North Norfolk Railway plans to extend into Holt could cost £5m

[joebassman]

I guess one has to admire their enthusiasum and willingness to not give up, but would any heritage railway be able to raise that sort of sum for a short extension?

Would it be even worth it?

Extending rail line into town 'could cost £5 million'

Plans to reconnect Holt to the national rail network could cost up to £5 million, one of its advocates has said.

www.northnorfolknews.co.uk

 

[32475]

The Bluebell Railway northern extension cost around £11 million and that was a few years ago so would cost a lot more now albeit it was a longer extension than the NNR proposal.
The NNR proposal has to be worth it because it will bring the railway into the town as well as adding a crucial stage towards Fakenham which is one of the goals of the Norfolk Orbital project.

 

[357]

Is this the railway proposal or this "orbital railway" group? Who are they? What are they to do with the railway?

 

[leezer3]

The Norfolk Orbital Railway is (essentially) one grade A crackpot.
He's bought a small strip of land across the road from Holt station, and has grand visions of going round via Melton Constable IIRC.
Been going for as long as I can remember, and this plan is essentially a laughing stock in the Norfolk preservation community.

Not a snowball in hell's chance of this going anywhere, and absolutely not railway or M&GNJRS (supporting charity) policy at present, or likely to be soon.

 

[357]

Just noticed in the article, the map has "Railtrack lines" - has this project really been going for that long?!

 

[leezer3]

Longer than that.....
He's been pushing it ever since the Melton Constable line closed (early 60s) in one form or another.

Some involvement in the early M&GNJRS / NNR, but nothing in the last 30 odd years.

About Us - Norfolk Orbital Railway

The Norfolk Orbital Railway project was created by David Rees, Trevor Bailey and David Bill who, in earlier years, were three of the founders of what has become the North Norfolk Railway. In 1958, David Rees was responsible for the initiative which, following the closure of the M & G N in 1959...

norfolk-orbital-railway.co.uk

(IIRC there's also a farmer somewhere between 'his' land and Holt wanting silly money for some of the missing trackbed)

 

[ShadowKnight]

It seems a key issue highlighted in the article is the level crossing.why so?

 

[Titfield]

It seems a key issue highlighted in the article is the level crossing.why so?

Network Rail has a national policy on level crossings - a key part of which is closing level crossings as it reduces risk. Getting approval to open a new crossing would be contrary to this policy. That is not to say it couldnt be done but would be quite challenging and expensive to achieve.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/level-crossings/

 

[dk1]

It seems a key issue highlighted in the article is the level crossing.why so?

When the tramway across the road at Sheringham was reinstated a few years ago there was some sort of agreement that only around a dozen trains per year each way would use it. Would need this rescinded & full barriered crossing along with expensive signalling upgrades from the Bittern Line to allow any sort of through regular operation to take place.

 

[Falcon1200]

The Bluebell Railway northern extension cost around £11 million and that was a few years ago so would cost a lot more now albeit it was a longer extension than the NNR proposal.
The NNR proposal has to be worth it because it will bring the railway into the town as well as adding a crucial stage towards Fakenham which is one of the goals of the Norfolk Orbital project.

The Bluebell extension to East Grinstead connected the railway to the national network proving interchange for both passengers and stock, so it was therefore a massively useful and worthwhile project. I cannot see how extending the NNR into Holt itself would have even a fraction of the same benefit (and the Norfolk Orbital Railway is the biggest example of pie in the sky ever conceived).

 

[dk1]

(and the Norfolk Orbital Railway is the biggest example of pie in the sky ever conceived).

It’s always greeted with great messroom amusement every time it’s trawled out again in the local rag

 

[TheEdge]

The Norfolk Orbital Railway is (essentially) one grade A crackpot.
He's bought a small strip of land across the road from Holt station, and has grand visions of going round via Melton Constable IIRC.
Been going for as long as I can remember, and this plan is essentially a laughing stock in the Norfolk preservation community.

Not a snowball in hell's chance of this going anywhere, and absolutely not railway or M&GNJRS (supporting charity) policy at present, or likely to be soon.

Ever try and tell them/him that and you get a whole lot of vitriol and its quite funny. I love the delusion that you can build a railway project of this size on donations and by buying up tiny bit parts of land.

It seems a key issue highlighted in the article is the level crossing.why so?

At one point they had a plan to (effectively) run the railway along the verge of a main road and then have a level crossing directly on the approach to a roundabout. They really do live in a magic fantasy land.