Re: Proposed heritage railway in Dunstable
Date: 21 Apr 2010 at 15:42
> Dunstable_Railway_Centre ยท South_Bedfordshire_Railway
> http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Dunstable_Railway_Centre/
> The group aims to promote and help to start the scheme for short
> length of heritage railway along part of the old Dunstable to Luton
> railway line as part of the Luton to Dunstable busway project. The group
> aims to enable participation in the project. The group aims to educate
> about history of the old railway line, about the subsequent re - use of
> the land after closure of the line and the controversy over the re -
> opening the part of the line from Luton to Dunstable to passengers after
> heavy freight trains ended in 1989, vs the Luton to Dunstable busway. The
> group has pictures, maps, written material and timetables on the group and
> links to external websites.
> The web site http://www.freewebs.com/south_bedfordshire_railway/ is
> the web site of the scheme.
> In 2001, Luton Borough Council responsible for promoting the bus way
> along the old railway indicated that the potential heritage value of the
> Luton to Dunstable railway line had been realised and if practicable a
> short length of line could be retained for heritage purposes.
> I explored the possibilities with the council in the summer of 2001
> and we came to the conclusion that a base on a dell hole of waste land
> (formerly oil depot sidings) to North of Dunstable Town centre and a short
> length of line along the old line towards Dunstable Park was possible.
> Since the busway has gained approval. Because of development plans
> for the vacant land the proposed road access and depot has been moved to
> the pallet store nearby which has been earmarked for redevelopment in a
> recent outline planning application.
> The idea would be to operate a 400 yard section of the old line from
> High Street North to South Apex railway triangle with a Diesel Multiple
> Unit, with loco haulage and steam haulage following later on. The land
> surrounding the old line is designated as open space in the bus way
> proposal so the railway would have a nice setting to operate within.
> The proposed heritage railway places great emphasis on assisting
> economic regeneration of the surrounding area and the conurbation in
> general.
> None of the deprived areas of Dunstable have any of the tourist
> attractions in the town. The proposed heritage railway would be located in
> one of the deprived areas in the North of Dunstable (Northfield ward).
> There are many closed premises and much derelict, vacant or recently
> cleared ex โ industrial land nearby. I have deliberately designed the
> business plans for the proposed heritage railway to maximise the number of
> passengers who go on to use the local businesses nearby (along High Street
> North โ Houghton Road - Tavistock Street โ Brewers Hill Road), and to use
> the space released to maximise the potential for public education
> facilities at the proposed heritage railway and maximise the number of
> passengers who become curious enough to visit other attractions in
> Dunstable such as the town council's heritage centre at Priory House or
> Chilterns Gateway Centre. By attracting tourists, and boosting patronage
> of local fast food takeaways, shops and pubs, the proposed heritage
> railway will help to regenerate the deprived area in which it is situated.
> The concept is that the railway will provide a railway museum and
> educational facilities to educate the public about the railway line, and
> an available shop, selling souvenir of relevance to the railway, but
> catering facilities provided at the site near to High Street North would
> not duplicate those already in the area. Instead passengers could visit
> local businesses, which would thence benefit from increased custom.
> Although the task of retaining infrastructure from the disused Luton
> to Dunstable branch line as it is demolished will be for the Luton Borough
> Council bus way contractor in the first instance, the work of rebuilding a
> section of the original railway in to as accurate a representation of the
> original railway as practicable as a tourist attraction will depend on an
> extensive programme of public involvement (via volunteering opportunities,
> trainees from local FE colleges and by participants on DWFP and Employment
> Service schemes and participants in work schemes run by the probation and
> community service organisations). Such an extensive programme of public
> involvement would provide volunteering and training opportunities that
> would be unique among the other tourist attractions in the area in terms
> of scale, scope and the opportunities to learn and practise a wide variety
> of trades. This programme would provide training and volunteering
> opportunities that would be of great benefit to the people from more
> deprived areas of Luton Dunstable and greatly aid economic regeneration
> and recovery from the recession.
> Latest news is that Luton Borough Council have told me that the Luton
> to Dunstable bus way project has finally gone out to tender, that a
> contractor will be appointed at end of 2009, and that all the undergrowth
> is to be cleared from the long disused Luton to Dunstable railway line and
> the track lifted from mid - 2010, then construction of the bus way will
> begin.
> For the proposed railway to go ahead the funding must be raised by
> next year.
> There are considerations such as land purchase, open space design and
> cost of retaining items from the disused railway as it is removed.
> We are in an unusual position, in that the track along the Luton to
> Dunstable branch line was not lifted after closure in 1989 but was left in
> situ for over 20 years. Luton Borough Council will be responsible for
> removal of 20 years of undergrowth and the track once they have bought the
> land.
> Due to the costs - of removal of the track and disposal of old wood
> sleepers and concrete sleepers, of removal of and disposal of the fence
> posts, of removal and disposal of the level crossing at Court Road, of
> demolition of bridges and of disposal of old bridge components - the cost
> implication of the retention of the track between High Street North and
> South Apex in situ, and for the retention and movement to storage of other
> track and civil engineering items; is of little intrinsic value - save for
> considerations such as haulage costs etc.
> The plan that has been agreed with Luton Borough Council is for them
> to instruct their contractor to retain in situ the track between High
> Street North and South Apex, then to remove and move to storage at the
> pallet store land the items that it is agreed be retained. When the track
> is removed these would include the track needed to lay sidings at the
> depot area, replace points removed, re-sleeper the line and carry out any
> outstanding track renewals; and when the remianing infrastructure of the
> branch is demolished, to remove and move to storage the civil engineering
> items needed to provide fence posts to build fences, provide a footbridge
> at South Apex, a level crossing at Brewers Hill Road and a bridge over
> High Street North etc.
> In the long term once A5 bypass is completed there could be
> possibilities for extension of the running line across Dunstable High
> Street North (currently A5) and Brewers Hill Road then beside the driveway
> along the old railway line leading to industrial premises, towards the
> Sewell Trail.
> What a great idea. At least a little bit of history will be saved.
Messages In This Thread
-
Proposed heritage railway in Dunstable
alfred roberts — 23 Jul 2009 at 15:51 -
Re: Proposed heritage railway in Dunstable
andrew ward — 21 Apr 2010 at 15:42 -
Re: Proposed heritage railway in Dunstable
andrew ward — 21 Apr 2010 at 15:42