Sharpness Branch

Does anyone have any factual information on the Sharpness Branch heritage project?

The branch was double track, a single line still existing, along with platforms at sharpness (up) berkeley (both) and berkeley road (up branch)

Has the lottery bid failed?

what is the council view?

has the shapness docks branch been fragmented by stealth, fenced off etc, which normally happens when a blind eye is turned.?

is the line in danger of being lifted and "sustranised"?

what is the status of the long marston group?

done properly, there is massive scope for a high quality restoration of shapness station and the branch to prewar midland railway layout and livery, alongside a potential freight service

I for one would get heavily involved if this took off, living only 15 minutes away.

 

It has all the hallmarks of a scheme you shouldnt hold your breath waiting for...

 

I was at Sharpness recently and there had been some very limited site clearance beyond the NR boundary.

 

I can't recall seeing any platform at Berkeley rd or Berkeley it's self but I wasn't going out of my way looking for them at the time.
The branch is currently in regular use, usually once or twice a week with the 'coal' trains in and out of Berkeley power station.
Whilst the 'coal' is collected from the area that was Berkeley station, the whole consist goes to Sharpness to run around.
No fear of sustrans getting it for some time yet!

I think this regular use was forgotten about by the group who were aiming to 're-open' it, I'm sure NR put them right

 

if your on facebook you can add the Berkeley vale railway as a friend and ask them all the questons you want to know

 

I see that there is a diesel rail tour that includes this branch on 2nd July 'The Severnsider' by UK Railtours

 

I don't think it was removed as I have found it here