Ripley Branch to be reopened?

[steam for ever]

Hello there.
If I may I would like to give a few suggestions.

Could you create a website to make your plans more readily available to the general public?
Have you considered writing to a local newspaper, and also writing to a UK wide railway magazine? My suggestion magazine wise would be either The Raiwlay Magazine or RAIL. Maybe both. This way you may gaint the support of some quite influential people who have a knowledge and interest in railways.

Hope that helped.

SFE

[Madcaravanner]

Hi Richard

Not any more been out of Politicing for too long - - will wish you good luck

will make the suggestion that the council can have it's dog walk as a lineside footpath similar to the one on the Nene Valley Railway into Peterborough

[Belmont Road]

I hate to pour cold water on any rail re-opening scheme. What is really important at this stage is route protection.

I have been involved in a re-opening campaign myself, and whilst we failed we did get the route protected and a re-development scheme was stopped.

The chances of any smaller scale project getting seious funds are remote at the moment I fear.

The campaigners I worked with always said there were two key projects in England for re-opening that both stood up as real business backed schemes. Oxford to Cambridge, or at least Bletchley and the Woodhead route.

Once they came back the smaller schemes would follow. I still agree with that view

[Paul Wood]

It seems that Network Rail have poured cold water on the scheme by dismantling the railway. Only bare trackbed remains, so I hear, back as far as Coxbench.

[Paul Wood]

To add to this thread, the tracklifting gangs are currently working from Coxbench back towards Little Eaton. I have seen several heaps of lifted track alongside the Midland Mainline near the old Breadsall Crossing. A sad end to a once great railway. Incidentally if the photographer I saw at Little Eaton is reading this, please post the photos here.