The Norfolk Orbital Railway – as the Holt, Melton Constable and Fakenham Railway Company – is a proposed rail project in Norfolk, England, which is proposed to look at bringing a new rail connection to North and Mid Norfolk.
The heritage lines affected are Mid-Norfolk Railway and the North Norfolk Railway, with the route including stations on both of these lines as well as on part of National Rail network and on a disused section between County School and Holt. These are both entirely separate enterprises.
The M&GN main line closed to passengers in February 1959. The branch line remained open, operated as part of the line from Norwich Thorpe, when it was cut back to Sheringham in 1964. The passenger service on the GER line from Fakenham ended in 1964, with the line finally closing in the 1980s.
Route
The route is planned to run from Sheringham to Dereham via Holt and Fakenham.[2]
In January 2019, Campaign for Better Transport released a report listing the line as Priority 2 for reopening, with Priority 2 being described as "feasible projects which require further development or changed circumstances (for example, housing development proposals) to assist them in being taken forward".[3] The route south from Fakenham, forming part of this scheme, is protected by North Norfolk District Council from any development that would be prejudicial to the restoration of a railway line[4]
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway was known affectionately as the 'muddle and go nowhere railway' and the Norfolk Orbital Railway would be proud to achieve this.
Developments
The Midland & Great Northern section
The Holt link
The NOR trackbed at Holt.
The first section of the formation to be purchased by the Norfolk Orbital Railway is located between the North Norfolk Railway's Holt station site and the town bypass, which was built on the railway formation. The NOR plans would see a line relaid on the wide verge beside the road.[5]
The company paid £25,000 for the 50-yard stretch of former track bed,[6] and erected a small sign on a tree to indicate that it is now back in railway ownership. The section of formation was cleared of vegetation in 2016[7]
There is much debate on whether getting to the centre of Holt, let alone through the town to the other side, is actually feasible, or even possible, with the need to cross three roads, one of which is an A road.
The Great Eastern section
Fakenham Land
NOR Bridge 1715 at Fakenham.
In 2009 the Norfolk Orbital Railway attempted to secure a section of the railway formation in Fakenham,[8] but was outbid by a London developer who claimed not to know of the project. The land was once again auctioned on 10 December 2014, and was secured for the railway project for £24,000.[9][10]
In 2016 the project was awarded £60,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to help repair the Fakenham bridges, provide an education resource, equipment for the Fakenham Area Conservation Team and to create a walk along the preserved formation for people to enjoy. The walkway is currently maintained by the conservation team, but has also suffered from the attention of local vandals.[11] In August 2019 the Lottery-funded restoration of the formation was completed, with local councillors and land-owners invited to a meeting at County School railway station, followed by a tour of the restored formation footpath.[12]
