Published on: Wednesday, 8 June 2016
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Preparations are under way on the EastSuffolk Line as the Community Rail Partnership gets ready to mark two veryspecial anniversaries for therailway which connects Lowestoft to Ipswich thisSummer.
This Saturday, June 11 sees special stationevents taking place to mark the 90th Birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II with thesummer months also providing anopportunity to celebrate the 50thanniversary of the line escaping closure, as recommended in thenotorious Beeching Report.
All this week volunteers from the East Suffolk Lines CommunityRail Partnership have been busy decorating several stations along the line with red, white &blue bunting with a musical treat in store for passengers at Lowestoft, Beccles and Halesworthtomorrow (Saturday) as members from the Southwold & Reydon Corps of Drumsplay three short concerts, one at each of the town's station’s
The fun starts atBeccles Station from midday as the newly opened Station Café and communityspace opens its doors to the public, with music from the band between 12 &12.15. Beccles Station has also teamed up with Norfolk based Duchess AfternoonTeas who will be exhibiting their fine china and speciality tea with a chancefor the public to see inside the newly restored station building, for many, thefirst time in over fifty years. At 12.45Lowestoft Station is next to host the band as the town’s new Mayor, Cllr NickWebb joins members from the CRP and Station staff to distribute free birthdaycake to passengers until 1pm.
At Halesworth the fun commences at 1pm as the town's station adopters’ host a special Tea Party in celebration of the Queen’s 90th Birthday with free tea and cake available. Halesworth Museum,located inside the former Station building will also extend its opening hoursuntil 4pm, presenting an opportunity to discover more about the town and therailway’s history with the band making its final appearance at 1.40.
Later in the daycelebratory cakes provided by the Community Rail Partnership will bedistributed to passengers onboard some train services and at other stationsalong the line including Woodbridge.
This Summer, the railway, which connects severalcommunities as it runs through some of the counties most beautiful scenery,marks fifty years since it was saved from closure as recommended in theBeeching Report. Following a hard fought local campaign spearheaded by the EastSuffolk Travellers Association(ESTA), the line was reprieved in 1966. In 2015 trainoperator Abellio Greater Anglia named a train ESTA 1965 -2015 marking fiftyyears since the campaign group was formed. More recently, the East Suffolk Linehas seen a phenomenal 99% increase in passenger use following the installationof a Mon-Sat hourly service. Extra trains have also been added on Sunday’s tohelp cope with demand.
Further down the linea major project is underway at Wickham Market to convert the station buildingsinto community use and with the help of grant aid obtained via the CommunityRail Partnership, to restore the original platform canopy. This Summer the CRPwill be sponsoring a free rail-bus link from the line to the FolkEast Festivalat Glemham Hall. In May the Community Rail Partnership published a brand newedition of its hugely popular walks guide featuring over 70 miles of walkingroutes linking with stations in the East of the county and has also supportedthe forthcoming Lowestoft Station Arches art project, due for completion laterthis Summer.
A spokesperson for theCommunity Rail Partnership added, “We are delighted to have facilitated severalspecial events along the line this Summer including this weekend’s Queen’sBirthday Celebration’s, we look forward to both hosting and supporting manymore exciting events during this special anniversary year.”
For more informationabout the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership, please go to www.eastsuffolkline.co.uk.