NETWORK RAIL GETS GOVERNMENT GO AHEAD

Monday 3 Nov 2003

NETWORK RAIL GETS GOVERNMENT GO AHEAD

Region & Route:: | Southern

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has approved Network Rail’s planning application to develop the former marshalling yard at Whitemoor, March. Commenting on this decision, Peter Heubeck, Network Rail Project Director said: “We are delighted that Mr Prescott and the Government Office for the East of England have approved our planning application. The development will bring a whole host of benefits to March and East Anglia. The planning application process has involved many people and we are grateful to them all. We now have the challenge of opening this site by April 2004.” The construction of the site will start almost immediately with levelling work and track laying. Supplies for the site will be brought in by railway, on to the old Wisbech line until the new tracks are built. Network Rail is committed to being a good neighbour and we will also be regularly updating the community on progress of the work. “The railway has such a long and integrated history in March and we want the community to feel a sense of ownership towards this site.” Peter will be available for interviews and photos, please call Jenny Sacre 020 7904 4043 for details.

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We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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