March opening of Bluebell extension still achievable

摘要

A former Mk 1 BSK carriage is to provide initial station facilities at the Bluebell Railway's East Grinstead station. The vehicle, No. 35419, was last used as a Balfour Beatty staff and generator coach (BDC 977166), and will be refurbished as a temporary solution while the railway establishes how traffic develops on the northern extension from Kingscote once it is opened in 2013. The ambition remains to construct a terminus building, although both land and funding are tight and it will not be known what facilities are needed until levels of patronage have been ascertained. Although poor weather continues to affect progress, The RM has learned that published dates for completion of the extension in March - including the March 28 UK Railtours train from London Victoria through East Grinstead and on to the Bluebell Railway, to mark opening of the northern extension (RM Nov) - are still achievable.