The Wisbech line leaves before Whitemoor and goes off in a different direction.

There is space for a line between Hundred Rd and around the back of the prison in the unlikely event that it was reopened.

I know but you could just build a spur off the Wisbech somwhere between Elm Road and 20 foot road to curve around the prison and back onto the old alignment.

I think the area adjacent to Hundred road is reserved for depot expansion. I also doubt HMP will want a line to close to thier fence!

 

[Whistler40145]

Is the Prison at Whitemoor built on any part of the trackbed?

 

[flymo]

Is the Prison at Whitemoor built on any part of the trackbed?

Yep, pretty much slap bang wallop in the middle of the original routeing. It's built on part of the original Whitemoor Yard too.

 

[Whistler40145]

Is there any spare land @ Whitemoor to build a Single or Double track line through to Spalding?

 

[flymo]

From Google Maps this shows the recent geography of the area. Whitemoor Prison can be seen on the site of the former Whitemoor yard with the line to Wisbech heading north / north-east. The original alignment of the Spalding line can be seen towards the north/ north-west of the current prison location. The map is moveable so have a look around the area to get a fuller picture so to speak.

 

[terrone]

Hello everybody, my name is Terrone, and i am from Doncaster. This is my very first post, so please be gentle!

Until recently, i worked in the railway industry doing track renewal and repair, and i worked quite regularly in Whitemoor yard, and when you are stood at the buffer stops at the north end of the yard, the prison looks an awful lot closer than it does on google earth! Old lines like this one absolutely facinate me, especially when there is still one or two derelict signal boxes and signal posts about! I have used google earth to follow the entire route from Whitemoor yard to the junction with the Peterbrough-Spalding line, and when i got to Cowbit there is a bridge crossing the river at Cowbit Road, and when i zoomed in i saw that the track is still in situ on this bridge! Its a bit surreal, as it's the only sign (that i could see) that there was ever a railway at this location at all. It's here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=Cow...=_rmACCwPeN6xHSWPc6uwNw&cbp=12,331.34,,0,8.89

If you zoom in, the tracks on the bridge are quite clear.

My apologies if this is more than common knowledge!

When i get the chance, i am going to visit this location in person to get a few pictures of my own.

Will it ever reopen? I don't think so because unlike Scotland (with much of the Waverley route) when it comes to major rail re-openings, which this would be, the government always seems to shy away from it. Thats what i think anyway.

Now, that didn't seem too bad!!

Thanks everyone.
Terrone.

 

[TheBigD]

The signal box that was there is now at Peterborough Nene Valley.