March To Spalding Railway

[bryemycaz]

Any old railways buffs ever use this line, I know it was mainly freight just wondered what was BR's reasoning for shutting it. As now its really needed due to the increase in traffic at Peterborough this line could really have helped. I suppose it was because the Railway was in the way at Guyhirn as the bridges there were low from what I remember.

[incony]

Certainly the Guyhirn Bridge would have needed extensive modification to allow the "new" artics to have safe and clear passage. I remember thinking, i must take a picture of this, before it comes down, but time beat me.. the next time i was going that way.. the bridge over the road had gone.. it came down fast.. i can find no images now, of what the road crossing looked like.. ( though identical to the remaining structure ) just seeing it again... would be great, i had a vauxhall viscount then..already an old car... i would have really liked a picture of it, close to that A47 bridge.. it was a great structure, not least since the viaduct incorporated the station..

[bryemycaz]

Hi can help you with a pic on the Ring's End side. I too would like to see a photo on the Guyhirn side as I can't remember exactly how that used to look.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28178727@N08/4233719462/

In regards to the bridge I have always thought the way around the low bridge would have been to build a new bridge at the Wisbech end and a new bypass could have been built to cut out the riverbank section of the A47 and a new bridge over the railway could have been built for the road between Guyhirn and Murrow. However in the end the cheaper option of shutting the railway won out, though the bank section of the A47 is still a nightmare.

[incony]

Woo.. excellent picture..thanks. there are not many and certainly that one, taken about the same time as i was contemplating doing the same thing.. is very special.

I thank you for that..

[bryemycaz]

Ive found this pic taken in 1987 at the Garage just after the old A47 crossing at Guyhirn. If you look just behind the ERF you can just make out the old railway crossing on the Guyhirn side.

Not a great view but its something

http://www.na3t.org/road/photo/RK00515-2

[Dry_Sweeper]

Any old railways buffs ever use this line, I know it was mainly freight just wondered what was BR's reasoning for shutting it. As now its really needed due to the increase in traffic at Peterborough this line could really have helped. I suppose it was because the Railway was in the way at Guyhirn as the bridges there were low from what I remember.

Call me cynical but didn't they build a prison in the middle of the line soon after the line was closed and the tracks lifted

I admit there perhaps wasn't much passenger use on the line, most stations on the route served little villages like Murrow, and recently Murrow has lost it's bus service due to nobody using it

Besides who is going to get on the train at March to go to Doncaster on this line taking 4 hours when they can get the train to Peterborough and change there which is quicker,

When railways begun there were so many companies going railway crazy laying track everywhere and anywhere to compete with rival companies, once the railways were controlled by the government it become clear that there were a lot of duplicate lines such as this, although it survived the Beeching cuts it didn't survive the BR cuts of the early 80's

Although the 80's cuts didn't see many lines close like this one it did however see a lot of lines going from double track to single

Does anyone know if the line can be put back easily or not, I know there might be a problem around the prison but what about the rest of the route

[bryemycaz]

I see the owner of the old viaduct wants to demolish it and reclaim the bricks. I do think that the proposal should been turned down. However I expect it to be carried out on the grounds of Safety.

http://www.wisbechstandard.co.uk/news/e ... _1_2175648

[incony]

and the reason to not recycle the materials and space would be? what?

example:

we are going to recommission the march spaiding rail link.. using modern trams.. although such a link would not need
an overbridge across the A47..? ( preserve what is not needed, just in case it is )

the remains of the viaduct cannot be found in type or structure from the period, anywhere else and as such should be listed?
( oh.. ive never seen one of those anywhere )

progess often is the cause of loss..? ( who lost what when the railway built the viaduct )

i can sympathise with the builder of new houses, because there is no demand for a rail link.. but there is for houses..and i cant hear any noises from those who allowed the railway to build... to reclaim what was their space..


?

[bryemycaz]

I see someone has now posted on Facebook a clearer pic of the bridge on the Guyhirn side. Its nice to see it again.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

[incony]

great pic... ty..

[gd123]

here is a old picture of guyhirn station showing the rings end viaduct at the end of platform

[EWW]

Nice picture gd123. Welcome to the forum. No prizes but you are our "two thousandth" member.

[gd123]

Thanks

[incony]

a very special picture.. ty.. gd123

[incony]

The view is toward March, gd123, the signal box was at the end of the platform just before the road bridge, the signal seen, on the other side of the bridge. It must have been a special event to see so many ( possible ) passengers there... In one of the pics in the link below, one can see the Black Hart pub through the arch of the road bridge... which says the signal box had a precarious position on the edge of the bridge and the platforms and station, left little evidence of ever being there, when the photo`s were taken in 1980 But, one can see the different brickwork on the place the signal box once stood.. i also suspect the road bridge is different from the one in your photo gd123, because i see the cast steel arch in your photo, and the later photo, but not brick parapets, your photo shows steel railings..so.. your photo is very special to see, it tells one a great deal about a little recorded station on a busy line.. i wonder what the even was, that drew so many passengers and a photographer to take that pic?http://www.cambstimes.co.uk/news/exclusive_could_this_be_the_end_of_the_road_for_12_iconic_arches_that_reflect_the_golden_age_of_rail_1_2175648?returnPath=http://www.cambstimes.co.uk:80/news/exclusive_could_this_be_the_end_of_the_road_for_12_iconic_arches_that_reflect_the_golden_age_of_rail_1_2175648&accessMessage=user.msg.InvalidLoginCredentials&action=login&fail=true