The country is now beginning to regret the wholesale closure of so many railways in the 60s. Dr Beeching is the most notorious but there were others who encouraged the closures as motor transport became more efficient. Now with the climate crisis there are lines all over the country that need re-opening but persuading the powers that be is like pushing back the tide!
I dont blame Beeching so much. He actually stated in his report that the track beds were a national asset, and should be retained so that the lines could be reinstated in the future. Unfortunately, in the 80s and 90s, many became easy pickings for councils to re-purpose for road improvements or to sell off for development.
Stop blaming Beeching. The problems were well known in the 1909 when the President of the Board of Trade, a certain Winston Churchill (whatever happened to him?) Stated that the railways did not have a future without rationalisation and amalgamation. God knows how the railways managed in WW1 with so many different standards in rolling stock. In 1933 the Salter report came out. Amongst many things that many small lines could never compete with road transport, especially in freight handling. Even back then the railway companies accuse the government of favouring roads over rail by the construction roads through taxation whilst restricting the railways ability to use flexible pricing as the railways had to stick to the nationally agreed rates. Salter also recommended that road transport should be taxed directly to fund roads, which lead to an increase in the Vehicle Excise Duty (erroneously called Road Tax, but that was abolished by Winston Churchill a few years earlier) and the introduction of fuel duty. But even with these taxes taken into account it did nothing to stop the slow decline of branch lines in the UK. As the pictures in this video show each station was fully manned and kept in perfect condition at considerable expense. In the run up to Beeching taking over, the government stopped BR increasing its prices as the costs of running the railways increased (including wage rises) and passenger numbers and freight tonnage continued their pre-war declines. In 1954 BR's deficit was £23 million which grew to £62 million in 1956 (the same year BR's net revenue also fell to a deficit of £16.5 million). BR's finances continued to worse. The deficit in 1960 was £68 million, in 1961 it was £87 million and in 1962, the year Beeching was appointed, it had grown to £104 million. And why was the deficit rising part of it was the loss of traffic to the roads, part was the rising costs of running services and part was government interference in repeatedly stopping BR from raising prices as a failed attempt to control inflation To put it into perspective since the abolish of fuel rationing road vehicle mileages had increase by 10% year on year between 1948 and 1964 whilst during the 1950s rail traffic remained more or less constant, but the overall share of the transport market had dropped to 5% by 1955 from around 16% at the start of the 1950s. Staff numbers on the railways had also fallen by 1961 by around a quarter since nationalisation to about 475,000. Now Beeching wasn't the only person in BR cutting track mileage and services, before he took hold if the pruning knife the Unremunitive Services Committee and the Branch Lines Committee had been cutting lines and had lopped 3,318 miles of passenger services or lines from the network between 1948 and 1962 to add to the 1,300 miles that the Big 4 had cut between 1923 and 1939. Yes, some of the lines closed would now be beneficial, but how would you be able to identify them 60 years ago? After all no one predicted the financial crises that struck the UK in late 1964 which was triggered by a balance of trade deficit that was £800 million (but that was double what had been expected). The country's economic woes lasted until November 1967 when the government was forced to devalue the Pound by 14% after spending all the foreign currency reserves and most of the bullion reserves trying to support the Pound. These efforts were as futile as those our last PM made to save his premiership.
@@dominicbuckley8309 they were doing that in the 1960s as well. The former Whitby to Loftus line was partially swallowed up at Sandsend to straighten out the road near Raithwaite Lodge. They also removed the embankment on Mill Bank, Carlin How when the line to Loftus closed to get rid of a notorious sharp bend where the road when under the railway line. This meant when the line to Boulby Potash mine was reinstated they had to build a bridge to replace the embankment. The new road is virtually straight, but the old road including the sharp bend remains as a layby.
I’m actually very pleased to see these comments here about Dr Beeching. For many years he has been demonised as the scapegoat for the wholesale closure of so many lines and stations. It is true to say that many stations and lines weren’t making any profit, and in fact probably never did in the whole of their existence, and would have closed anyway over time. The real villain was Ernest Marples with his fingers in so many road building pies. Beeching was set up good and proper by this loathsome individual.
I was talking to the director of the Wensleydale Railway. He said, that if the track is still down, it is still legally a railway. Even if the track is rusted up and unusable, the legal steps necessary to reopen it are less challenging. Once the track is gone, then it is legally farmland again and then reinstatement is more difficult. So if your aim Is to reopen it, then you need to take steps to prevent what track is in situ from being removed! Thanks for uploading.
Dont think thats correct. The tracked is the responsibility of (as of today) highways England. Until agreement is reached with them on sales of tracts of land to private individuals they hold title.
@@alantraish3368 I am sure that you are not correct with that you commented. The ground of the railway companies was purchased and still legally theirs as long as the track is still there.
the lack of a rail connection at wisbech was one of the (many) reasons why i left the town. a rail connection is essential for economic growth and the prosperity of the town (and surrounding villages).
I’m Swedish from the very south and my country also suffered similar branch line closures as your Beeching and subsequent closures between the 1960s and 80s. After that the number of closed and dismantled lines slowed down significantly. From 2000 onwards, we have actually seen the opposite happening at a fairly rapid pace and in Skåne, our southernmost province, over the last 20 or so we now have passenger services on practically every extant piece of railway save one short unelectrified branch, and on a portion where there is a parallel line within a few miles with a slightly different route through sparsely populated farmland. That bit is nevertheless still in active use as a relief route on occasion when track maintenance is needed on the main route. On top of this, two major entirely new lines have been laid and incorporated to immensely improve the rail system here. It does take a while also here to get these things going here as well, but in the end it mostly comes down to convince the capital to realise that the universe doesn’t revolve around them, that other parts of our vast country also need to get from A to B, and to make sure that the projects get funded. In the end we made it :)
Thank you for your thoughts and comment. It seems the problems faced here are similar internationally. And you're absolutely right when it comes to under-investment in anywhere outside of the capital!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways I just want to add to the previous by mentioning that I have lived in both Oxford and York previously and I must admit that the rail services (and bus/coach services for that matter) outside London in the UK is quite a sad affair compared to the mentioned Swedish region (chosen as an example because I’m from there originally and it is not the capital). Also, most other places in continental Europe I have either lived in or at least spent some time in has had far better public transport offerings than two fairly major university and tourist cities in the UK. It feels a bit sad to see what has become of the rail system in the country that pioneered the modern railway concept.
@@DrBovdin Yes, public transport is not taken too seriously by governments in this country, unless its London. If you can't make lots of money out of them they are not worth bothering about. Would be so useful to reduce car use in this country, even though they're going electric you'd think public transport would be more efficient
Fifty-five years ago I rode the line, March to Wisbech, daily for College. Much has changed as I now live in Sheffield, but I applaud the enthusiastic volunteer groups who work to reopen lines.
Lovely film, thank you. As a Cambridgeshire local I have watched the decay of this line worsen over the past 25 years. The prospect of it ever re-opening remains vanishingly small. The Government has indicated that the long planned Ely North re-development is being kicked into the long grass, a project of national importance for freight and better local services; against that backdrop, plus (currently) lower rail usage and a difficult public sector financial situation, I do not expect to live long enough to see this line re-open, nor the re-building of the railway around Ely, nor the completion of East - West rail. All of them have a part to play in de-carbonising transport but I just don't see any of them happening any time soon. Hope I'm wrong.
Money has been set aside for East - West rail - yes I know it's been talked about for years I do think it'll happen. There's good reason to reopen the line to Wisbech and that's for more capacity for Cambridge. Sounds weird? Basically you can't keep long trains at Cambridge station they get in the way (this is why for example that Stevenage now has a dedicated platform for the Hertford Loop - trains used to stop the slow line for 20 minutes of the hour). Ely is currently used but again, they are in the way there too! So not only do I think it'll happen, but that it'll be electrified. In a similar vein I think the line between Peterborough and Ely will be electrified. Not for speed (still limited to 75mph) but as a diversionary route. Also some Azumas are diesel and electric. The South East needs rail capacity desperately, and that includes the Eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds.
We have a railway in Edinburgh that is still technically open but only by a bit of freight and an occasional nuclear transport - it always seems mad to me not to reopen it to passengers. It provides a link around the southern and western areas of the city and links up with the mainline. It is in the council’s long term plan but never seems to get closer to being done, unlike expensive tram schemes!
Same situation on the western side of Southampton Water . There’s a goods line which serves Fawley oil refinery which passes through towns & villages which have only one road route to the city. After 25 years at least the studies are becoming serious . 👍
What about lines on which Parliamentary trains run? There's one that connects Ellesmere Port to the line to Manchester via Warrington, via a massive oil refinery, but trains barely run! There is massive systemic failure in the way Britain's railways are run.
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Let’s get this line reopened and up and running. My guess is that it would take many lorries off the road and, if passenger services were restored then a single sprinter unit would at my guess, would take around fifty cars off the road in one journey. Thoughts?
you know i live in a small village called coylton on the west coast of scotland from here there used to be a line that connected all the small villages and towns on its way up to the mainline which in turn connected with glasgow central. mainly a coal freight line but ran passenger services. there is still remnants of the line because im a mechanic and i worked in the opencast coal mines in the area and there is still lines around. my point is that the road now that feeds all the villages is bloody dire, and if the line down here was to reopen it would be massively busy with commuters. so yes the line in the video should reopen aswell as thousands of others throughout the UK and make the UK rail network one of the best. because a passenger train can take so many cars off a road and by god a freight train can take maybe 100 road wagons off our roads. the UK needs to in my eyes pump billions into the rail network. back in 60s our network was far reaching and fantastic. sorry i went on a waffle haha just believe the uk rail network could be a fantastic network and rival all the countries in europe. fantastic video by the way love the content :D :D
Hopefully, it will, unlike other post-Beeching closures, falling victim to SUSTRANS (the Devil!). Way back in 1982, the highly scenic route around the coast of North Devon, from Barnstaple to Instow, Bideford; and then inland to Torrington and Meeth, finally closed, due to money needed for upgrading the track to accommodate more modern Tiger, 57-tonne rail hoppers. British Rail agreed to mothball it and, were in not for SUSTRANS, the popular tourist destinations of Instow, Bideford and Torrington would now be seeing regular passenger services, with the opportunity of steam-hauled charter trains along this beautiful line. Unfortunately, they pounced on it by making an offer in the region of £100k (quite a large sum back then) to Torridge District Council, in order to develop it to what is now known as the Tarka Trail. Since then, both Instow and Bideford stations have been fully restored (Bideford even has a museum; Instow, a signalbox). The two are only three miles apart but SUSTRANS vetoed even sharing the cycle/fòot path, with a narrow gauge railway line, well scrèened off by a high wire fence. South Devon is more fortunate: the line from Paignton to Kingswear was saved by preservationists, and continues to see regular steam-hauled passenger trains. It is extremely popular and is referred to as the the nation's holiday line. It has also featured in a number of high profile t.v. productions, such as Agitha Christine's Poirot and Miss Marples. A full, narrow gauge railway from Barnstaple to Instow and Bideford would obviously be just as popular, and help to boost tourism to the benefit of local trade. It would also tie in with the eventual reinstatement of the narrow gauge railway from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth. Thanks to SUSTRANS, however, it'll never happen! You may be forgiven for thinking that this sort of thing wouldn't happen these days, but unfortunately it might. The Eden Valley Preservation Society hoped back in 2000, to reinstate trains from Appleby East to Warcop, along an interesting 5-mile branch line, which saw regular MOD freight trains until the late1980s. Since 2000, SUSTRANS have acquired roughly 2 miles of it, from Appleby East to Copeland, so it is within their power to vetoe running trains into Appleby. What amazes me though is the sheer pointlessness of having a 2-miles cycle path into the middle of nowhere, with nothing to see and do! It does, however, demonstrate their fanatical desire to acquire disused railway lines and turn them into cycle paths, regardless of whether they'd serve the public better by being resurrected by the private sector, and run for purpose they were originally created. Oh, forgot to mention: Workington had a highly scenic, 5-mile branch line, to Camerton, with views of the Lakeland fells. It closed in 1994, and SUSTRANS turned it into cycle/foot path, forming part of the fragmented C2C route from Whitehaven to Middlesbrough. Workington Station has an island platform, and steam-hauled trains along this branch line would've helped boost tourism in this less affluent part of Cumbria, which is often overlooked by visitors from outside the area, compared to the usual Lake District haunts. It would also have tied in well with the narrow gauge "La'al Ratty" at Ravenglass (further south along the coast, and served by the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line) and also possibly the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. It'll never happen, and the cycle path continues to do nothing more than terminate at Camerton. It doesn't even cut out the steep hill between there to Great Broughton or provide a through route to Cockermouth for cyclists, avoiding the busy A66. Since 1998, it's stayed almost exactly the same. A big thanks to SUSTRANS for the wonderful public service they've provided! Incidentally, elsewhere, there's evidence of cycle/footpaths being used by motorcyclists; high-powered electric bicycles, and often suffering from fly-tipping, dog fouling, etc, due to insufficient policing. A truly wonderful alternative to the reinstatement of much-needed train services! Finally, evidence suggests that that creating cycle paths out of disused is not 'green' because motorists drive to where they start rather than take the train. On the other hand, resurrecting disused railway lines can be. The Corfe-Castle - Swanage Railway, encouraged visitors to travel their by train, and both these places saw a welcome reduction in traffic when the line was restored, according to Swanage District Council.
Thank you for this wonderfully produced historical documentary. I traveled to Wisbeach at about 1964 to spend a week picking strawberry's at a ww2 pow camp called Friday Bridge
Lovely video and very informative. I was born in 1943 when Railways were King and the Country was a maze of beautiful Branch line journeys. How shorted sited of Dr Beeching and the Labour gov.In the early sixties,stationed at Bickliegh on the edge of Dartmoor, the Train journeys across the Moors were wonderful. Thank you once again for your vids, they make my heart ache at what is gone and good fortune in all you do.
My grandfather was John Brammer who was a guard/ticket officer on the March to Wisbech line in the 50s, then going on to work at the metal box factory on Weasenham Lane
One of the biggest difficulties with re-opening this route would be the level crossing over the A47 Wisbech bypass. For many years after the closure of the line the crossing remained in place, lights, rails and all, but IIRC about 10 years ago the rails were ripped up and the lights and signs removed, meaning the crossing no longer exists. This means that if the railway was to re-open it would either require an application for a new level crossing (which given how busy the road is would be unlikely) or would require a bridge to be built which would add considerably to costs. Sadly this seems to be a late extension of the old policy of developing on just enough bits of old railway lines to make their opening unviable even if there would otherwise be a strong case in the future.
Great video. True, Beeching wrecked our railways and as I read in an old newpaper, somebody quoted "Future generations will curse us". How true them words are today. Most of the old lines had their land and buildings sold off so no hope of revival. Having said all that, if we had all the old Victorian rail system still intact today, who the hell can afford to use the train any more.
This video, the production values and drone usage is absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much and keep up the beautiful work. Please, more videos like this. I find the old photos top stuff too!
Fascinating to see the history of this line, used to drive past A47 level crossing before it was removed in mid 2000s and wondered why they had got rid of it in the first place. Thanks for the great work piecing it all together.
Curious, I lived in Wisbech from 1972 to 1979 and there was certainly no passenger train service from March towards Wisbech by 1972, though freight trains did run sporadically to an industrial area in the west side of Wisbech. Unless somehow you had a ride on that?
@@VickersDoorter My memory is a little hazy as was only 4 years old back then, my dad was a trackman so could've been a singel unit passenger train for the workers doing repairs along that track,
Although I live nowhere near Wisbech, I can see parallels with local rail campaigns that have been active for years but never come to anything. I wish the Wisbech line all the best. The one thing I'm surprised about in this video is that so many of the actual rails have been left intact. When a railway is decommissioned, every piece of metal is normally lifted to deter looters.
I was not disappointed, always fascinating, nostalgic and meaningful.For someone who went to school by steam train daily and preceded Beeching's cuts, thank you . Mike
A very well researched, equally well laid out and paced, and professionally produced as always. I learned a few things, and as usual, I look forward to seeing the next video when it comes.
As always a fabulous film with probably the best narration on YT. I can only imagine the enormous amount of work you put into this. I am going to binge tonight.
Fascinating documentary on this - hopefully temporarily - lost line to Wisbech and beyond, Together with some historic images and superb aerial shots, you make a compelling case for reopening and provide a succinct summary of some of the obstacles to be overcome. We must hope that the means are quickly found to overcome them.
I used to live in one of the houses that would have been served by Middle Drove station. As a child in the 70’s it seemed amazing there was a station there. One night there was a commotion and one of the railway buildings burned down. From the video I guess it was the goods shed, or perhaps the signal box but I don’t really remember a signal box being there, but there was a large brick shed.
Fascinating presentation and content .I well remember one Friday evening in late 1957 with my older brother after we left school on our own , taking The Fenman service from Cambridge to Wisbech, to visit friends in Victoria Road, a few hundred yards walk from Wisbech station .We returned the following Monday morning before the start of school ! .
Finally I learn from you how to pronounce Wisbech. I was there visiting the great house of the Quaker, Lord Peckover, and I always pronounced it like it was a small village in the Black Forest! It would've been great had there been a train from Kings Lynn to Wisbech!
I think that many people in Wisbech would prefer a rail connection to King's Lynn rather than Cambridge, but that's not on the table. Yes - some pronounce it 'Wisbeck' and I can see how.
Very informative and beautifully shot documentary. As an employee of this country’s railway infrastructure company, working on a team whom are responsible for renewals of the railway (old) and new, you have done a great job at simplifying what is a very complex red-taped issue for all rail projects. Unfortunately I can tell you with certainty at this time, there are no concrete plans to reopen this line within the foreseeable future (6years plus) although I can personally see the benefits of doing so. Happy to help with any queries you may have! Keep creating!
Thank you indeed. It is especially rewarding to hear this from an insider. Alas, I figured its chances were slim! Could you tell me about the chances of East West Rail making it from Bedford to Cambridge as this is my next project...Best wishes!
Walked from March station up to Wisbech last autumn past the old marshalling yard site (lot of interpretation boards) and got the bus back - there were great views of the old line from the top deck. It's a melancholy sight and I wondered then if it could be viable again. I can remember a childhood holiday largely spent riding trains across the Fens. Most of the lines are now gone but there are ghostly remains everywhere.
hiya dear friend ,a great film for the weekend , in wigan we had a jumble of railways which are now sadly very overgrown or scooped away , but my buddy won t be put off by bushes and weeds , he has made some great finds for me , from ridge tiles to point rods and a lnwr track chair stamped 1915 , as ever your films prove that the best things in life are free , you are a railwayman of the highest order , all the best always from nick in wigan still ancashire
Great film again. Good to see this line, which was inevitably constructed in part by my Gt Gt Grandfather. He’d have definitely appreciated that hut fireplace!
Back in 1989, I worked for BT and the yard in Wisbech backed onto the Spillers yard. Class 47s were a daily visitor and on one occasion a class 56 turned up with a train of Redland hoppers (in pale green) for a photo-call. Interesting little corner.
MARCH was the biggest Marshalling yard during the war and i also remember the fright trains coming down from METALBOX(as it use to be called) plus the trains coming down the JOINT line from SPALDING(fright and passenger) as the hump yard was use to sort out the wagon loads for the eastern counties it looks so strange from he last time i went home to MARCH with all the Marshalling gone
Fascinating! What a good idea in principle to reopen the line to March. It looks like this would be a "relatively" easy project compared to many, as so much infrastructure remains. We have lost so much over the years, such a pity so many branch lines are no more. Great video, very informative!
Another Brilliant film as usual! I honestly think the line should re-open. As a trainspotter, it saddens me to see any old line fall abandoned, and indeed it should be brought back. Look foward to your next video!
Excellent video , I spent three years as traincrew at March depot and had plenty of time over the Wisbech branch to Pedigree and the metal box next door. Good memories with pairs of Class 37s and single 47s and all the trains had brake vans fitted so that the guard could close the three sets of manual gates on the branch after the loco crew had opened them and driven through. Sad to see what's become of it but brought back some great memories
Good luck and I wish you the best in reopening your lost line ..in the North we have been trying to reopen the Colne to Skipton line and the Penrith to Keswick line ...both we have been pushing with the benefits to business and with the Keswick line the gridlock on most days with car traffic the needs are obvious....anyway if your line opens I will be on the first train..
I live in march and visit the station while walking it would be great to see the old line back it will certainly be easier than the old spalding line which has a massive prison on some of where the track bed was but you can still see where the track once run in certain places
fascinating stuff. I grew up in Wisbech and recall the remains of a line that once continued from Wisbech to Sutton Bridge along the riverbank. The end of Nene Parade is known as the crossing, which of course it once was. In the late 60's we played on the old crossing gate that still stood there, as well as the ruins of the old gate keepers house. This area has long since been redeveloped with "new" houses. For many years we collected rail bolts found half buried in the track bed along the riverbank. There's probably still a few left in there somewhere ...
Excellent video yet again. This is very close to commercial quality production. It would only need little bit of polishing and be broadcast by the BBC.
@Mawerick77 thank you, though as @JackWarner has suggested, I'd probably be obliged to insert a 'trying my hand at a local craft or sampling their food or drink' segment! 😆
Thank you for your video about lost rail lines. If I ever can come to Great Britain I would love to do what you are doing: exploring lost rail lines! I can think of nothing finer to do. I hope your Wisbech line can come back to life. It's good for the citizens, the economy, and the environment.
A lovely, clear, well researched video as always. So much seems to remain, so it will be interesting to see if the funding can be found to actually do the work to reopen at least part of the line. Really enjoy seeing the old pictures, and the aerial images really give the scale of the line in the wider landscape. More of these branch lines appear to be being revived, and not just as heritage lines, which is a very good thing...of course if it hadn't been for the dreadful Beeching...!
Another informative documentary with superb filming, editing and narration. The glacial progress made reopening 'no-brainer' rail services is frustrating to say the least. Here's hoping for a more expeditious solution to unstick the March-Wisbech reopening!
Living close to the currently being reinstated varsity line section between Bicester and Bedford. I can see the reinstatement being a long process. I suspect even if the go ahead was given tomorrow, it would be the end of the decade before trains were running. However the fact a significant portion of EWR is already in process of recommissioning there is always hope 🙏 👍 Thanks again for another fantastic video 🙂
I worked for a number of years in the US for a Railroad over there and during that time I operationally managed a railway as we reintroduced passenger operations on one of our lines for the first time in 50 years the whole process was fascinating and often frustrating in equal measure 18hr bridge outages on a operational railway when you are trusting the track department will be giving you the track back before your first train arrives is a simply horrid experience!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Our biggest concern was the welds within the long welded rail and before opening the line back up to passenger service whenever we had a mainline derailment, and we had a number! that was the first question(the track was mostly 25 or 10mph and wasn't in great condition)
Reopening of sections of the old Varsity line might be worth a video? I think I remember you covered it several years ago, but now work is underway might be interesting for you to see how the reopening is proceeding? It’s just a thought 💭
I remember seeing the forlorn disused platforms at March about 25 years ago, on fairly frequent travels between Hertfordshire and Merseyside. It’s good to know that they (& much else) are still there and may return to active use in future.
I used to get on a train at Bishop’s Stortford, get off at Audley End, wait a few minutes on the same platform then take the Central Trains service arriving from Stansted Airport all the way to Liverpool Lime Street. It was always possible to find a table seat and get plenty of work done. The (albeit quicker) alternative was to go via Liverpool Street and Euston, but this route provided significantly less desk time, and the pre-Pendolino swaying of the train around the curves made it difficult to read without feeling motion sickness. I was also recovering from abdominal surgery when I started using the Central Trains service - it was a much more tranquil way to travel, with less walking required. The route via Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Stamford, Leicester and Birmingham was reasonably direct and probably not much different in mileage from the alternative. It was also much less expensive and went through some interesting places along the way. On a few occasions, I forgot to check the route when booking and ended up on the other Stansted - Lime Street service via Chesterfield and Manchester, which was a bit round-about, but I never regretted the journey through the beautiful Peak District.
Another outstanding and informative video I really enjoyed watching this. As in all your videos, your passion for our railway history is evident. Long may you continue to produce these, thank you.
Brilliant as always ...a local line to me as a child and I remember class 40s on the Spillers pet food trains ... Wisbech would benefit from a rail connection hope it comes to fruition
A fabulolus video as aways. I thouroughly enjoyed our journey. What a great opportunity to reopen an old line, much of which still exists. As long as it is economically viable, like the line at Oakhamton to Exeter, Why not? I guess red tape is the problem. Remove the red tape and low and behold, progress.
Wow definitely a long time in the making. Back when the Up sidings were still closed and the dot matrix passenger information screens were still in use. Good job!
I love to see these railway returns even if the trains these days are electric, as we know redevelopment in places have hampered some old tracks but one's which can be repaired would be great.
This is very clear and as someone who doesn't know the area very well I found it really easy to understand the geography and the issues. Excellent use of maps and graphics as well as historical images and your own video. A new subscriber gained.
Thank your for your subscription and your kind words about my film. You've paid my work a very great compliment and I hope you enjoy the other films on my channel 😊
Apart from excellent description of the line from inception to decay ,the reasons for delay are explained in a crystal clear manner befitting your presentation. Best of luck 👍
I have often thought that a few people willing to take the time to spray short sections of overgrowth might clear the vegetation from parts of a line that was unused. This would make the reopening of the line a little easier.
Very well made. I could see this line being just about viable for a VLR shuttle, but capacity restrictions nearby at Ely would be a problem for anything more.
VLR would only be a stop gap, too, necessitating changing at March rather than having through trains to Cambridge/Peterborough, which seems fairly essential if this is going to work.
to be fair, capacity restrictions at Ely may need addressing anyway- considering the possibility of running additional trains through the area with the reinstatement of the Oxford-Bletchley-Bedford-Cambridge route (which could potentially see trains run beyond Cambridge)
@@MercenaryPen Sometimes I wonder whether the Bedford-Cambridge section will be cancelled eventually as well. Politics look particularly volatile right now and a lot of the locals apparently don't like the plan.
@@johnchurch4705 Maybe, maybe not. Some people genuinely have no need to use public transportation, or would find the overall effects of a railway nearby to be greatly more negative.
Outstanding! I know nothing about this line, nor area so your excellent clip is very educational. Many thanks and congratulations on a fine piece of work.
Great film, as always. I suspect that what will kill the proposed scheme, is the number of level crossings, both road and private, along the route. Official policy when I worked in the rail industry was that as many level crossings as possible must be eliminated. However, diverting or extinguishing rights of way is a very expensive and protracted process.
The A47 crossing seems like it could scupper the prospect of the railway's return, alas. Thanks for your comment - as an amateur, I'm really glad to hear from those on the inside track, so to speak.
Yes. I think that is what did it for my local branch where I grew up: Little Eaton to Denby branch. Last freight working 1999, lifted 2010 I think. I can only count three crossings to Kilburn, but there you are...
Pitty Beeching couldn't see that far in to the future! We had the infrastructure at one time to get goods and services to almost anywhere in the country by rail. They had absolutely no vision at all !! Thank you most enjoyable.
During the 60s a local branch that served a colliery nearby was closed for 2 years. On the tracks was left during this time a rail workers hand operated cart, we kids rode that wagon up and down about a mile , absolutely brilliant and were disappointed when the rail reopened.
Another well researched and illustrated documentary with excellent 'then and now' shots throughout. How interesting that so many years after closure, an extraordinary amount of infrastructure still remains. There is a case for many of the lines in East Anglia to re-open as so many large areas are totally devoid of a rail service. I have viewed your other excellent videos of the fenland areas, but cannot find one for the lost March to St Ives railway. Have you any plans to cover this?
Certainly worth waiting for, thoroughly enjoyed the video. I welcome the prospect of the line reopening to Wisbech and see the logic of a town centre station. Although diverting the line around the town, following the curve of the A47 and rejoining the former route to Watlington with park and ride station off the A47 would provide a useful King's Lynn to Peterborough route. A tunnel under Elm Road, would be way to expensive though.
On the already reinstated/upgraded section of EWR/Varsity line (Oxford to Bicester), all level crossing's have been replaced by bridges, I believe the only remaining one on the next phase will be immediately adjacent to Bicester Village (Bicester Town) as I don't believe there is a viable alternative. Would a bridge not be an option for the A47??
An excellent production, beautifully made and illustrated. Looking at all the re-opened lines and stations since about 1980, not one (as far as I know) has ever closed again. In fact, I believe every one has exceeded expectations. Paper-shufflers, eh? Don't you just love 'em? Why not just say 'get on with it' - we know it will be a success.
There has been talk of Dualling the A47 as the section from Guyhirn to Wisbech is awful along with the single road section around the town that the crossing used to go over. If they ever got this improvement then a bridge over the railway could be looked at as part of the build. Currently Wisbech is being strangled by the poor road system and the closure of the Railway 50+ years ago started a major decline in the town.
Good point. The section of A47 that is single road is very slow and there are little alternatives if there is an incident. there would definitely need to be a new bridge over the railway. The new motorway on the A14 around Huntingdon shows new build roads can be built
I don't believe that they will ever be able to dual the a47 between wisbech and guyhirn. Its a raised roadway and without compulsory purchasing the land to one side and banking it up, its a non starter. The other side acts as a flood plain and clearly its out the question to extend the road into that area. The road is terrible and most the time you are stuck behind slow moving lorries and there is nowhere to overtake. That said, its just as bad all the way to peterborough apart from one small section of dual carriageway. I would love to see this railway reopened but i just don't think that there are sufficient arguments to justify the immense cost of doing so. Maybe, as someone pointed out, a heritage railway option would be the answer because currently, local people won't ditch their cars to take a train to march given that its not that far away.
I love all these old rail videos. Quite sad to see locations where no trace or just a few bits are still there. Amazing to think how just a few decades can change a location. Its a shame we dont have a time lapse of some of it, to see lines being removed, goods sheds being demolished, houses and trees taking over. If only eh.
I travelled on the March to Wisbech line each Summer for four successive years when I was a student to work in the Smedley canning factory (now Princes). On Google Earth you can follow the line as it enters Wisbech - one branch continues north but the one that led to the Wisbech East station braches off to the right ending up in the area of Station Drive, Railway Road and Victoria Road. A small triangular green space still exists that may have been associated with the station. Local inhabitants no doubt could point out exactly where the station was located.
I don't blame you for avoiding the A47, that road is lethal. As a former paramedic in the area, weekly we had fatalities. I moved after one of them was my girlfriend. I would love to see this railway reopened.
Good morning. What a fantastic journey looking at what was a great railway 👍🏻 It’s a no brainier reopening old railway lines especially at £9 a gallon for fuel lol 😆 Back in the 70s when the car was king and fuel was very cheap 50p a gallon 🙄 Look at any new line that’s reopened recently as it always exceeds parsonage 🤩
there are a lot more people here today .......500 a day coming in illegally in dover ( no passprot needed by the way hence illegal) of course we need more of everything . also the idea of travelling further to work on good roads helped
What about the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway who's line crossed the old road from Sandy to Whittlesea time and time again as I remember as a child? I was fortunate enough to have a very young recognition of a tram loco with a few odd trucks pushing it's way along a line of grass lined tree backed tracks but I only ever saw it once and I can't remember where. I still remember Whittlesea station as a 2 road platform with magnificent crossing and signal box. A shadow of what it is now!
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The country is now beginning to regret the wholesale closure of so many railways in the 60s. Dr Beeching is the most notorious but there were others who encouraged the closures as motor transport became more efficient. Now with the climate crisis there are lines all over the country that need re-opening but persuading the powers that be is like pushing back the tide!
You'll find many on here who will agree with your remarks!
I dont blame Beeching so much. He actually stated in his report that the track beds were a national asset, and should be retained so that the lines could be reinstated in the future. Unfortunately, in the 80s and 90s, many became easy pickings for councils to re-purpose for road improvements or to sell off for development.
Stop blaming Beeching. The problems were well known in the 1909 when the President of the Board of Trade, a certain Winston Churchill (whatever happened to him?) Stated that the railways did not have a future without rationalisation and amalgamation. God knows how the railways managed in WW1 with so many different standards in rolling stock. In 1933 the Salter report came out. Amongst many things that many small lines could never compete with road transport, especially in freight handling. Even back then the railway companies accuse the government of favouring roads over rail by the construction roads through taxation whilst restricting the railways ability to use flexible pricing as the railways had to stick to the nationally agreed rates. Salter also recommended that road transport should be taxed directly to fund roads, which lead to an increase in the Vehicle Excise Duty (erroneously called Road Tax, but that was abolished by Winston Churchill a few years earlier) and the introduction of fuel duty. But even with these taxes taken into account it did nothing to stop the slow decline of branch lines in the UK. As the pictures in this video show each station was fully manned and kept in perfect condition at considerable expense.
In the run up to Beeching taking over, the government stopped BR increasing its prices as the costs of running the railways increased (including wage rises) and passenger numbers and freight tonnage continued their pre-war declines. In 1954 BR's deficit was £23 million which grew to £62 million in 1956 (the same year BR's net revenue also fell to a deficit of £16.5 million). BR's finances continued to worse. The deficit in 1960 was £68 million, in 1961 it was £87 million and in 1962, the year Beeching was appointed, it had grown to £104 million. And why was the deficit rising part of it was the loss of traffic to the roads, part was the rising costs of running services and part was government interference in repeatedly stopping BR from raising prices as a failed attempt to control inflation
To put it into perspective since the abolish of fuel rationing road vehicle mileages had increase by 10% year on year between 1948 and 1964 whilst during the 1950s rail traffic remained more or less constant, but the overall share of the transport market had dropped to 5% by 1955 from around 16% at the start of the 1950s. Staff numbers on the railways had also fallen by 1961 by around a quarter since nationalisation to about 475,000.
Now Beeching wasn't the only person in BR cutting track mileage and services, before he took hold if the pruning knife the Unremunitive Services Committee and the Branch Lines Committee had been cutting lines and had lopped 3,318 miles of passenger services or lines from the network between 1948 and 1962 to add to the 1,300 miles that the Big 4 had cut between 1923 and 1939.
Yes, some of the lines closed would now be beneficial, but how would you be able to identify them 60 years ago? After all no one predicted the financial crises that struck the UK in late 1964 which was triggered by a balance of trade deficit that was £800 million (but that was double what had been expected). The country's economic woes lasted until November 1967 when the government was forced to devalue the Pound by 14% after spending all the foreign currency reserves and most of the bullion reserves trying to support the Pound. These efforts were as futile as those our last PM made to save his premiership.
@@dominicbuckley8309 they were doing that in the 1960s as well. The former Whitby to Loftus line was partially swallowed up at Sandsend to straighten out the road near Raithwaite Lodge. They also removed the embankment on Mill Bank, Carlin How when the line to Loftus closed to get rid of a notorious sharp bend where the road when under the railway line. This meant when the line to Boulby Potash mine was reinstated they had to build a bridge to replace the embankment. The new road is virtually straight, but the old road including the sharp bend remains as a layby.
I’m actually very pleased to see these comments here about Dr Beeching.
For many years he has been demonised as the scapegoat for the wholesale closure of so many lines and stations.
It is true to say that many stations and lines weren’t making any profit, and in fact probably never did in the whole of their existence, and would have closed anyway over time.
The real villain was Ernest Marples with his fingers in so many road building pies.
Beeching was set up good and proper by this loathsome individual.
I was talking to the director of the Wensleydale Railway. He said, that if the track is still down, it is still legally a railway. Even if the track is rusted up and unusable, the legal steps necessary to reopen it are less challenging. Once the track is gone, then it is legally farmland again and then reinstatement is more difficult. So if your aim Is to reopen it, then you need to take steps to prevent what track is in situ from being removed! Thanks for uploading.
Very interesting, thanks for sharing
Dont think thats correct. The tracked is the responsibility of (as of today) highways England. Until agreement is reached with them on sales of tracts of land to private individuals they hold title.
@@alantraish3368 I am sure that you are not correct with that you commented. The ground of the railway companies was purchased and still legally theirs as long as the track is still there.
@@alantraish3368 It's still a railway not a highway (road)!
@@Isochest If its still the responsibility of Network Rail then yes. Depends who the track & trackbed derestriction is under.
the lack of a rail connection at wisbech was one of the (many) reasons why i left the town. a rail connection is essential for economic growth and the prosperity of the town (and surrounding villages).
From what I have seen the town and area are in want of substantial investment. Thanks for your comment.
I’m Swedish from the very south and my country also suffered similar branch line closures as your Beeching and subsequent closures between the 1960s and 80s. After that the number of closed and dismantled lines slowed down significantly.
From 2000 onwards, we have actually seen the opposite happening at a fairly rapid pace and in Skåne, our southernmost province, over the last 20 or so we now have passenger services on practically every extant piece of railway save one short unelectrified branch, and on a portion where there is a parallel line within a few miles with a slightly different route through sparsely populated farmland. That bit is nevertheless still in active use as a relief route on occasion when track maintenance is needed on the main route.
On top of this, two major entirely new lines have been laid and incorporated to immensely improve the rail system here.
It does take a while also here to get these things going here as well, but in the end it mostly comes down to convince the capital to realise that the universe doesn’t revolve around them, that other parts of our vast country also need to get from A to B, and to make sure that the projects get funded.
In the end we made it :)
Thank you for your thoughts and comment. It seems the problems faced here are similar internationally. And you're absolutely right when it comes to under-investment in anywhere outside of the capital!
beeching closed nothing. do not fall for the socialists false claims
@@RediscoveringLostRailways I just want to add to the previous by mentioning that I have lived in both Oxford and York previously and I must admit that the rail services (and bus/coach services for that matter) outside London in the UK is quite a sad affair compared to the mentioned Swedish region (chosen as an example because I’m from there originally and it is not the capital).
Also, most other places in continental Europe I have either lived in or at least spent some time in has had far better public transport offerings than two fairly major university and tourist cities in the UK.
It feels a bit sad to see what has become of the rail system in the country that pioneered the modern railway concept.
@@DrBovdin Yes, public transport is not taken too seriously by governments in this country, unless its London. If you can't make lots of money out of them they are not worth bothering about. Would be so useful to reduce car use in this country, even though they're going electric you'd think public transport would be more efficient
Fifty-five years ago I rode the line, March to Wisbech, daily for College. Much has changed as I now live in Sheffield, but I applaud the enthusiastic volunteer groups who work to reopen lines.
Many thanks for your memories 🙏
Lovely film, thank you. As a Cambridgeshire local I have watched the decay of this line worsen over the past 25 years. The prospect of it ever re-opening remains vanishingly small. The Government has indicated that the long planned Ely North re-development is being kicked into the long grass, a project of national importance for freight and better local services; against that backdrop, plus (currently) lower rail usage and a difficult public sector financial situation, I do not expect to live long enough to see this line re-open, nor the re-building of the railway around Ely, nor the completion of East - West rail. All of them have a part to play in de-carbonising transport but I just don't see any of them happening any time soon. Hope I'm wrong.
I fear that you are spot on in your assessment!
Money has been set aside for East - West rail - yes I know it's been talked about for years I do think it'll happen. There's good reason to reopen the line to Wisbech and that's for more capacity for Cambridge. Sounds weird? Basically you can't keep long trains at Cambridge station they get in the way (this is why for example that Stevenage now has a dedicated platform for the Hertford Loop - trains used to stop the slow line for 20 minutes of the hour). Ely is currently used but again, they are in the way there too! So not only do I think it'll happen, but that it'll be electrified. In a similar vein I think the line between Peterborough and Ely will be electrified. Not for speed (still limited to 75mph) but as a diversionary route. Also some Azumas are diesel and electric. The South East needs rail capacity desperately, and that includes the Eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds.
We have a railway in Edinburgh that is still technically open but only by a bit of freight and an occasional nuclear transport - it always seems mad to me not to reopen it to passengers. It provides a link around the southern and western areas of the city and links up with the mainline. It is in the council’s long term plan but never seems to get closer to being done, unlike expensive tram schemes!
It is a shame when there's a useful railway in plain sight like that!
Same situation on the western side of Southampton Water . There’s a goods line which serves Fawley oil refinery which passes through towns & villages which have only one road route to the city. After 25 years at least the studies are becoming serious . 👍
Is that the Edinburgh Suburban line?
Many years ago I travelled the Bathgate line, which was freight only, on a freight train as part of a group tour . The good old days
What about lines on which Parliamentary trains run? There's one that connects Ellesmere Port to the line to Manchester via Warrington, via a massive oil refinery, but trains barely run! There is massive systemic failure in the way Britain's railways are run.
Friends! Will this line ever reopen? What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. *Sharing* this film and giving it a *like* will help raise the film's profile and my channel's presence - could you help with this? Might you consider supporting my channel even more? www.buymeacoffee.com/rediscovering
Let’s get this line reopened and up and running. My guess is that it would take many lorries off the road and, if passenger services were restored then a single sprinter unit would at my guess, would take around fifty cars off the road in one journey. Thoughts?
@@cameronjohnston3186 Theres also alot of March and surrounding areas to Wisbech busses that could be reduced too
Maybe maybe not the local councils say there is a satisfactory bus service that’s rarely used I would like to see it opened but can’t see it sadly
you know i live in a small village called coylton on the west coast of scotland from here there used to be a line that connected all the small villages and towns on its way up to the mainline which in turn connected with glasgow central. mainly a coal freight line but ran passenger services. there is still remnants of the line because im a mechanic and i worked in the opencast coal mines in the area and there is still lines around. my point is that the road now that feeds all the villages is bloody dire, and if the line down here was to reopen it would be massively busy with commuters. so yes the line in the video should reopen aswell as thousands of others throughout the UK and make the UK rail network one of the best. because a passenger train can take so many cars off a road and by god a freight train can take maybe 100 road wagons off our roads. the UK needs to in my eyes pump billions into the rail network. back in 60s our network was far reaching and fantastic. sorry i went on a waffle haha just believe the uk rail network could be a fantastic network and rival all the countries in europe. fantastic video by the way love the content :D :D
Hopefully, it will, unlike other post-Beeching closures, falling victim to SUSTRANS (the Devil!). Way back in 1982, the highly scenic route around the coast of North Devon, from Barnstaple to Instow, Bideford; and then inland to Torrington and Meeth, finally closed, due to money needed for upgrading the track to accommodate more modern Tiger, 57-tonne rail hoppers. British Rail agreed to mothball it and, were in not for SUSTRANS, the popular tourist destinations of Instow, Bideford and Torrington would now be seeing regular passenger services, with the opportunity of steam-hauled charter trains along this beautiful line. Unfortunately, they pounced on it by making an offer in the region of £100k (quite a large sum back then) to Torridge District Council, in order to develop it to what is now known as the Tarka Trail. Since then, both Instow and Bideford stations have been fully restored (Bideford even has a museum; Instow, a signalbox). The two are only three miles apart but SUSTRANS vetoed even sharing the cycle/fòot path, with a narrow gauge railway line, well scrèened off by a high wire fence. South Devon is more fortunate: the line from Paignton to Kingswear was saved by preservationists, and continues to see regular steam-hauled passenger trains. It is extremely popular and is referred to as the the nation's holiday line. It has also featured in a number of high profile t.v. productions, such as Agitha Christine's Poirot and Miss Marples. A full, narrow gauge railway from Barnstaple to Instow and Bideford would obviously be just as popular, and help to boost tourism to the benefit of local trade. It would also tie in with the eventual reinstatement of the narrow gauge railway from Barnstaple to Lynton and Lynmouth. Thanks to SUSTRANS, however, it'll never happen!
You may be forgiven for thinking that this sort of thing wouldn't happen these days, but unfortunately it might. The Eden Valley Preservation Society hoped back in 2000, to reinstate trains from Appleby East to Warcop, along an interesting 5-mile branch line, which saw regular MOD freight trains until the late1980s. Since 2000, SUSTRANS have acquired roughly 2 miles of it, from Appleby East to Copeland, so it is within their power to vetoe running trains into Appleby. What amazes me though is the sheer pointlessness of having a 2-miles cycle path into the middle of nowhere, with nothing to see and do! It does, however, demonstrate their fanatical desire to acquire disused railway lines and turn them into cycle paths, regardless of whether they'd serve the public better by being resurrected by the private sector, and run for purpose they were originally created.
Oh, forgot to mention: Workington had a highly scenic, 5-mile branch line, to Camerton, with views of the Lakeland fells. It closed in 1994, and SUSTRANS turned it into cycle/foot path, forming part of the fragmented C2C route from Whitehaven to Middlesbrough. Workington Station has an island platform, and steam-hauled trains along this branch line would've helped boost tourism in this less affluent part of Cumbria, which is often overlooked by visitors from outside the area, compared to the usual Lake District haunts. It would also have tied in well with the narrow gauge "La'al Ratty" at Ravenglass (further south along the coast, and served by the scenic Cumbrian Coast Line) and also possibly the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway. It'll never happen, and the cycle path continues to do nothing more than terminate at Camerton. It doesn't even cut out the steep hill between there to Great Broughton or provide a through route to Cockermouth for cyclists, avoiding the busy A66. Since 1998, it's stayed almost exactly the same. A big thanks to SUSTRANS for the wonderful public service they've provided!
Incidentally, elsewhere, there's evidence of cycle/footpaths being used by motorcyclists; high-powered electric bicycles, and often suffering from fly-tipping, dog fouling, etc, due to insufficient policing. A truly wonderful alternative to the reinstatement of much-needed train services!
Finally, evidence suggests that that creating cycle paths out of disused is not 'green' because motorists drive to where they start rather than take the train. On the other hand, resurrecting disused railway lines can be. The Corfe-Castle - Swanage Railway, encouraged visitors to travel their by train, and both these places saw a welcome reduction in traffic when the line was restored, according to Swanage District Council.
Thank you for this wonderfully produced historical documentary.
I traveled to Wisbeach at about 1964 to spend a week picking strawberry's at a ww2 pow camp called Friday Bridge
Thank you indeed for your kind words about my film and for sharing your memories 😊
Lovely video and very informative. I was born in 1943 when Railways were King and the Country was a maze of beautiful Branch line journeys. How shorted sited of Dr Beeching and the Labour gov.In the early sixties,stationed at Bickliegh on the edge of Dartmoor, the Train journeys across the Moors were wonderful. Thank you once again for your vids, they make my heart ache at what is gone and good fortune in all you do.
I'm so glad you enjoy my efforts!
My grandfather was John Brammer who was a guard/ticket officer on the March to Wisbech line in the 50s, then going on to work at the metal box factory on Weasenham Lane
What a fabulous connection to have with this fascinating line!
I remember looking after a survey team many year ago when we walked all the way through that line to Wisbech. And it’s reopening is still in talks.
Oh dear, it doesn't bode well, does it!
Great film as always. Your films never fail to disappoint. A few railways seem to be planning on reopening.
The case for this one seems especially strong. Really glad you enjoyed the film!
One of the biggest difficulties with re-opening this route would be the level crossing over the A47 Wisbech bypass. For many years after the closure of the line the crossing remained in place, lights, rails and all, but IIRC about 10 years ago the rails were ripped up and the lights and signs removed, meaning the crossing no longer exists. This means that if the railway was to re-open it would either require an application for a new level crossing (which given how busy the road is would be unlikely) or would require a bridge to be built which would add considerably to costs. Sadly this seems to be a late extension of the old policy of developing on just enough bits of old railway lines to make their opening unviable even if there would otherwise be a strong case in the future.
Thanks for your assessment, which seems entirely fair 👍
Great video. True, Beeching wrecked our railways and as I read in an old newpaper, somebody quoted "Future generations will curse us". How true them words are today.
Most of the old lines had their land and buildings sold off so no hope of revival. Having said all that, if we had all the old Victorian rail system still intact today, who the hell can afford to use the train any more.
Many thanks for your thoughts and comment 👍
Ernest Marples, Transport Minister at that time, was actually the real villain. Richard Beechiing 'merely' did his bidding.
This video, the production values and drone usage is absolutely wonderful. Thank you so much and keep up the beautiful work. Please, more videos like this. I find the old photos top stuff too!
Many thanks indeed. Presently at work on my film concerning East West Rail!
Fascinating to see the history of this line, used to drive past A47 level crossing before it was removed in mid 2000s and wondered why they had got rid of it in the first place. Thanks for the great work piecing it all together.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed the film!
I remember once as a small child in the mid 80's 1984 traveling that way once on a train, departed from the middle platform in March.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
Curious, I lived in Wisbech from 1972 to 1979 and there was certainly no passenger train service from March towards Wisbech by 1972, though freight trains did run sporadically to an industrial area in the west side of Wisbech. Unless somehow you had a ride on that?
@@VickersDoorter My memory is a little hazy as was only 4 years old back then, my dad was a trackman so could've been a singel unit passenger train for the workers doing repairs along that track,
Although I live nowhere near Wisbech, I can see parallels with local rail campaigns that have been active for years but never come to anything. I wish the Wisbech line all the best.
The one thing I'm surprised about in this video is that so many of the actual rails have been left intact. When a railway is decommissioned, every piece of metal is normally lifted to deter looters.
I fear you may be right about the campaign. It seems local government provides a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
I was not disappointed, always fascinating, nostalgic and meaningful.For someone who went to school by steam train daily and preceded Beeching's cuts, thank you . Mike
I'm so pleased you enjoyed this episode, many thanks for your ongoing support 😀
A very well researched, equally well laid out and paced, and professionally produced as always. I learned a few things, and as usual, I look forward to seeing the next video when it comes.
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your very kind remarks!
As always a fabulous film with probably the best narration on YT. I can only imagine the enormous amount of work you put into this. I am going to binge tonight.
Wow, thank you! It is a huge amount of work, but I really enjoy it. Glad you enjoyed it! Do share far and wide if you can!
Thank you for producing such cool videos, they really could be shown on national TV.
Glad you like them! Thank you indeed!
The imagination sparks into life with these films!
That's very kind of you to say so - thank you!
Fascinating documentary on this - hopefully temporarily - lost line to Wisbech and beyond, Together with some historic images and superb aerial shots, you make a compelling case for reopening and provide a succinct summary of some of the obstacles to be overcome. We must hope that the means are quickly found to overcome them.
Glad you enjoyed it - thank you for your kind remarks and thoughts!
Great to see the march wisbech line which as a march works dept worker I spent a lot of time working on the crossings and infrastructure.
If you have any stories or anecdotes, do share!
I used to live in one of the houses that would have been served by Middle Drove station. As a child in the 70’s it seemed amazing there was a station there. One night there was a commotion and one of the railway buildings burned down. From the video I guess it was the goods shed, or perhaps the signal box but I don’t really remember a signal box being there, but there was a large brick shed.
Many thanks for your memories 🙏
Fascinating presentation and content .I well remember one Friday evening in late 1957 with my older brother after we left school on our own , taking The Fenman service from Cambridge to Wisbech, to visit friends in Victoria Road, a few hundred yards walk from Wisbech station .We returned the following Monday morning before the start of school ! .
Great memories!
Finally I learn from you how to pronounce Wisbech. I was there visiting the great house of the Quaker, Lord Peckover, and I always pronounced it like it was a small village in the Black Forest! It would've been great had there been a train from Kings Lynn to Wisbech!
I think that many people in Wisbech would prefer a rail connection to King's Lynn rather than Cambridge, but that's not on the table. Yes - some pronounce it 'Wisbeck' and I can see how.
I agree! I've never been, so I would have pronounced it Wisbeck. Now I know.
Very informative and beautifully shot documentary. As an employee of this country’s railway infrastructure company, working on a team whom are responsible for renewals of the railway (old) and new, you have done a great job at simplifying what is a very complex red-taped issue for all rail projects. Unfortunately I can tell you with certainty at this time, there are no concrete plans to reopen this line within the foreseeable future (6years plus) although I can personally see the benefits of doing so. Happy to help with any queries you may have!
Keep creating!
Thank you indeed. It is especially rewarding to hear this from an insider. Alas, I figured its chances were slim! Could you tell me about the chances of East West Rail making it from Bedford to Cambridge as this is my next project...Best wishes!
Walked from March station up to Wisbech last autumn past the old marshalling yard site (lot of interpretation boards) and got the bus back - there were great views of the old line from the top deck. It's a melancholy sight and I wondered then if it could be viable again.
I can remember a childhood holiday largely spent riding trains across the Fens. Most of the lines are now gone but there are ghostly remains everywhere.
Thank you for your comment - yes, 'ghostly' is the word - let's hope that it can be brought back to life altogether!
hiya dear friend ,a great film for the weekend , in wigan we had a jumble of railways which are now sadly very overgrown or scooped away , but my buddy won t be put off by bushes and weeds , he has made some great finds for me , from ridge tiles to point rods and a lnwr track chair stamped 1915 , as ever your films prove that the best things in life are free , you are a railwayman of the highest order , all the best always from nick in wigan still ancashire
Many thanks!
Great film again. Good to see this line, which was inevitably constructed in part by my Gt Gt Grandfather. He’d have definitely appreciated that hut fireplace!
Thank you, what was your family connection?
I've lived in Wisbech my entire life and was always fascinated by the reopening of the line. But I was never aware of the Wisbech- Watlington line.
Glad to be of service! There's so much to explore, as can be seen!
Back in 1989, I worked for BT and the yard in Wisbech backed onto the Spillers yard. Class 47s were a daily visitor and on one occasion a class 56 turned up with a train of Redland hoppers (in pale green) for a photo-call. Interesting little corner.
Yes and some fine traction by the sound of it!
lovely bit of drone footage at about 15mins in of the bridge and glinting sunlight on the water.
I must confess to being quite proud of that shot!
MARCH was the biggest Marshalling yard during the war and i also remember the fright trains coming down from METALBOX(as it use to be called) plus the trains coming down the JOINT line from SPALDING(fright and passenger) as the hump yard was use to sort out the wagon loads for the eastern counties
it looks so strange from he last time i went home to MARCH with all the Marshalling gone
Thanks for your thoughts and memories
Fascinating! What a good idea in principle to reopen the line to March. It looks like this would be a "relatively" easy project compared to many, as so much infrastructure remains. We have lost so much over the years, such a pity so many branch lines are no more. Great video, very informative!
Thanks for your comment and kind words about my film 😀
Another Brilliant film as usual! I honestly think the line should re-open. As a trainspotter, it saddens me to see any old line fall abandoned, and indeed it should be brought back. Look foward to your next video!
Many thanks indeed 🙏
Excellent video , I spent three years as traincrew at March depot and had plenty of time over the Wisbech branch to Pedigree and the metal box next door.
Good memories with pairs of Class 37s and single 47s and all the trains had brake vans fitted so that the guard could close the three sets of manual gates on the branch after the loco crew had opened them and driven through.
Sad to see what's become of it but brought back some great memories
Thanks for sharing your memories!
Good luck and I wish you the best in reopening your lost line ..in the North we have been trying to reopen the Colne to Skipton line and the Penrith to Keswick line ...both we have been pushing with the benefits to business and with the Keswick line the gridlock on most days with car traffic the needs are obvious....anyway if your line opens I will be on the first train..
Fingers crossed for similar reopening across the land!
Outstanding. The explanation of the old and newer processes are especially welcome.
Thank you, glad it was helpful!
I live in march and visit the station while walking it would be great to see the old line back it will certainly be easier than the old spalding line which has a massive prison on some of where the track bed was but you can still see where the track once run in certain places
Fingers crossed it works out for those involved 😀
fascinating stuff. I grew up in Wisbech and recall the remains of a line that once continued from Wisbech to Sutton Bridge along the riverbank. The end of Nene Parade is known as the crossing, which of course it once was. In the late 60's we played on the old crossing gate that still stood there, as well as the ruins of the old gate keepers house. This area has long since been redeveloped with "new" houses. For many years we collected rail bolts found half buried in the track bed along the riverbank. There's probably still a few left in there somewhere ...
Many thanks for your wonderful memories!
Excellent video yet again. This is very close to commercial quality production. It would only need little bit of polishing and be broadcast by the BBC.
@Mawerick77 thank you, though as @JackWarner has suggested, I'd probably be obliged to insert a 'trying my hand at a local craft or sampling their food or drink' segment! 😆
No don’t let the bbc get hold of it :(
@@leer798 You'll be happy to know they've not been in contact...
Thank you for your video about lost rail lines. If I ever can come to Great Britain I would love to do what you are doing: exploring lost rail lines! I can think of nothing finer to do. I hope your Wisbech line can come back to life. It's good for the citizens, the economy, and the environment.
My pleasure, glad you enjoyed the film. Do subscribe if you've not already done so and enjoy my other films in the series 😀
A lovely, clear, well researched video as always. So much seems to remain, so it will be interesting to see if the funding can be found to actually do the work to reopen at least part of the line. Really enjoy seeing the old pictures, and the aerial images really give the scale of the line in the wider landscape. More of these branch lines appear to be being revived, and not just as heritage lines, which is a very good thing...of course if it hadn't been for the dreadful Beeching...!
So glad you enjoyed this episode!
Another informative documentary with superb filming, editing and narration. The glacial progress made reopening 'no-brainer' rail services is frustrating to say the least. Here's hoping for a more expeditious solution to unstick the March-Wisbech reopening!
Many thanks for taking the time to say so - it really is appreciated!
What a great little video, well researched, well spoken, great shots by drone. You sir have earned a sub!
That's really very kind of you, thank you 😊
Re-opening the line makes sense on many levels, both commercial and environmental. What's more, it will never be cheaper than now.
Fingers crossed it works out on this occasion!
Fantastic video once again the drone coverage mate is amazing
It survived this trip, fingers crossed it will the next!
Living close to the currently being reinstated varsity line section between Bicester and Bedford. I can see the reinstatement being a long process. I suspect even if the go ahead was given tomorrow, it would be the end of the decade before trains were running. However the fact a significant portion of EWR is already in process of recommissioning there is always hope 🙏 👍
Thanks again for another fantastic video 🙂
I your analysis is spot on. And I'll be coming your way in the weeks ahead as I make my film concerning East West Rail!
Amazing video. I'd love to see more like this on railways that are planned to be reopened sometime in the next few years!
Stick around for me film concerning East West Rail coming later this summer...
I worked for a number of years in the US for a Railroad over there and during that time I operationally managed a railway as we reintroduced passenger operations on one of our lines for the first time in 50 years the whole process was fascinating and often frustrating in equal measure 18hr bridge outages on a operational railway when you are trusting the track department will be giving you the track back before your first train arrives is a simply horrid experience!
It's always fascinating to hear about this sort of thing from an insider. Thanks for sharing 👍
@@RediscoveringLostRailways Our biggest concern was the welds within the long welded rail and before opening the line back up to passenger service whenever we had a mainline derailment, and we had a number! that was the first question(the track was mostly 25 or 10mph and wasn't in great condition)
Great film as always. Superbly narrated. I hope that it gets reopened, especially as the line is, more or less, still there.
Thanks Andrew - fingers crossed 🤞
I’ve been waiting for your next video. This is such a treat for the weekend.
I hope it doesn't disappoint!
Reopening of sections of the old Varsity line might be worth a video? I think I remember you covered it several years ago, but now work is underway might be interesting for you to see how the reopening is proceeding?
It’s just a thought 💭
My friend, I'm in the middle of making that very film!
@@RediscoveringLostRailways We'll all be looking forward to seeing it.
@@RediscoveringLostRailways excellent!!! A timelapse over the last 100 years would be brilliant if possible!
@@garyparker2541 alas that may be beyond my skill, but I'll see what I can do!
Not dead, just sleeping. Many thanks for another great video
My pleasure!
VERY NICE!! I was just in the UK and loved seeing these places! Such history and well done!
Glad you enjoyed i - tell me more about your time over here - which railways did you manage to see?
Another great video, thanks again. Lets hope this line gets reopened it certainly looks achievable.
My pleasure - and agreed - fingers crossed it works out!
Another top-notch production - well done ! 👍👍
Very kind of you to say so thank you!
Beautifully narrated and edited, a professional piece of work.
Thank you kindly!
I remember seeing the forlorn disused platforms at March about 25 years ago, on fairly frequent travels between Hertfordshire and Merseyside. It’s good to know that they (& much else) are still there and may return to active use in future.
Fingers crossed 🤞
That's quite a meandering route from Herts to Merseyside! Probably a much nicer journey than M1 / M6 though!
I used to get on a train at Bishop’s Stortford, get off at Audley End, wait a few minutes on the same platform then take the Central Trains service arriving from Stansted Airport all the way to Liverpool Lime Street. It was always possible to find a table seat and get plenty of work done. The (albeit quicker) alternative was to go via Liverpool Street and Euston, but this route provided significantly less desk time, and the pre-Pendolino swaying of the train around the curves made it difficult to read without feeling motion sickness. I was also recovering from abdominal surgery when I started using the Central Trains service - it was a much more tranquil way to travel, with less walking required.
The route via Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Stamford, Leicester and Birmingham was reasonably direct and probably not much different in mileage from the alternative. It was also much less expensive and went through some interesting places along the way. On a few occasions, I forgot to check the route when booking and ended up on the other Stansted - Lime Street service via Chesterfield and Manchester, which was a bit round-about, but I never regretted the journey through the beautiful Peak District.
I love the drone shots. They really add a lot. Your flying skills are much better than mine!
Very kind. For every one minute I fly I swear I only capture 20 seconds of usable footage!
Another outstanding and informative video I really enjoyed watching this. As in all your videos, your passion for our railway history is evident. Long may you continue to produce these, thank you.
Thank you very much! I'm already working on my next major project, so stay tuned!
Hello from Eastern NC in the US. This was both beautiful and sad. I really hope you guys set this up and running soon.
Always pleased to hear from an American cousin, many thanks for your good wishes!
A superb film! Excellent narration and photography.
Very kind of you, thank you 😊
Very nicely done presentation. The drone footage was the icing on the cake. Thank you for sharing.
Many thanks indeed, glad you enjoyed the film!
Another wondrful video. Very well made and very interesting, so well done!
Very kind of you to say so, thank you
Brilliant as always ...a local line to me as a child and I remember class 40s on the Spillers pet food trains ...
Wisbech would benefit from a rail connection hope it comes to fruition
Thanks for your comment and memories!
A fabulolus video as aways. I thouroughly enjoyed our journey. What a great opportunity to reopen an old line, much of which still exists. As long as it is economically viable, like the line at Oakhamton to Exeter, Why not? I guess red tape is the problem. Remove the red tape and low and behold, progress.
Thanks ever so much!
Wow definitely a long time in the making. Back when the Up sidings were still closed and the dot matrix passenger information screens were still in use. Good job!
I confess I used some footage from 2017 here, but I gather things have changed! Glad you liked the film 🎥
I love to see these railway returns even if the trains these days are electric, as we know redevelopment in places have hampered some old tracks but one's which can be repaired would be great.
Yes, it would be great to see!
This is very clear and as someone who doesn't know the area very well I found it really easy to understand the geography and the issues. Excellent use of maps and graphics as well as historical images and your own video. A new subscriber gained.
Thank your for your subscription and your kind words about my film. You've paid my work a very great compliment and I hope you enjoy the other films on my channel 😊
Apart from excellent description of the line from inception to decay ,the reasons for delay are explained in a crystal clear manner befitting your presentation. Best of luck 👍
Very kind of you to say so - thank you indeed!
I have often thought that a few people willing to take the time to spray short sections of overgrowth might clear the vegetation from parts of a line that was unused. This would make the reopening of the line a little easier.
There have been efforts in this regard, but this tends to be volunteers rather than Network Rail, so regrettably it is often a piecemeal effort.
Very well made. I could see this line being just about viable for a VLR shuttle, but capacity restrictions nearby at Ely would be a problem for anything more.
VLR would only be a stop gap, too, necessitating changing at March rather than having through trains to Cambridge/Peterborough, which seems fairly essential if this is going to work.
to be fair, capacity restrictions at Ely may need addressing anyway- considering the possibility of running additional trains through the area with the reinstatement of the Oxford-Bletchley-Bedford-Cambridge route (which could potentially see trains run beyond Cambridge)
@@MercenaryPen Sometimes I wonder whether the Bedford-Cambridge section will be cancelled eventually as well. Politics look particularly volatile right now and a lot of the locals apparently don't like the plan.
@@andrewreynolds4949 I bet these not in my yard locals would use it once it’s built..
@@johnchurch4705 Maybe, maybe not. Some people genuinely have no need to use public transportation, or would find the overall effects of a railway nearby to be greatly more negative.
Outstanding! I know nothing about this line, nor area so your excellent clip is very educational. Many thanks and congratulations on a fine piece of work.
Many thanks!
Great film, as always.
I suspect that what will kill the proposed scheme, is the number of level crossings, both road and private, along the route. Official policy when I worked in the rail industry was that as many level crossings as possible must be eliminated. However, diverting or extinguishing rights of way is a very expensive and protracted process.
The A47 crossing seems like it could scupper the prospect of the railway's return, alas. Thanks for your comment - as an amateur, I'm really glad to hear from those on the inside track, so to speak.
Yes. I think that is what did it for my local branch where I grew up: Little Eaton to Denby branch. Last freight working 1999, lifted 2010 I think.
I can only count three crossings to Kilburn, but there you are...
Pitty Beeching couldn't see that far in to the future! We had the infrastructure at one time to get goods and services to almost anywhere in the country by rail. They had absolutely no vision at all !! Thank you most enjoyable.
My pleasure, thank you for your thoughts and comment 👍
Excellent I really really hope it gets reopened
It would be the right decision I feel!
This channel is fantastic, the videos are so informative and well produced.
Thank you for saying so, it is greatly appreciated 😊 🙏
During the 60s a local branch that served a colliery nearby was closed for 2 years. On the tracks was left during this time a rail workers hand operated cart, we kids rode that wagon up and down about a mile , absolutely brilliant and were disappointed when the rail reopened.
Sounds like great fun!
I’d love to see the old lines open again.
Yes, agreed 👍
Fantastic video as always! Thank you for putting so much time and effort in to these videos!
My pleasure!
I agree with all the comments about the professionalism of your latest work.
That means a lot, thank you for saying so
Great stuff! Leicester to Burton-upon-Trent is re opening so fingers crossed for this! Let's hope it's not another awful guided bus way!
Thank you. Buses are pretty grim things...
Another well researched and illustrated documentary with excellent 'then and now' shots throughout. How interesting that so many years after closure, an extraordinary amount of infrastructure still remains. There is a case for many of the lines in East Anglia to re-open as so many large areas are totally devoid of a rail service.
I have viewed your other excellent videos of the fenland areas, but cannot find one for the lost March to St Ives railway. Have you any plans to cover this?
Many thanks for your comment and kind words. I must confess I've not made that film yet which is something of an omission...
@@RediscoveringLostRailwaysThanks for the update. My son lives in Chatteris, so I do have a special interest. Keep up the great work.
I do enjoy your films very much and appreciate all the hard work that goes into them.
many thanks for sharing.
All the best.
😊🍻👍
Many thanks!
I love your use of language! Delightfully presented, thank you.
Very kind of you to say so, thank you
Certainly worth waiting for, thoroughly enjoyed the video. I welcome the prospect of the line reopening to Wisbech and see the logic of a town centre station. Although diverting the line around the town, following the curve of the A47 and rejoining the former route to Watlington with park and ride station off the A47 would provide a useful King's Lynn to Peterborough route. A tunnel under Elm Road, would be way to expensive though.
Fingers crossed it works out for Wisbech!
On the already reinstated/upgraded section of EWR/Varsity line (Oxford to Bicester), all level crossing's have been replaced by bridges, I believe the only remaining one on the next phase will be immediately adjacent to Bicester Village (Bicester Town) as I don't believe there is a viable alternative. Would a bridge not be an option for the A47??
An excellent production, beautifully made and illustrated. Looking at all the re-opened lines and stations since about 1980, not one (as far as I know) has ever closed again. In fact, I believe every one has exceeded expectations. Paper-shufflers, eh? Don't you just love 'em? Why not just say 'get on with it' - we know it will be a success.
Many thanks for your thoughts and kind words about my film!
There has been talk of Dualling the A47 as the section from Guyhirn to Wisbech is awful along with the single road section around the town that the crossing used to go over. If they ever got this improvement then a bridge over the railway could be looked at as part of the build. Currently Wisbech is being strangled by the poor road system and the closure of the Railway 50+ years ago started a major decline in the town.
Thanks for your comment. There's no doubt it would benefit from improved transport links!
Good point. The section of A47 that is single road is very slow and there are little alternatives if there is an incident. there would definitely need to be a new bridge over the railway. The new motorway on the A14 around Huntingdon shows new build roads can be built
I don't believe that they will ever be able to dual the a47 between wisbech and guyhirn. Its a raised roadway and without compulsory purchasing the land to one side and banking it up, its a non starter. The other side acts as a flood plain and clearly its out the question to extend the road into that area. The road is terrible and most the time you are stuck behind slow moving lorries and there is nowhere to overtake. That said, its just as bad all the way to peterborough apart from one small section of dual carriageway. I would love to see this railway reopened but i just don't think that there are sufficient arguments to justify the immense cost of doing so. Maybe, as someone pointed out, a heritage railway option would be the answer because currently, local people won't ditch their cars to take a train to march given that its not that far away.
Your script is a delight! Subscribed!
Thank you! I try to get them just so! Thanks for your subscription, do have a look around my channel and let me know what you think!
I love all these old rail videos. Quite sad to see locations where no trace or just a few bits are still there. Amazing to think how just a few decades can change a location. Its a shame we dont have a time lapse of some of it, to see lines being removed, goods sheds being demolished, houses and trees taking over. If only eh.
It never ceases to amaze how quickly nature reclaims railway land and property!
I travelled on the March to Wisbech line each Summer for four successive years when I was a student to work in the Smedley canning factory (now Princes). On Google Earth you can follow the line as it enters Wisbech - one branch continues north but the one that led to the Wisbech East station braches off to the right ending up in the area of Station Drive, Railway Road and Victoria Road. A small triangular green space still exists that may have been associated with the station. Local inhabitants no doubt could point out exactly where the station was located.
Many thanks for your thoughts and memories!
Fascinating that the track is still existing. Could this be taken over by a heritage railway? Great video!
Yes, the video details this proposal. This is what the Bramley Line Heritage Trust aims to do.
I don't blame you for avoiding the A47, that road is lethal. As a former paramedic in the area, weekly we had fatalities. I moved after one of them was my girlfriend.
I would love to see this railway reopened.
I'm sorry to hear that. It is a treacherous road indeed. Thanks for your thoughts and comment 👍
Good morning. What a fantastic journey looking at what was a great railway 👍🏻 It’s a no brainier reopening old railway lines especially at £9 a gallon for fuel lol 😆 Back in the 70s when the car was king and fuel was very cheap 50p a gallon 🙄 Look at any new line that’s reopened recently as it always exceeds parsonage 🤩
It would be great if this worked out! But the way things are going, rail travel like road travel is becoming a rich person's form or transport!
there are a lot more people here today .......500 a day coming in illegally in dover ( no passprot needed by the way hence illegal) of course we need more of everything . also the idea of travelling further to work on good roads helped
What about the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway who's line crossed the old road from Sandy to Whittlesea time and time again as I remember as a child? I was fortunate enough to have a very young recognition of a tram loco with a few odd trucks pushing it's way along a line of grass lined tree backed tracks but I only ever saw it once and I can't remember where. I still remember Whittlesea station as a 2 road platform with magnificent crossing and signal box. A shadow of what it is now!
Thanks for your memories. The Wisbech and Upwell tramway features in my film The Lost Industrial Railways of Cambridgeshire.