Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

It's GCR. I don't have the details to hand, but I think this bridge is just about within the limits of the original LRO from 1976. (Sadly said LRO doesn't extend right up to the GCRN!)

 

Does that imply the 9F will be running on the Betwixmas services as I've not seen anything listed yet this year on the website under events? I've made it part of my Christmas to spend one of the days at the event escaping the family.

 

Right click, select "open in reading mode".

 

My understanding is that the 9F is staying until March so there’s a chance it’ll be used, but think it’ll be treated as a home fleet loco whilst at the GCR so no guarantees.

 

Network Rail (and Railtrack before them) we only given ownership of bridges on the operational railway!

Disused Bridges (and tunnels / viaducts) which remained in the hands of British Rail after the trackbeds had been disposed of were initially retained by the tiny bit of British Rail which was retained to deal with 'legacy' issues - the snappily titled "British Rail Residuary".

This was later dissolved by David Camerons Government when he said he was going to slash the number of Government Quangos to save cash - but those old bridges etc had to go to someone so they got given to Highways England (later renamed to National Highways by Boris Johnson).

Highways England /National Highways are the people who run the English motorway network *i.e. the M6, M1, M25, etc.

However Motorways in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the Devolved Nations - so you have the situation where 'National Highways' (despite its name) owns some disused railway structures in Scotland and Wales but no roads....

There are suggestions that disused railway structures may transfer to GBR ownership at some point in future, but GBR itself isn't a proper thing yet there is some privatisation legislation which needs amending before it can become a proper entity in its own right (as opposed to a brand name slapped on existing DfT divisions)