A TRUST has been set up in a bid to turn the Bramley Line into a successful heritage railway enterprise. Major changes to the management and structure of the organisation attempting to get trains running again on the disused March

Story by: MAGGIE GIBSON

A TRUST has been set up in a bid to turn the Bramley Line into a successful heritage railway enterprise.

Major changes to the management and structure of the organisation attempting to get trains running again on the disused March to Wisbech railway line were given the green light at the annual meeting of the Bramley Line Group.

A new constitution was adopted at the meeting with the structure, modelled on the very successful Swanage Railway in Dorset, approved by the Heritage Railway Association.

The trust's new chairman is rail industry manager Simon Rudge and its treasurer is Derek Orr, who has a wealth of experience with the Mid Norfolk Railway and the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.

Before the meeting chairman Brain Baylis and treasurer Sue Dockett both indicated that they would not be seeking re-election.

Mr Rudge paid tribute to the work done by Mr Bayliss. He said: "Without Brian taking over as chairman three years ago it was very likely that the Bramley Line Group would have collapsed.

"With the changes that have taken place over the past year, we are now in a much stronger position and confident we will succeed in our objective of restoring trains to the Bramley Line.

"I hope that those who have let their membership lapse, or didn't believe we could succeed, will now join us in creating a new heritage railway in the Fens."

Mr Orr added: "Fundraising is the key objective now to enable us to gain the legal powers to take over the railway from Network Rail."

A recent sponsored walk raised more than �500 and a model railway exhibition has been organised for June.