Bluebell Railway joins up with the main line

[Nortube]

according to the Standard:
www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/toot-toot-were-back-where-we-were-the-bluebell-railway-rolls-back-the-years-to-rejoin-the-main-line-8546816.html

Not knowing the railway, I don't know if this is a physical connection or just using the same station.

[tox]

its joined up, the bluebell can run to victoria now

www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/ext/extprog.html#15mar13

[Admin]

Was that the extension they've been doing over the past few years or is that different?

[tox]

Yep they've done well, theres some talk of extending the other end too.

[GentlemanJim]

To get to East Grinstead they had to remove 1000's of tons of landfill from Ingerbourne cutting, used as a council landfill site after the line closed.

I have a problem with 'preserved lines' who have aspirations to join the National network then run commuter services, effectively becoming a TOC.... doesn't that fly in the face of a Heritage Railway.

Running excursions from London or wherever is another matter.

[class345]

Running weekday services to fund heritage services is fine as far as I'm concerned.

[Ben]

Absolutely. Monday-Friday peak times will surely be the times least likely to attract tourists. So why not make use of it, especially if it brings in money to further the heritage. In many ways one could argue it adds/preserves the one lacking aspect of a heritage operation; its original raison d'etre!

People pay good money to travel on vintage trains taking unusual routes on the mainline, so why shouldn't we let people who wish to make regular necessary journeys on any train pay for a ticket, over vintage lines?


I suppose an arguement could be put forward based on principal that it's backdoors infrastructure industry deregulation, but that very iffy.

It'll be interesting to see whether in the long term the nature of preserved lines, private lines, community rail partnerships, state owned infrastructure, state run trains, and private operators becomes further blurred. I suspect as demand rises it will. If we could return the network to its size in even 1967 yet still have the private volunteer passion to keep its character and ambiance up, who, with hand on heart, could complain...