Closing of the Midland & Great Northern Line
THE Eastern Area Board of the British Transport Commission has announced with regret that it has decided in principle that almost the whole of the railways formerly known as the Midland & Great Northern Joint line must be closed down. The railway extends from the London-Nottingham main line of the London Midland Region at Saxby, and from the East Coast main line at Peterborough, to Sutton Bridge, and thence to Melton Constable, through South Lynn. From Melton Constable, branches radiate to Cromer, Norwich, and Great Yarmouth. The total length of the line, including the 15 miles from Saxby to Little Bytham, built and originally owned by the Midland Railway, is about 192 miles. Of this total, it is intended that only the 15-mile branch from Melton Constable to Cromer shall remain open.
The board points out that during the last few years no effort has been spared to maintain the widest practicable network of railway services in the Eastern Region. In pursuit of this policy, considerable experiments have been made in cheaper methods of operation, combined in many cases with improved facilities. The losses incurred on non-paying sectors of the network have in consequence been appreciably reduced. However, on certain services there are still big losses; and the extent to which these can be financed
