MNR EDGES NORTH - BUT WON’T BE OVERSTRETCHED

THE MID-NORFOLK Railway is continuing to snake northwards as it cements its position as one of Britain’s longest preserved lines. However, Chairman Barry Woodgett says the railway is dealing with its gradual expansion on a stage-by-stage basis, and has no intention of overstretching itself. The latest breakthrough came when a members’ inspection train reached Worthing Crossing, some 15 miles from the southern terminus at Wymondham Abbey. The trip was part of plans to extend the line to North Elmham (16.25 miles), to which trains could be running in two to three years. Double-headed by GWR 0-6-0PTs Nos. 6430 and 9466, it was the first train to Worthing since the closure to freight in 1989, and the first steam-hauled train since the early 1960s. Beyond North Elmham is County School (17.5 miles), where the MNR has refurbished the station as a visitor centre, and ultimately Fakenham, around 23 miles north of Wymondham Abbey. The former northern limit of operation was the hamlet of Hoe, at about 14 miles. It has been decided to focus efforts on restoring the track to North Elmham, where there is better access for visitors, although a platform at Hoe could be added in the future. The railway, whose HQ is at Dereham, owns the trackbed as far as Yarrow (about 18 miles). Mr Woodgett is determined the expansion northwards will continue to be gradual and the railway will not overreach itself in what is a relatively sparsely populated area. He said the members’ inspection train had travelled beyond the 15-milepost to Worthing level crossing. It followed major trackwork by MNR volunteers, including sleeper replacement, ballasting and tree clearance. As far as further expansion is concerned, he told Steam Railway: “We have to concentrate on the operational sections first. “We certainly wouldn’t want to overstretch ourselves. We are dividing the work up into bite-sized chunks.” Mr Woodgett said works trains could be running to North Elmham next year, with a possible reopening around 2018. Once they reached North Elmham, however, the emphasis would be on further consolidation, possibly for several years. The current Transport & Works Act Order ends just north of North Elmham level crossing. A further TWAO is needed to go beyond that. North Elmham has tourist potential as the location of the ruins of a Norman chapel on the site of an earlier, wooden Anglo-Saxon cathedral that was once more significant than that of Norwich. It was also the birthplace of actor John Mills. Mr Woodgett added: “The overall goal is to get to Fakenham. First of all, however, we would need to consolidate at North Elmham, perhaps for anything up to three or four years.” He said it was no different from the way in which other longer railways, such as the Severn Valley, North Yorkshire Moors and West Somerset had carried out their own extension schemes.