Bluebell Railway to be in national rail network

VOLUNTEERS behind the running of a rural heritage steam railway had their dream of seeing it extended to the national rail network realised yesterday.

The Bluebell Railway had previously only run for nine miles from Sheffield Park in East Sussex to Kingscote. But campaigners have fought to extend it to East Grinstead, West Sussex. The 39–year project cost £11 million and comes 50 years on from Dr Richard Beeching’s report which signalled the widespread closure of rural rail routes across the UK.