Spalding - March Line Track Lifting after Closure - 1984/85

[@diabolicalartificer]

Watching these old videos always fill me with sadness. Ah the 1980's, mines closed, shipyards closed, London Docks closed and flogged off to rich arabs, the start of closures of all the big engine building works: of the 13 big works only four were left at the end of the 80's, Derby works closed in 1990. Brush Falcon works now gone, most traction now built overseas. Here we are in 2022, our armed services, health service, utilities etc sold off to overseas "investors" & privatised or mostly so. Council housing stock sold off cheap. Can't get a Dr's appointment, no longer have your own GP. Roads full of potholes only jobs for the working man are zero contract, minimum wage in a sandwich factory, pensions sold off, etc, etc. What future for our kids? The men who built the railways must be spinning in their graves. Think on.

[@yeovilcentralmainline2307]

A quote from RAIL magazine in 2016. 'If the line had lasted just another three or four years, it would surely have made it to the present day. Remember it was still intact as late as 1985, by which time electrification of the ECML was under way. Did nobody think then to keep it, or to protect the trackbed, or was freight on rail really such a bad idea back then? Closure of the line was a short-sighted, quick ‘win’ on BR’s 1980s balance book. Sadly, it was one that has been proven to have had severe long-term consequences - how useful would this route be now?' We've NEVER had fore-sight with our rail network in this country,

[@markclifton14]

What a sad end when a line get taken up. It’s a real shame this line was closed in a beautiful part of the country. I bet now the roads can’t cope with the traffic now, especially in holiday season. If this line and the Boston line weren’t closed, that would have taken some of the strain off of the local roads. Great video.

[@bogusdime]

It's about time we did put our faith back in our closed railway system sooner than later

[@LongStripeyScarf]

What a waste, this line would be so busy now with all the container traffic, just to keep it off the ECML. They wouldn't have had to build the extensive works at Werrington jct that they're currently doing if this had been kept open/not built on!

[@ccjelley2390]

Wonderful video - thanks for saving and showing. I came across this line by accident in 1984 on a cycle tour - it seemed rather odd to see rusty rails with so much signalling intact. I didn't realise it had only been closed a couple of years earlier.

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@ThatTrainSpottingCow]

It is such a shame that it all got ripped up; I was actually almost crying about it not being there anymore because it would had been amazing to see trains going up and down the line every day but it just isn't like that anymore. Although I was not born when or before the track hot ripped up, I still think it's a shame.😭

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it Kristian. yes great shame its gone but not forgotten.

[@johnemsden735]

very sad video but brings back happy memories of the BR blue trains when trains were different rather than today when all look and sound the same

[@danman4633]

I remember the BR area manager appearing on tv with a train driver for support, defending the decision to close the line. Line could have been mothballed, weedkiller train twice a year. In those days when BR closed a line they dismantled it in great haste. I believe some BR management thought their primary function was closing railways.

[@peebee143]

Incredible what a major place Spalding used to be, look how it is now just a 2 platform in-between station.

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

peebee143 unfortunately all the lines that served this station, save the line from Peterborough to Lincoln were deemed to financially unviable. The old M&GN line was never a money maker, the Peterborough to Boston line was deemed to be surplus to requirements by the good Doctor, and the GE&GN was kkilled by the recession of the early 1980s.

[@joncoe9046]

And even the Peterborough - lincoln line was closed briefly. Couldve been left with nothing at all.

[@robertturner4526]

March station used to be heaving as well.

[@ukstormwatch1793]

⁠​⁠@@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819railways were never designed in the first place to be a “money maker”. They were a public service such as Royal Mail once was, and our NHS still is, but maybe not for much longer at the mercy of a reckless Tory government. If the M&GN was still open now, it would be heaving with holiday makers and probably freight with a huge incentive for Kings Lynn port to have become more or less a relief for Felixstowe. The March line would have nullified the need to have spent over £100M on the Werrington dive under. So that in itself proves it’s closure to have been a massive blunder without any foresight whatsoever. Closing these railways has proven to be a big, needless mistake. The long term effects far outweigh a few years of recession. A recession is temporary, but these closures are permanent.

[@grahambaker1122]

More fantastic footage roy!many thanks for sharing! A single line end to end With a passing loop or Two could have kept This important line open at least!and automate all level crossings!even beaching recommend Retaining this line!

[@paulknapper3633]

I wonder how long before the mistake is realised and some more of our rail system is put back 😳

[@imautuber]

Sadly it will never return to the days where you could quite literally get a train from any town to any town as all the land has been sold off now.

[@kevingoodrum5352]

This line will never be put back as the build a pesion in the way at whitemoor and this use to be a main route for the divertions fo the main line from doncaster to stevenage

[@stephenpowell5912]

Those days will never return with the NOW Network Rail being in charge and Health and safety issues also ,Sadly that's the case 😞

[@TurnFullCircle]

So sad All these lovely places have passed us by.....never to be again....cheers

[@Tom-Lahaye]

It looked if they tried to push the last few feet of the line away from underneath the tail wagon's wheels, the last wagon still standing on the March line. It's sad to see such lovely steam era infrastructure being wrecked. A good onlooker can see that the barrier gates at Spalding already have been replaced with automatic barriers and the footbridge near the crossing has disappeared.

[@garethjones9635]

This is fantastic footage, many thanks for sharing. I think that a strong economic case could be made for the reopening of this line given the huge increase in freight traffic ex-Felixstowe and London Gateway to destinations in Yorkshire. Regrettably, it probably won't happen due to the bridge demolition at Guyhirn, and the large number of level crossings along the route, a particular no-no for Network Rail. I live in Saxilby, north of Lincoln, and the increase in traffic over the refurbished GNGE route is gratifying to see.

[@g8ymw]

In the early Noughties, the trackbed at the Spalding end is now a housing estate with roads named after explorers

[@MalcolmCrabbe]

Thanks for sharing. It's interesting just how much things have changed in terms of PP gear. At the start of the video the guys were wearing nothing more than parkers and coats, then half way through some had small orange bibs on. Today they are covered head to toe in orange clothing ! - thanks for documenting this little bit of history

[@tonyrobinson362]

Sad to see i use to work coal trains from Shirebrook to Whitemoor, 10 hrs round trip.

[@ukstormwatch1793]

Criminal damage on a monumental scale. Our railways were literally stolen from us in-front of our eyes! As a result, Spalding has remained stagnant ever since. Imagine the attractive investment opportunities this town would’ve boasted if these railways survived and were just temporarily mothballed. It’s gut wrenching watching this.

[@jontownsend8090]

Sad to see this vandalism take place. The area around Spalding has suffered greatly since these railways have been lost. We are desperate for them back, it would be one saving grace to see at least this railway reinstated. The amount of bloody lorries on the roads in Lincolnshire is ridiculous. So short sited. Whoever sanctioned this needs to do time in jail. Boris Johnson, give us our railways back.

[@Jonsie66]

Fantastic video Roy, such a shame to see what would now be a useful line removed without a second thought back then.. The railways are great at some things but when I comes to future proving they are utterly useless! Thank you for recording this at the time giving us younger generations a chance to see what was left.

[@noeldunford4955]

That's the problem they never look any further than there nose they only look at NOW

[@angelsone-five7912]

Postland signal box is still there albeit dropping to pieces. The station itself is a private residence.

[@ronnieg6358]

It brings a lump to my throat.

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Great video Roy, but so, so sad seeing all this infrastructure just ripped up, wonderful time piece so makes me so angry when you see how BR where so short sited, was so typical of the time, management was none existent, now what do we see, lots of plastic train’s severely over crowded Ha!!! At least we have these images of times past, Health & safety would have a field day, that’s the crazy world we live in now, sorry going to get off my stand/box.. Eddie

[@111cccccc]

sadly at the age of 16 I travelled this line on a special train hauled by a class 40 on a rake of mk1.s called the joint liner special just before closure from Lincoln via the Lincoln avoiding line that closed at the same time. I cant recollect the class 40's full number. Both rail lines are sadly missed & was a big mistake by the government of the time who closed both lines which BR was in favour of closure that made it easier for its death to which we are paying the price for this loss.

[@mervynsands3501]

A very silly short sighted move to dismantle the line. Like so many other examples across britain, wholesale vandalism of a useful resource. It could have been singled and worked bi-directional as and when required with a few sections of passing loop, at very little cost. Nice to see some video of that period as it was, before removal. Thanks for sharing🙂👍

[@royharrison4122]

Glad you enjoyed it Mervyn.

[@dodgy1954]

What a great historical record. H&S requirements a little different then ;-). Keep posting your videos Roy, they are fascinating. Although not my neck of the woods I was quite used to travelling into the area in the 90's and often wandered what the line would have been like in it's prime. Judging by other viewers comments this route could be thriving now and that would be easy to imagine. I notice from my local midlands news that HS2 is now in serious jeopardy and definitely going to be cut back... just think what could be done with all the money wasted so far (and likely to be continued to be wasted).... if the money was used to enhance regional infrastructure and also restore lost routes. This would be far more beneficial in my humble opinion!

[@craiglogistics2092]

This line should not have been closed, it was a good through route from Lincolnshire to East Anglia and now trains have to go through Peterborough, this was a very short-sighted closure and similar to the Woodhead Route between Manchester and Sheffield

[@Mishima505]

And as we know Peterborough is a huge bottleneck with any minor delays causing havoc further up the line.

[@mervinward256]

along with all the other lines destroyed in uk they will regret destroying this line

[@dansmodelrailways7886]

Excellent Roy. I know the family who live in Cowbit station house. It is greatly interesting to them. Thanks.

[@cambsgeezer]

Indeed it is. Thanks Dan...

[@walkingtheboogie]

Lovely video. Slightly sad but fascinating to watch.

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Forgot to say, would love’d to have just a bit of the stuff they ripped out, my proudest procession is a wonderful , although not my region is a GWR signal box wooden signal repeater box that stood above the levers for push button in section etc, just think about the guys that used to work this.

[@stevehull787]

Great footage Roy thanks for sharing that gentleman 👍

[@philclennell]

The final death throes of a railway is a truly sad sight, especially as men had sweated blood and in many cases lost their lives to build it.

[@davidkitchener9955]

Well done the goodold days never to return very sad

[@nigelkthomas9501]

Shocking! This is legalised vandalism. If it still existed today this line would be hammered by trains every half or so!

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Nigel K Thomas yes, but 40 years ago during the recession of the early 1980s the reverse was true, and that's why it closed.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

Neil Dahlgaard-Sigsworth And if the so-called Serple report had been implemented in 1982 there’d be hardly anything left now save for a few main lines! Thank God these tight-fisted accountants didn’t get their way with the Settle and Carlisle!

[@mervynsands3501]

Absolutely correct! Now it's gone, it would cost far more to reinstate it than to single it. Crazy decision making nearly forty years ago.

[@nigelkthomas9501]

@@mervynsands3501 The things is Peterborough was nowhere near as busy as it is now back in 1982. Just a cost cutting exercise. There’s no intermediate stations so let’s get rid. Absolutely no forethought whatsoever.

[@johnmasters504]

My only claim to fame is I watched the Hunstanton to Heacham line being removed, with loco D2014,

[@ukstormwatch1793]

Another line that was ludicrously closed. I believe there is a greater chance of that one reopening however.

[@michaelward2082]

@@ukstormwatch1793 yes

[@EM-yk1dw]

Very sad and shortsighted

[@imjusthereeatingpopcorn5234]

I wonder how it cost British Rail to do the track lifting project? People forget it costs money and a lot of time to do pointless exercises like this

[@johnpiper3416]

I wonder how many of the ground signals were sold at collectors corner in Euston.

[@ianhelps3749]

Although I blamed Margaret Thatcher for the closure of this line, it is clear from watching films of the last years that there had been no investment in this line for decades. Apparently there were subsidence problems due to the marshy ground, and it would have cost millions to upgrade the track to take heavier freight traffic. Money which British Rail simply did not have.

[@stephenpowell5912]

Heartbreaking to watch what happened to this route in the Early to mid 1980s ❤😢 Especially those who lost jobs working in the signal boxes to seeing their home away from home vanish due to progress 😢Makes it more poignant😢When i think about those who looked forward to working having their Jobs taken from them just to put food on the table or pay for leccy or Gas .

[@noeldunford4955]

It was criminal vandalism I remember this line very well and sadly missed

[@annescholey6546]

Lost opportunity for trains to Ely and Cambridge

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Anne Scholey you can stil get there by train, it just takes a bit longer and you have to change in Peterborough.

[@KevBygrave]

Great footage Roy, I`d be interested to know what state is the track bed in today? and has there been any campaigns to reopen this line? Regards Kevin

[@royharrison4122]

Hi Kevin, There is no chance of the line every opening again, Housing has been built over some of the track bed and the A47 Road re-alignment at Guyhirne, some of the track bed is still visible in places.

[@kevinfowkes2327]

@@royharrison4122 And a stonking great prison now sits on top of the north end of Whitemoor yard. As with most other railways in this neck of the woods, the huge number of level crossings would also be a formidable barrier to reopening. Network Rail guidelines do not ordinarily permit level crossings on reopened railways. Realistically, any hope for Spalding-March reopening died when the Lincoln avoiding line closed in 1983, condemning all freight routed this way to snarl up the level crossings in central Lincoln. Unlike Spalding-March, which has a lot of trackbed intact, the Lincoln avoider has now been built over almost entirely. Back in the early 80s the rail unions often refused to man track recovery trains on controversially closed routes....this is why Woodhead was not lifted until 1986-87 despite closing in 1981. It seems there was less controversy amongst railmen about this closure? Your video is also a useful reminder of global warming....snow in February was an everyday occurrence in 1985.

[@patcoen1113]

An amazing video. Sad to see the line lifted. Welded rails too.

[@royharrison4122]

Thank you very much!

[@patcoen1113]

@@royharrison4122 Youre welcome. I'm from Ireland and didnt venture into your side of the Irish sea til 2004. I gor The Railway Magazine from Oct 1980 to Summer 1988. Thanks to your videos aand others, I get to see them move and hear them. I didn't get a camcorder till Dec 1995. I captured Clapham Junction with my 2nd camcorder in 2004.

[@pip-will-tell-nothing9247]

Gone for good.......very sad

[@royharrison4122]

yes sad indeed.

[@robertturner4526]

Is there no way the line could have remained open for freight, if not passenger?

[@mervynsands3501]

It will only work when people will it to work. Put there for purpose, then accountants decide it's purpose, or not as the case may be. Not good wisdom.

[@jimward8095]

From the public's point of view...the realisation of the mistake...the moment this decision was made to lift the line ...very sad to see it go?

[@MiLLwallpaul231258]

sad time for our railways

[@royharrison4122]

Yes it was

[@tracya4087]

thanks

[@royharrison4122]

You're welcome!

[@derekporter7658]

I hope they regret this action.

[@frankstukins6675]

Brings back wonderful, if sad memories, of 1984/5. I recall the pilot 08 shunter was also used in track clearance. Do you have any more footage? Also, I read somewhere that the line was only singled in 1983 in the hope of an upturn in freight traffic, which sadly never came. Is that really true?

[@alistairstanyon6976]

No it was all pulled up together 😘

[@nbc_uk]

Sheer bloody vandalism. Bring back BR? No thanks.

[@SunsetRailMultimedia]

The same thing happens too often here in the states unfortunately - people are so quick to rip out railroad lines that twenty years down the road are needed again.

[@royharrison4122]

They are always in a hurry to build houses on the Track Bed over here. We are getting very crowded on our small Island, You seem to have loads of room in the USA. I love watching your Trains on You Tube.

[@darrenrees-s6l]

Think how many lorries you could get off the roads if fright was still used by rail.

[@TheDaf95xf]

Great video but sad 😔 bring it back instead oh HS2 😃

[@ThatTrainSpottingCow]

I think that would be a good idea but unfortunately I won't happen😔

[@tracya4087]

a very sad film though

[@danman4633]

Look a the number of modern concrete sleepers being lifted, such waste.

[@royharrison4122]

Yes, they would have lasted for years

[@paultagg5589]

It's a lot dearer coming from Cambridge . You have to go to Stevenage and then go down Ecml to get to Spalding. Bloody stupid.

[@R-Ws308]

please reload WITHOUT the music

[@laurenceskinnerton73]

A bad mistake.

[@themuzaman3561]

Total waste. Should have kept line open

[@peebee143]

I cannot remember who by, but I was offerred to go out on one of those recovery trains by a BR guy visiting Wansford from somewhere or other. I wish I had taken up the offer.