Media centre

Thursday 20 May 2004

RAILWAY INTEREST IN MARCH HEATS UP !!!

Region & Route:

| Southern

This Sunday the community of March, Cambridgeshire, is coming together to celebrate the opening of Network Rail’s new railway distribution centre. The depot, off Hundred Road has been under heavy construction for the past six months, and now Network Rail is opening the gates for the community to see what’s been achieved. Peter Heubeck, Network Rail Project Director said: “This has been an exciting project for Network Rail, turning abandoned railway land into a state of the art distribution centre. In just six months 25 acres of brownfield site, strewn with burnt out cars, has been transformed into an organised, fully operational railway site with sidings as far as the eye can see. “More importantly this depot holds a special place in the heart of March as the land used to form “Whitemoor Yard,” at one time the largest freight marshalling yard in Europe.  The public has given us fantastic support and we are repaying them with a community open day this Sunday, 23 May from 13.00 – 17.00.” Charitable organisations holding stalls include: The Guides Association; March Senior Citizens Club; RSPCA; 2nd Walsoken Rainbow Guides; Macmillan Cancer Relief; Braxa Leisure Club; Friends of Doddington Hospital; Fenland Area Community Enterprise Trust (FACET); March and District Floral Arrangement Club; March Handicapped Swimming Club; Isle of Ely Women’s Institute; March Neighbourhood Watch; March Model Railway Club. - more - Sunday - 2 Railway related exhibits include: Dunhams Wood Light Railway; March Museum; J15 historic steam locomotive; display of engineering trains; March model railway club; Whitemoor yard display; North Norfolk Railway; Nene Valley Railway. The gates open to the public at 13.00 with a loco naming ceremony taking place at 15.00.  There is a 50p admission charge and all proceeds will be donated to Crossroads and Young People – March.