NETWORK RAIL BOMBSHELL - NO PROSPECT OF SWANAGE RAILWAY JOINING THE NATIONAL NETWORK "FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE"

Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright. To view a larger version of any photograph on this page, just click on the thumbnail photograph and subsequently use the Back button on your browser to return to this page.

Shocked Swanage Railway volunteers are appealing for an urgent change of heart after Network Rail - formerly Railtrack - dropped a bombshell set to scupper the link-up aspirations of the award-winning relaid Purbeck Line.

In a letter to Swanage Railway Company deputy chairman Steve Doughty, Network Rail’s Woking-based Wessex area commercial manager John Salmon said there was no prospect of the independent railway joining up with the national rail network "for the foreseeable future".

Virgin Voyager in Corfe valley on Swanage 8th Sept 2002
during the visit to Swanage of the first train from the main line for over 30 years.

Mr Salmon cited the reasons as being that Network Rail could not commit the resources needed to affect a long-awaited connection - a dream of Swanage Railway volunteers since British Rail closed the branch line in 1972 - and that the issue was not a Network Rail priority.

He explained that Network Rail had "a number of other projects across the southern region that will also place demands on our signalling and operational teams, who might otherwise be able to contribute towards the reconnection of the Swanage branch to the main line."

Mr Salmon added: "This means that we are unable to commit resources within the company to progress the connection arrangements at Swanage... for the foreseeable future."

In a letter of reply to Mr Salmon, Steve Doughty explained: "The Swanage Railway is disappointed to learn that there is no prospect of the connection being made between the Swanage Railway and Network Rail in the foreseeable future.

"I am hopeful that Network Rail’s decision will not adversely affect the financial bid that the Swanage Railway has put into the Government’s Strategic Rail Authority to re-introduce a regular amenity train service between Swanage and the national railway network at Wareham.

"The Swanage Railway finds Network Rail’s decision rather hard to understand, given that it should be possible to achieve the connection at little or no cost to Network Rail - and with negligible demand on Network Rail’s scarce specialist resources as we do not seek any change to signalling arrangements at this time, so no infrastructure works would be required at Worgret Junction or Wareham," he added.

Steve Doughty (left) and Bill Trite (right) presenting nameplate to Chris Green at Swanage 8th Sept 2002
during the visit to Swanage of the first train from the main line for over 30 years.

The Swanage Railway deputy chairman says that while Network Rail’s three-mile remaining stub of the Swanage branch between Worgret Junction and Furzebrook is in daily use by BP Wytch Farm oil field gas trains, the arrangements for movements on and off the branch are well established - including for railtours.

Steve Doughty explained: "The design of the interface between an independent railway and Network Rail is already well established at Alton in Hampshire for the Mid-Hants Railway and at numerous similar locations around the country.

"We have already reviewed the standard connection agreement between Network Rail and the Swanage Railway, so very little work should be required to finalise such arrangements.

Unlocking the connection from the main line for the Virgin Voyager visit to Swanage 7th Sept 2002.

"The installation of the interface between Network Rail and the Swanage Railway at Motala would be undertaken by our staff at our expense. Where this involves work on Network Rail property, this can be achieved using the same possession arrangements as previously agreed for upgrading the final half mile of the branch from Worgret so that the Virgin Voyager could run to Swanage last September.

Bob Richards and Steve Vine at Wareham signal box for the Virgin Voyager visit to Swanage 7th Sept 2002.

"Our ability to undertake these works to the required standards is surely not in question given the work that we performed on the section between Furzebrook and Motala for the Virgin Voyager event was passed for use," added Mr Doughty

Sleeper replacement on the Railtrack half-mile for the Virgin Voyager visit to Swanage 7th Sept 2002.

In a letter of reply to John Salmon, Steve Doughty said the Swanage Railway found it "hard to accept, therefore, that the connection could have any impact whatsoever on Network Rail’s priority activities such as TPWS, upgrade of power supplies, elimination of slam door rolling stock and the Dorset coast resignalling scheme."

"The achievement of this connection with the national rail network in the near future is important for the continued development of the Swanage Railway because it is our intention in due course to operate a daily amenity service from Swanage to Wareham.

"Although we recognise that a daily passenger service to Wareham is unlikely to be possible in the very near future, a revised RPP (Rail Passenger Partnership) funding bid remains under active consideration by the Government’s Strategic Rail Authority by virtue of qualification prior to the recent strategic financial review.

"In the meantime, however, a basic connection would enable us to move forward with these plans by making it easier to upgrade our infrastructure using rail borne equipment and supplies. The local economy in the Isle of Purbeck also stands to benefit from occasional excursion traffic," added Mr Doughty.

Railtrack inspection of the Swanage Railway upgraded half-mile to Motala
for the Virgin Voyager visit to Swanage 7th Sept 2002.

Steve Doughty is pressing John Salmon to explain exactly what quantity of scarce resource Network Rail anticipates that the Swanage Railway link-up project would consume - and where the conflicts exist between this project and the Network Rail priorities as listed in Mr Salmon’s letter.

"It is difficult to convey a convincing explanation to our members, the local authorities and our elected representatives on the basis of the information we have received from Network Rail," added Mr Doughty.