Had Spalding-March not closed

[AlastairFraser]

It certainly raised awareness , sadly not much delivered. There was a fair bit of follow up detailed meetings with local "interested" parties who wanted clarification on the detail. My particular favourite was Bramley - an extension of a London - Guildford service , but on 3d rail , and we know how the ORR loves that ..

I doubt if it will be revisited , maybe someone can have another go at it in future years. The key point is that it was "demand led"

If it was demand led, Cranleigh is crying out for a reopened rail link. Perhaps it could go further,but there is the reopening of tunnels and closing off a popular cycle route where there is no space for railway a d cycle route side by side. But, for a what is essentially a big village, there were very frequent bus services in both directions through the centre when I stopped off there on the way to Horsham on the cycle route and the area isn't poor, so first-class season tickets sales would be buoyant.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I don't buy all the arguments of "this line can't be re-opened because some of it has been built upon".

Some people seem to assume that a re-opened line has to follow the old alignment for 100% of the route.

Any re-opening would follow the original formation as far as possible, then follow a diversionary route(s) to get it to the destination required.

In the case of March to Spalding, a new line would skirt past the perimeter of HMP Whitemoor - not go through it on the original formation.

The route has also been heavily obstructed in Spalding, around Cowbit (with the new A16 alignment), and at Guyhirn. Frankly the prison is a relatively minor problem in terms of a deviation. Then there are all the former level crossings.
As noted above, the Werrington dive-under will benefit more flows of both freight and passenger traffic.

 

[Edders23]

I don't buy all the arguments of "this line can't be re-opened because some of it has been built upon".

Some people seem to assume that a re-opened line has to follow the old alignment for 100% of the route.

Any re-opening would follow the original formation as far as possible, then follow a diversionary route(s) to get it to the destination required.

In the case of March to Spalding, a new line would skirt past the perimeter of HMP Whitemoor - not go through it on the original formation.

as someone who knows this area well virtually NONE of the old formation would be useable it would have to be a completely new line and then there would be very expensive bridges over the new alignment of the A16 and the Nene and welland rivers

Think HS2 cost and divide by about 3 now could that be justified for a few intermodal trains today

the old line closed because it was built to carry coal no coal = no need

 

[Tio Terry]

Many years ago, in BR days, I did a lot of surveys in East Anglia to replace ageing and failing telegraph pole routes with cables using the rail mounted mole plough owned by Cuthbertsons from Biggar in Scotland. A lot of them happened and are still in use today, some now at least 48 years old! One I did was March to Spalding. When I told my boss how much it was likely to cost he told me not to do anything more with it as the cost would close the line. The line was basically a freight line for, mostly, coal traffic to London which went via Cambridge but this was reducing at quite a rate so the passenger service couldn’t support the line on its own.

 

[Julia]

Indeed, but if the March -Spalding had sill been here, freight trains from East Anglia would have have relieved pressure on the main line, and it would have taken a lot longer to have to spend the money on Werrington.

... and the bridge replacing the crossing at Kings Dyke, which seems to be spiralling upwards in costs.

 

[Dr Hoo]

I would have thought that freight trains via Lincoln are only a small proportion of moves across Kings Dyke level crossing. Besides 2-3 passenger trains each way per hour most of the freights seem to be stone from the East Midlands or boxes from the West Midlands or further afield via Nuneaton (and v.v.).

 

[Bald Rick]

... and the bridge replacing the crossing at Kings Dyke, which seems to be spiralling upwards in costs.

The bridge at Kings Dyke is not being built for railway purposes or changes in rail traffic on it; it’s being built becaus the road traffic has built up and there’s housing development nearby IIRC.

 

[TheBigD]

The bridge at Kings Dyke is not being built for railway purposes or changes in rail traffic on it; it’s being built becaus the road traffic has built up and there’s housing development nearby IIRC.

You're correct. There's been a few housing developments in Whittlesey recently. There's a couple of smaller ones going on currently.

 

[ashkeba]

The route has also been heavily obstructed in Spalding, around Cowbit (with the new A16 alignment), and at Guyhirn. Frankly the prison is a relatively minor problem in terms of a deviation. Then there are all the former level crossings.
As noted above, the Werrington dive-under will benefit more flows of both freight and passenger traffic.

It looks like only a few back gardens with sheds in Spalding. Most of the route has been used for paths and some for roads. Similar at Cowbit with sheds. The main roads at Guyhirn are being rebuilt anyway.

The A16 and the crossings look a much bigger obstacle. At least 22 tarmac roads across it, plus many drove roads and paths. With only two villages directly on the route, it will need a load of freight to make it worthwhile.

 

[High Dyke]

I would have thought that freight trains via Lincoln are only a small proportion of moves across Kings Dyke level crossing. Besides 2-3 passenger trains each way per hour most of the freights seem to be stone from the East Midlands or boxes from the West Midlands or further afield via Nuneaton (and v.v.).

Approximately 40 paths for freight services travelling through Kings Dyke that also operate over the GN/GE through Lincoln.

Oddly enough, a discussion took place at work about Spalding, more in relation to the new freight traffic - calcium carbonate for the paper factory at Kings Lynn. However, the discussion made reference to the Spalding - March route. Apart from the decline in traffic the other main issue was the high staffing costs for that route, with many level crossings etc.

 

[30907]

Approximately 40 paths for freight services travelling through Kings Dyke that also operate over the GN/GE through Lincoln.

Thats about 1/3 of the listed paths, though I note a fair few of the total are either/or.