Consultation on sale of Mid-Norfolk Railway stock and turntable

The sale of a redundant turntable and preserved rolling stock stored at Dereham station has been cancelled.

The Trust Council of the Mid-Norfolk Railway reversed its decision to sell the items, which had been deemed surplus to requirements, after “misgivings” were expressed by members.

In response, the Trust Council has opted to immediately withdraw all items from sale while a consultation exercise is conducted with its membership.

A statement released by the Trust Council said the original decision to hold a sale was justified by “the need to free up siding space and reduce shunting operations”.

It added: “The cost of refurbishment and finally the time it will take to get some of the coaches back into service were the factors considered.”

However, the Trust Council has since conceded that it had not “fully appreciated the sentiment” that some members had towards the coaches. It said the consultation exercise would now allow the membership to suggest alternatives to disposal.