Swanage Railway - return of passenger services and reopening to Wareham

[whole diary]

[TonyK]

From the Daily Echo:

Swanage to Wareham railway line to reopen after 40 years next summer

The new Norden Gates level crossing and nearby new road-rail interchange from late November. Credit: Andrew P.M. Wright

(L-R) Mark Woolley and Schweizer engineers at the Norden Gates level crossing. Credit: Andrew P.M. Wright



New level crossing. Credit: Andrew P.M. Wright

Jade Grassby / 06:20 Monday 7 December 2015 / News

A RAIL line between Swanage and Wareham is scheduled for a passenger trial in summer 2016.

For the first time in four decades, passenger trains are set to run between the two towns.

The Swanage Railway said June 2016 was its target date for trial services. It is currently undertaking a major project to upgrade the section of railway line between Norden and its boundary with Network Rail near Worgret Junction to enable the reintroduction of a regular passenger train service between Swanage and Wareham.

The original rail line connecting the areas was ripped up by British Rail in 1972. A few years later, the first Swanage Railway train ran for a few hundred yards before eventually running between Swanage, Corfe Castle and Norden in 1995.

The two-year trial service starting in 2016 will see diesel trains run by the Swanage Railway connecting with scheduled services by South West Trains at Wareham, on the Weymouth to London Waterloo line.

Project director Mark Woolley, who has been a volunteer on the heritage railway for 30 years, said: ^The new Norden Gates full-barrier level crossing ^ and the nearby relocated road-rail interchange ^ are key elements of Project Wareham and the running of regular passenger trains from Swanage and Corfe Castle to Wareham would not be possible without them.^

In 2013, a government grant of ^1.4m was given to the Swanage Railway to upgrade the track and infrastructure between Norden and Worgret, as well as pay for the upgrade of the diesel trains.

A completely new signalling system has been installed to control Worgret Junction where the Purbeck Line joins the London to Weymouth main line, funded by a ^3.2m grant from Dorset County Council and Purbeck District Council.

And the new manually-controlled barrier level crossing on the Wytch Farm access road at Norden and a park and ride access road near Corfe Castle has been funded by BP^» (Beyond Petroleum (Former name - British Petroleum) - home page) and Perenco.

^The previous set-up was an open-level crossing with flagmen required to oversee the movement of trains ^ engineering trains, empty carriage stock movements and excursion trains from the main line ^ which was unacceptable in the long-term,^ Mr Woolley added.
     
Work has also been carried out to replace 1,700 wooden sleepers with concrete ones, repair bridges and clear embankments, fences and drains.

An earlier trial date of spring 2016 was put back following delays in the work caused by nearby hibernating animals and issues over ownership of the line.

[ChrisB]

Oops, bit off that date-wise - now Spring 2017.

From Swanage Railway website

MAJOR LINE UPGRADE ALMOST COMPLETE AND CHALLENGE OF RESTORING HERITAGE DIESEL TRAINS FOR MAIN LINE RUNNING

 Published: January 5, 2016

Story and pictures by Andrew P.M. Wright                                                                                             Swanage Railway official photographer and press officer

An ambitious and historic project to restore and upgrade three miles of former Network Rail line, as well as install a hi-tech level crossing with associated signalling and build a road-rail interchange facility, is almost complete ^ so passenger trains can again run to Wareham.

The start of the trial service from Swanage and Corfe Castle is due to start during the first quarter of 2017 ^ instead of June, 2016 ^ because of the need to replace, rather than restore, non-standard specialist equipment on two ex-British Railways 1960s heritage diesel trains being upgraded to exacting main line standards.

It was in September, 2014, that the Swanage Railway took on the lease of three miles of former Network Rail line ^ from a mile west of Norden station to a quarter of a mile south of Worgret Junction near Wareham ^ to give tracks, bridges and embankments a major upgrade ahead of the trial train service.

The restoration work has seen 1,200 wooden track sleepers replaced, half a mile of track laid, a quarter-mile-long embankment given a major upgrade, undergrowth and drainage cleared along six miles of embankments as well as the installation of a new set of track points at Furzebrook.

A new state of the art level crossing has been installed on the access road to the Wytch Farm oil field and Norden station while 2,235 cubic metres of earth has been excavated ^ and a new siding laid ^ so a new road-rail interchange could be built to enable the creation of the Norden Gates level crossing.

Swanage Railway Company Project Wareham director Mark Woolley said: "The historic transformation has been remarkable and I'd like to pay tribute to everyone ^ on the ground and behind the scenes in planning and logistics ^ for all their hard work which will see the ambitious upgrade of our three-mile extension completed by the end of March, 2016.

"It has been a major undertaking ^ the laying of half a mile of track, the replacement of 1,200 wooden sleepers, the major upgrade of a quarter-mile long embankment, the installation of a state of the art level crossing and associated signalling at Norden as well as the creation of the new road-rail interchange at Norden for the transfer of locomotives and carriages.

"The start of the trial passenger service to Wareham during the first quarter of 2017 ^ instead of June this year ^ is because of the need to replace, rather than restore, non-standard equipment on our two ex-British Railways 1960s heritage diesel trains being upgraded to exacting main line standards.

"Detailed technical examination has concluded that new non-standard axles and wheel bearings ^ known as wheel-sets ^ need to be manufactured by specialist contractors in the United States, South Africa and England. We estimate the completed trains will be tested and delivered to the Swanage Railway during the Autumn of 2016.

"We're very grateful for the assistance of our specialist contractors who have been very helpful in progressing the detailed examination and manufacturing work needed on our two diesel trains so they can carry passengers to Wareham," added Mr Woolley, a Swanage Railway volunteer for 33 years.

The Swanage Railway has been given a grant of ^1.86 million from the Government's Coastal Communities Fund to introduce a trial passenger train service from Swanage to the main line at Wareham. It is planned to run the service on 50 selected days during 2017 and 90 selected days during 2018.

The grant covers the restoration of the former Network Rail line as well as the restoration and upgrade, to main line standards, of the two ex-British Railways diesel trains ^ a one-coach Class 121 'Bubble Car' and a three-coach Class 117 unit ^ which are known as diesel multiple units or DMUs^▸ (Diesel Multiple Unit) for short.

The Purbeck Community Rail Partnership, of which the Swanage Railway is a member, has been working since 1997 to re-establish a passenger train service between Swanage, Corfe Castle and the main line at Wareham.

The public can donate money to the Swanage Railway's Project Wareham Sponsor a Sleeper appeal.

So far, the fund-raising initiative has raised more than ^15,000 to help replace sleepers on the three miles of former Network Rail line between Motala and bridge No. 2, a quarter of a mile south of Worgret Junction which is just over a mile west of Wareham on the London to Weymouth main line.

Just visit the appeals page of www.swanagerailwaytrust.org.uk at www.swanagerailwaytrust.org.uk/index.php/appeals.

Because the Swanage Railway Trust is a registered charity, donations by taxpayers are subject to Gift Aid top-up.

[ellendune]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) this morning

Swanage Railway: Official opening for Norden level crossing
A level crossing allowing passenger trains to run between a heritage line and the mainline network for the first time in 40 years has been opened.
The £500,000 crossing, near Norden Station, completes the upgrade of the Swanage Railway to link to the main line to Wareham, Dorset.
It was officially opened by High Sheriff of Dorset Sir Philip Williams.
Swanage Railway Trust chairman Gavin Johns said it had been a "hugely complex infrastructure project".
The work marks the completion of the 18-month restoration and upgrade of the three miles of former Network Rail line, to within a quarter of a mile of Worgret Junction and the main line to Wareham.

Trial passenger services to reconnect Swanage with the mainline at Wareham are due to start in June next year.
The new level crossing, which complies with Department for Transport standards, features computer-controlled safety systems and full barriers.
It also has a wooden signal box based on the branch line signal box at Lyme Regis station in west Dorset.
The original rail line was closed by British Rail and ripped up in 1972.
The volunteer-led Swanage Railway Trust originally rebuilt a 5.5-mile (8.8km) stretch from Swanage to Norden over 30 years and have been running it as a tourist attraction since the late 1990s.

About 1,500 sleepers have been replaced and an eroding embankment has been repaired during the restoration of the line from Norden to Wareham.

[grahame]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-40011037

Regular passenger trains will reconnect a Dorset seaside resort with the mainline for the first time in four decades in June, a heritage railway has announced.

Timetabled trials between Swanage and Wareham were originally expected to begin in 2015 but faced delays.

Swanage Railway said it now plans to run its first diesel-hauled passenger train to Wareham on 13 June.

The original rail line was closed by British Rail and ripped up in 1972.

The special first train will mark the start of a two-year trial using diesel trains on 60 selected days this summer - with four trains a day in each direction between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage.

And the Dorset Echo gives more details:

People wishing to travel on this service are advised that tickets have to be purchased in advance from the Swanage Railway website - tickets are only being sold for the service by the Swanage Railway.

Main line train operator West Coast Railways is supplying two diesel locomotives and train crews to operate the trial service.

With a diesel locomotive at each end, the four-carriage trains will run four times a day – in each direction – between Wareham, Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage with the ten mile journey taking 45 minutes. Train times and fares for the Wareham service can be viewed on the Swanage Railway website.

[ChrisB]

From the Swanage Railway website

PUBLIC TRAIN SERVICE TO LINK SWANAGE & CORFE CASTLE WITH THE MAIN LINE AT WAREHAM FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1972

 Published: May 24, 2017

Story and Photographs by Andrew P.M. Wright                                                                                         Swanage Railway official photographer and press officer

History is to be made next month with the return of a public diesel train service from Swanage and Corfe Castle to the main line at Wareham – for the first time in 45 years.

The volunteer-led Swanage Railway plans to run its first diesel-hauled passenger train into Wareham station on Tuesday, 13 June, 2017.

That will be the achievement of a long-held aim by determined railway campaigners dating back to 1972 when the Purbeck branch line was controversially closed and demolished by British Rail.

The special first train will mark the start of a two-year trial public service using diesel trains operating on 60 selected days during this summer – with four trains a day in each direction between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage.

Visitors from London, and stations across the country, will be able to visit Swanage and Corfe Castle by train while the service will enable tourists in campsites around Wareham to visit Corfe Castle and Swanage by rail.

To avoid disappointment, and guarantee a seat, passengers should book their tickets on-line via the Swanage Railway at www.swanagerailway.co.uk.

Limited parking at Wareham station – especially on weekdays – means that passengers are advised to travel to the station by public transport.

Swanage Railway Company chairman Trevor Parsons said: "This is the culmination of a far-sighted investment by our stakeholders of £5.5 million to re-connect Swanage and Corfe Castle with the main line at Wareham.

"We're working very closely with our partners at Network Rail and South West Trains to finalise arrangements for what is a complex operation.

"The trial public service will be historic because it has been the Swanage Railway's ambition to return passenger trains to Wareham for more than 40 years – with several generations of volunteers working to achieve this," added the Swanage Railway volunteer signalman and train guard.

After the last public British Rail train ran to Corfe Castle and Swanage in January, 1972, – leaving a three-mile stub from the main line to Furzebrook for clay and later Wytch Farm oil field trains – few people thought that passenger trains from Swanage and Corfe Castle would ever return to Wareham.

It took seven short weeks to demolish Purbeck's 87-year old rail link to the main line at Wareham but 40 long years for the Swanage Railway to rebuild it.

Swanage Railway Trust chairman Gavin Johns explained: "This is the culmination of a huge amount of hard work by our dedicated volunteers and the support of our valued stakeholders.

"It shows just what can be achieved thanks to a strong vision, determination and working together in partnership.

"My thanks go to the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership, the Government's Coastal Communities Fund for its £1.8 million grant, Purbeck District Council, Dorset County Council, Network Rail, South West Trains and the Department for Transport for their help in reaching this historic milestone for Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck," he added.

To enable a public train service to run from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage, Purbeck District Council and Dorset County Council together made a strategic investment of £3.2 million – the money coming from a transport development fund paid into by housing developers across Purbeck.

That £3.2 million enabled Network Rail to upgrade the track at Worgret Junction – a mile west of Wareham where the line from Swanage joins the main line – and also install new signalling equipment at Wareham and Worgret Junction.

The investment also paid for Swanage Railway signalling equipment between Wareham station, Worgret Junction and Corfe Castle signal box.

The trial public service of four return trains a day between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage will operate on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays until Sunday, 3 September, 2017, inclusive.

On the first day of the public service – Tuesday, 13 June, 2017 – the first public train will be the 2.23pm from Swanage that will form the 3.15pm train from Wareham.

The last train of the day will be the 4.23pm from Swanage and the 5.15pm from Wareham.

The first two trains from Swanage to Wareham and return on that day will be for Swanage Railway guests, stakeholders, volunteers, staff and supporters.

Main line train operator West Coast Railways is supplying two diesel locomotives and train crews to operate the Swanage Railway's trial train service between Swanage, Corfe Castle and Wareham on 60 selected days during the summer.

With a diesel locomotive at each end, the four-carriage trains will run four times a day – in each direction – between Wareham, Norden, Corfe Castle and Swanage with the ten mile journey taking 45 minutes.

Train times and fares for the Wareham service can be viewed at http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/wareham-timetableandfares

To enable regular passenger trains to again run to Wareham, three miles of former Network Rail line – from south of Worgret Junction to half a mile east of Furzebrook –has been restored and upgraded over a two-year period.

 That challenging work has seen 1,200 wooden track sleepers replaced, half a mile of new track laid, a quarter-mile-long embankment upgraded as well as undergrowth and drainage ditches cleared along three miles of railway line.

Linking the Swanage Railway with the national railway system, a unique and trail-blazing signalling system has been installed, tested and commissioned between Corfe Castle and Wareham in what was a four-year project.

Thanks to a £500,000 legacy donation from BP^» (Beyond Petroleum (Former name - British Petroleum) - home page), the Swanage Railway has built a new level crossing west of Norden station – on the access road to Perenco's Wytch Farm oilfield – so that regular passenger trains can run to Wareham.

Tickets will be £15 for an adult or senior citizen day-return between Swanage and Wareham and £9 for an adult or senior citizen single.

Children, aged 5 to 15, will be £10 for a return and £6 for a single. Swanage Railway Purbeck resident's discount card holders will receive a 33 per cent discount while National Railcards will not be accepted.

The Swanage Railway's Project Wareham director Mark Woolley said: "Our two 1960s-built heritage diesel trains, which together make up four carriages, will be used for the second year of the trial service to Wareham.

"They are being refurbished and upgraded to main line standards which is challenging and specialist work because of the age of the heritage diesel units, their design as well as modern health and safety standards," added Mr Woolley, a dedicated Swanage Railway volunteer since the mid-1980s.

Passengers on the new Wareham service should book seats in advance via the Swanage Railway website at www.swanagerailway.co.uk.

[ChrisB]

and....booked on the 1515 on the 13th. Plenty of tickets left.

[Surrey 455]

Will these journeys appear on planners such as National Rail, Traveline, Google Maps etc?

[ChrisB]

I doubt it....

[John R]

Good to see it happen at last, although I am slightly concerned that the fare of £15 will discourage all bar those doing it for the novelty value (either enthusiasts or those relatively local). That won't be a sustainable business model beyond 2017, though I accept that the uncertainty over the start date has meant that marketing the service in advance has been difficult.

Having visited the railway in 1982/3, when there was just a short section of track in the station area, the achievements are very impressive. Not only does it become only the second preserved railway to have regular running over Network Rail tracks (something other railways have not managed, despite seemingly starting from a much better position), but it also runs one of the most frequent services at peak periods, (that provides a local transport need as well as being a tourist attraction).  Although I note that the unique evening service in the summer doesn't appear to run any more.

Anyway, good luck to them, and I hope it's a success.

[grahame]

Congratulations to "the Swanage team" ... as my feed throws up pictures of the first regular passenger trains to Swanage since 1972.

According to British Heritage Railways

The line was not mentioned in Dr Beeching’s report.

but according to The Daily Mail

Resort was effectively cut off from the mainline after  Dr Richard Beeching recommended it be axed

.

Whoever and however it closed, it was only after considerable protest, and the track was torn up with what seemed like unseemly haste, perhaps to ensure its stayed closed.  Thank goodness after it didn't and after all these years I can take a train from my local station to Swanage.

Regaining a service is incredibly hard - but may pale into insignificance when the work of maintaining it, 50 days a year initially, is taken into account. Wishing all those people involved the very best; I'm going to find a personal day some time this summer to see how it's bedding in and offer one tiny drop into the ocean of passenger numbers they deserve.

[John R]

Although Exmouth to Exeter was in the report, and we can see how valuable a line that is today.  I suspect the Swanage branch would be similarly successful if it had remained open.

Having first wandered round the station in 1982 when there was just a couple of hundred years of track, I never imagined that they would achieve this. It's a fantastic achievement, and I too am looking forward to travelling on the service in a couple of weeks time.

[Adelante_CCT]

Couple of hundred years of track, that's quite a lot 

[trainer]

On the list of lines recommended for closure by Beeching (http://www.britishrailways.info/BEECHING%20CLOSURES.htm) the Swanage branch is not mentioned. Most of the sources I have looked at, including the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), simply refer to it being closed by British Rail(ways).

It seems that perhaps on this occasion the Daily Mail is not quite the organ of accuracy it might lay claim to. 

[ChrisB]

and....booked on the 1515 on the 13th. Plenty of tickets left.

Not quite full either, just one or two seats left. This morning's however, were well stuffed, according to the crew on board.

The fare is only £2.50 more than the max fare from Swanage to Norden, the usual end of the line, I don't think could charge any less?
However, its £9 just for the Wareham-Norden section....

[ellendune]

It seems that perhaps on this occasion the Daily Mail is not quite the organ of accuracy it might lay claim to. 

Shock horror - You mean Wikipedia might actually be right then?