THE Mid-Norfolk Railway has launched an emergency appeal, known as the ‘Back on Track’ emergency appeal, to help fund the restoration of Crownthorpe bridge and associated works to reopen the railway for train services.
The appeal is designed to raise £95,000 and will, together with money already committed by the railway, meet the costs of a staged reopening. Initially it is planned that trains will be run to Thuxton.
The track and beams at Crownthorpe bridge must be replaced immediately to allow running to Wymondham. Since the last six-month inspection, the rate of deterioration has accelerated to mean the bridge and associate track is unusable.
As a result of the recently announced management restructure, the MNR will also now be reorganised with a new business model implemented as a matter of urgency. The MNR said that it has become clear that like many other heritage railways, the revenue that the railway is raising does not allow it to keep pace with the deterioration of the permanent way.