REOPENING THE KING’S LYNN TO HUNSTANTON RAILWAY CAMPAIGN
Fed up with the A149? Disappointed that your children have moved away for work? Concerned that new development in West Norfolk will make road congestion even worse and driving intolerable?
Think how good it would be if you could live on the North Norfolk coast and commute to Cambridge in a comfortable train. Or get from Hunstanton to Lynn in 20 minutes. Know that your children could safely go to school or go to see friends in a neighbouring village on a quick reliable public transport service!
The King’s Lynn — Hunstanton Railway Campaign is seeking to bring back the railway that for more than a century did provide that public service. Much of the track bed still exists from King’s Lynn to Hunstanton. The seaside town is increasingly popular throughout the year but the road traffic is becoming worse and worse. Long tailbacks blight the journey for all, making what is a relatively short journey long, slow and tedious.
The economic, environmental and social benefits of bringing back rail are compelling. Other examples of successful rail regeneration projects around the UK show that they provide equitable, safe, reliable services for passengers and freight, removing cars and goods vehicles from roads and offering a range of other regeneration and investment opportunities. Read more about other projects here.
Since the railway closed in 1969 many people have concluded it was a bad idea. In recent decades a number of people have tried to gain support for the reopening. But now we feel real momentum is building to bring back the trains. Central Government have pledged to invest in more rail infrastructure and in 2019 Norfolk County Council agreed to fund an initial feasibility study into reopening the Hunstanton line. The project has support from our new MP, local councillors, rail industry experts and more than 8000 people have now signed our on-line petition. Please sign our petition.
Sir Henry Bellingham, our former MP, once said ‘I have always regarded the closure of the King’s Lynn Hunstanton railway line as being a foolish error. Imagine the benefits such a line would currently be delivering, both for tourism and commuters’. As the pressing need to develop a carbon neutral transport system for the 21st century becomes clear, the benefits that a comprehensive rail network could offer become even more obvious.
The project group is presently made up of volunteers with varied backgrounds including rail experts, and we all share the goal of reopening the line as a principal public transport amenity for the area. For further information see About KLHRC.
Would you like to support this campaign? First of all — Please sign our petition A campaign such as this does have administrative expenses. If you would be willing to contribute towards the work of the campaign please get in touch via this website or at the Hunstanton Heritage Centre. Any payments should be made payable to the ‘King’s Lynn — Hunstanton Railway Campaign’.
