Regional News

WESTERN

Cowley: The reopening to passengers of the freight line to the BMW factory at Oxford has won all- party support at Oxfordshire County Council. It was supposed to happen this year, but no date is now in the offing because funding is not in place.

Plymouth: The redundant office block over the station, now officially known as Intercity Place, is to be modernised and much of it turned into a health training centre. Other reconfigurations include replacing the present car park with a multi- storey version on the site of the rail incident safety rooms, and the possible building of a hotel.

Saltash: The town council has been awarded another £40,000 grant, this time from the Railway Heritage Trust, to help the conversion of the station into a community centre.

Severn Bridge: Gloucestershire County Council is investigating a new rail bridge over the Severn estuary to connect Wales and Bristol via the Forest of Dean and Stroud, although there is no funding nor prospect of completion much before 2050. The old bridge between Lydney and Sharpness was dismantled after it was hit by shipping in October 1960, and the idea of a new road bridge is considered “physically unfeasible”.

Worcester: The old lattice luggage bridge across the platforms at Shrub Hill station was taken off site on October 5 for a six- month overhaul. There are plans to open it up for passenger use, if funding can be found for lifts to be installed at each end.

EASTERN

Gilsland: Go Gilsland and Tyne Valley Community Rail Partnership have been fundraising to purchase an electric car to ferry villagers and visitors to meet trains at Haltwhistle and Brampton stations. However, it remains the ambition to reopen the Carlisle- Newcastle station, which closed on January 2 1967.

Keighley: Network Rail has plans for a heavy overhaul of the station buildings and the section leased to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway.

Warsop: The old station on the former Lincoln-Tuxford-Shirebrook line has been offered for sale for £ 300,000. Passenger services were withdrawn from it in 1955, but it could eventually be reinstated as part of a Robin Hood Line extension.

MIDLANDS

Leighton Buzzard: Tracklaying began at the end of September on the Leighton Buzzard Light Railway’s new half- mile, £45,000 extension to Munday’s Hill. It is planned to open in the middle of 2020.

NORTH WEST

Birkdale: The disused signal box at Merseyrail’s Southport- Liverpool line station was badly damaged by fire on September 19.

Cornbrook: The Manchester Metrolink city centre stop is being improved with better facilities and an extended canopy, in readiness for its increased role as the interchange with the new Trafford Park line.

Hawes: Six miles of the old MR Northallerton line to Garsdale may be converted into a cycleway, even though it is earmarked for an eventual western extension of the Wensleydale Railway. Richmondshire Council and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority may share the cost of the £ 8,000 study.

SOUTHERN

Fratton: New Forest councillors have clashed over the viability of reopening to passengers the Fawley branch from Totton. However, there is consensus that the A326 road will not be able to cope with the increased traffic generated by the residents of 1,500 new homes that are likely to be built on the old power station site.

New Milton: The empty stationmaster’s house on the South Western Railway Weymouth- Waterloo line may be converted into a meeting place and museum.

Portsmouth & Southsea: South Western Railway has cleaned the station concourse, removing 30 years of accumulated grime from the walls and roof over the high- level platforms.

ANGLIA

Rochford: The station has been equipped with new lighting.

Saxmundham: Good progress is being made with plans to return the East Suffolk Line to use, following last year’s serious fire. Suffolk Coastal Council is considering whether to sanction the complete removal of the damaged upper storey.

Sheringham: The North Norfolk Railway has launched a £180,000 appeal to reinstate the buildings on Platform 2 in the original style, as well as the stanchions ( the canopy will follow). The original structure was demolished by BR in 1964.

SCOTLAND

Aberdeen: A light rail system serving the city centre, airport and key commercial areas has been recommended for further consideration by Transport Scotland and others.

Bridge of Weir: Hopes of reinstating the line to Kilmacolm and Elderslie ( closed in January 1983) will be lost if the old station coal yard is redeveloped for 39 new houses. The Paisley and Clyde Railway Path, currently owned by Sustrans, would also have to be relocated.

Edinburgh: The city council is having doubts about the £ 500 million, 250- acre Business Gateway development at the airport, because its transport links might struggle to cope with the extra traffic. The project has been on the cards for 20 years and would create 12,000 jobs.

Inverurie: After five years, Network Rail has renewed its offer to release the former goods yard for redevelopment following the completion of the Aberdeen- Inverness line track redoubling. It had been used as a maintenance base, but may now be turned into a car park, bus terminus and taxi rank.

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