The branch will hold its AGM on Saturday 28th February 2008 in the Library in Bury St Edmunds. Prior to that there will be a presentation abut the Swiss Taktfahrplan rail timetabling system from Jonathan Tyler, who is an independent railway consultant specialising in strategic timetable research and planning.

The remaining 2009 branch meetings will be in Ipswich on 20th June, Norwich on 26th September and Cambridge on 5th December.

Copies of the new East-West Rail Link leaflet that the branch as produced are now available at http://www.railfuture.org.uk/Ox-Cam/documents.php.

The Ipswich-Lowestoft railway line will be 150 years old on 1st June June. ESTA is planning to mark this anniversary with displays and exhibitions at Saxmundham Museumn and three libraries up and down the line. There will also be a special anniversary lunch at the Bell Hotel, Saxmundham on Saturday 30th May 2009 followed by the ESTA AGM and meeting with guest speakers in the Market Hall next door. ESTA's chairman Trevor Garrod would like to hear from anyone who is willing to lend pictures, handbills, old timetables or other items of interest for the displays.

On Friday 16th January at 20:30 David Hibbs of the Department for Transport will be speaking to the Cambridge University Railway Club about Community Railways. See http://www.curc.org,uk" for details. The event in the William Thatcher room at Fitzwilliam College is open to the public. A fortnight later, at the same venue, there will be a presetation by Tom Jones, who is a Senior Rail Strategist at Freightliner.

Sheringham level crossing work is due to start on replacing the "missing link" in January 2009. According to Steam Railway magazine, if the crossing is finished by 17th May 2009, when a Railway Touring Company steam trip is scheduled, the line could see the only main line special ever to start at one preserved line (Dereham on the Mid-Norfolk Railway) and finish at another (the NNR). If this happens the tran would have to be restricted to four coaches, because of track and signalling limitations at Cromer.

ESTA Felixstowe is concerned that Trimley station, which is not currently in use, will be demolished, as the roof is in need of repair.

Grand Central is one of very few train operators not to have increased its fares in January. It will be leaving its prices unchanged until May 2009 at least.

On Monday 2nd February The Sun newspapaper will launch The Sun 2FOR1 rail offer, which will be the first national ticket promotion since 2002. One Adult can buy a rail ticket and take another person (adult or child) with them for free. Tickets can only be purchased online from http://www.thesun.co.uk/2FOR1railoffer and requires four of six individual tokens printed in The Sun between Monday 2th February and Saturday 7th February. All outward travel must be completed between 12 February and 5 April 2009.

Network Rail has commenced the removal of the telegraph poles between Wymondham and Thetford. Passengers have reported that rail workers have been de-wiring the poles just east of Attleborough and further towards Wymondham numerous poles have been chopped down and left lying flat on the ground.

On 10th January the DLR entension to Woolwich Arsenal opened. This was several weeks ahead of schedule.

Freight operator EWS has been renamed DB Schenker (UK) Limited, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of DB Schenker (part of Deutsche Bahn).

STATIONS

First Capital Connect criticised for so-called "investment" at Meldreth station

In a press release FCC claimed that it has improved Meldreth railway station, but travellers have complained that they are worse off:
* Four lockable secure bike shelters, put at the station by the county council, were removed by FCC and rpleaced by five small bike rails erected: one extra space but four superior facilities were removed;
* Two car parking spaces have been painted yellow with the disabled parking logo but it is pointless as anyone with a physical disability cannot access the platforms as there is a high step up to one platform and a bridge over to the other.

Users also say that fewer people part there now that £2.50 per day charge has been imposed; it was previously free. They are also critical of FCC's proposal to close the ticket office on Saturdays and shortening opening hours during the week to between 06:15 and 10:15, plus the absence of a shelter on the Cambridge platform.

Andrew Lansley, Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire which covers Meldreth, has voiced concerns about the increased costs for passengers using services operated by First Capital Connect, arguing that passengers "are being held to ransom". He has criticised increases in car parking charges, especially at St Neots station where annual parking charges have almost doubled to £950. FCC claimed that it needed to charge to offset the cost of building a new 200-space car park, which reaches the highest standard of security.

Cambridge News article: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_news_home/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=379964.

RAIL CATERING

National Express East Coast reduces restaurant services

NX East Coast withdrew most of its restaurant cars, leaving just peak-time ones, with effect from 5th January. With just a handful left, most trains are now providing a buffet or at-seat service instead. It is no longer possible for passengers travelling in standard class to take breakfast on any northbound train, and only on 4 southbound trains. Luncheon has disappeared and dinner is available on 2 southbound and 9 northbound trains. Prior to these cutbacks 51 NXEC departures from King’s Cross included restaurant cars.

NXEC services: http://www.nationalexpresseastcoast.com/On-Board-Our-Trains/Food1/Restaurant.

RAIL ROUTES

Atkins awarded GRIP4 cotract for design work on western section of East West Rail Link

Milton Keynes Partnership and the East-West Rail Consortium have commissioned Atkins Consultancy to complete the design for the western section of the East West Rail link. To meet the requirements of the Guidance on Railway Investment Projects (GRIP) stage 4, a fully developed operating and business case will be produed by December 2009. Atkins will perform a crucial part of this, producing a fully costed outline design of the civil and railway engineering infrastructure that would be needed to run trains between Milton Keynes and Oxford/Aylesbury. Apart from site surveys there would be no physical work until 2010 at the earliest.

A further review of the existing train service between Bletchley and Bedford is also planned. Stakeholders will be consulted about station locations, station improvements and the potential effect of two proposed ecotowns along the route.

GUIDED BUSWAY

Cambridgeshire Guided Busway opening delayed until late summer at earliest

Cambridgeshire County Council has finally admitted that the spring 2009 opening date for the guided busway is not achievable. A "late summer" opening date for the northern section is now proposed, with no mention of any date for the southern section (on the former Cambridge-Bedford railway line). The delay has been blamed on recent bad weather and flooding in the Fen Drayton area, along with complications over the works to build a bus underpass at Hills Road bridge in Cambridge in which hand digging rather than machine digging was necessary to avoid distrurbing cables and pipes.

According to the Cambridge News, CAST.IRON chairman Tim Phillips said: "We never believed that putting large slabs of flat concrete on a soggy fenland 'sponge' was a good idea." Project maanger Bob Menzies explained: "The problem with the cold weather is the ground stays very wet. If we try to do anything with it, it turns to mud."

The council insist that the scheme will still come in on budget despite current contract negotiations with contractors BAM Nuttall. The contract allows the County Council to impose financial penalties for delays in delivery.

Guided Buses will not call at most bus stops

It has been revealed that guided buses will not be stopping at any stops on two major routes through Cambridge. In response Liberal Democrats have accused Cambridgeshire County Council's Conservative administration of lying about where the guided buses would stop and are saying the £116 million project will not benefit the city, and appeared to be designed entirely for people living outside the city. One councillor claims that he had been told categorically that buses would serve both Milton and Histon Road.

CAST.IRON has recently updated its web-site to include links to all news articles about the busway on the Cambridge News web-site over the last two years - see http://www.castiron.org.uk/newsarticles.

PRESERVED RAILWAYS

North Norfolk Railway delays Sheringham level crossing reinstatement until early 2010

The NNR has had to delay the reinstatement of the level crossing at Sheringham by a year. At a meeting on 14th January it was felt that 2009 was no longer realistic, especiallt because EDF, the electricity supplier, require 3 months' notice to move their power cables as well as a payment of £25,000 to undertake that work. The work would have had to be done after Easter, in order not to present with a building site, and the County Highways were unhappy with a road closure in the centre of town during the holiday season.

It is now anticipated that EDF will move the cables in autumn 2009 and then works may start on slewing the NNR head-shunt and carrying out alterations to Ottendorff Green. The NNR has all the necessary approvals to carry the work out, and the full support of local people.

Santa Specials a success for the Mid-Norfolk Raliway

The Mid-Norfolk Railway is celebrating after carrying an extra 300 customers on its Santa Special trains compared with 2007, which is an 11% increase. This has bucked the trend amongst other heritage railways, with many suffering from the economic situation. The Santa Special trains, which are often the first time that a child travels on a train, can represent up to 25% of a heritage railway's annual income.

The MNR's annual Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Scheme (VAQAS) inspection also took place during one of the Santa Specials, which it passed.

Embionic Whitwell and Reepham Railway holds first members' day

The Whitwell and Reepham Railway, which intends to open to the public in 2009, had an excellent members' day on 21st December 2008 when more than 70 people turned up. Membership started in July 2008 and broke through the 100 barrier in early November. The rirst track panels at the site were laid on 7th June 2008 with the help of permanent way volunteers from the North Norfolk Railway.

Web-site: http://www.whitwellstation.com.

Norfolk Orbital Railway group hopes to buy first section of route

A small part of the route needed by the Nortfolk Orbital railway to link to North Norfolk and Mid-Norfolk railways is for sale by auction on 17 February 2009. The 3.5 acre land covers approximately 440 metres of dismantled line and includes two bridges. The first is a three-arch brick bridge that passes over the River Wensum and the other is over the former Midland and Great Northern Line, which closed in 1959. The NOR group is asking supports to contribute towards the cost of purchasing the land, which has a guide price of £3,000-£5,000.

NOR fund raising: http://www.norfolk-orbital-railway.co.uk/pages/pudding_norton.html.

WEB-SITES

Railway Archive web-site is a superb tool for resarchers

There is an amazing railway archive web-site at http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk, which has a mountain of information about the history of the raiwlay. It is a serious research tool, containing copies of the Modernisation Plan, Beeching Reports and the Railways Act 2005. Recently the section on railway accidents, which details even minor incidents, has been updated.