The Mid-Norfolk Railway has confirmed the earlier announcement that Flying Scotsman hauled trains will be travelling from Dereham to Brick Kiln Junction just north of Kimberley Park station, before returning to Dereham.
Flying Scotsman will be arriving at the railway on the 1 October and is expected to be facing southwards towards Wymondham. The trains will therefore have Flying Scotsman at the front of the train when departing from Dereham, but will have resident BR Standard Class 4 MT steam engine leading for the return journey.
Photos courtesy of MNR member, Ian McDonald
The journey time for the round trip is expected to be approximately one hour ten minutes. Once passengers have departed the train will be cleaned ready for the next trip. When not running the Flying Scotsman will be available to visit on Wednesday 6 and 13 October with the opportunity to purchase a guided tour of the engine also available.
Passengers will enter the platform at Dereham via a large marquee that has been erected to create a one-way system, the buffet and station shop will however be open to use before exiting the station via a second marquee after their journey. The Dereham station car park will only be available to blue badge holders and pre-booked coach parties. Public parking is available in the town centre.
Charlie Robinson, the Chairman of the Mid Norfolk Railway said: “We, at the railway are looking forward to greeting our passengers and are confident that they will enjoy the iconic experience that is The Flying Scotsman, the world’s most famous Steam Engine. We want this to be a memorable regional event for Norfolk.”
During the running of the Flying Scotsman trains the foot crossing at Rashes Green will be controlled by MNR volunteers and security staff to ensure the safety of the general public. For similar reasons Yaxham and Thuxton stations will not be open to the public during the Flying Scotsman runs as the platforms do not have the capacity to hold substantial numbers of spectators safely plus there is no available car parking at either station.
George Saville the MNR’s General Manager highlighted the railway’s safety first policy when he said: “it is a criminal offence to trespass on all railway land including heritage railways. Safety is our number one priority and despite being limited to a 25 mph line speed, all railway engines have significant stopping distances. This means special training is required to be track side. Members of the public who trespass on the railway therefore put themselves at significant danger. He added: “Can I also ask the public to please respect our neighbours property and ask that members of the public do not cross privately owned land to get to the lineside unless they have the permission of the owners.
During the visit the railway has also employed additional security staff in addition to the extensive CCTV that is installed at Dereham station and yard. As such when the station is closed the public are asked not to attempt to enter to see Flying Scotsman.
In addition to the visit of Flying Scotsman the railway will also be busy with the return of the Direct Rail Services, Rail-Head Treatment Trains that will operate across the region once again. These trains are designed to clear leaves from the national railway lines and will be operating from Dereham until Christmas as such members of the public can expect to see activity at the station.