ORTON Mere signalbox on the Nene Valley Railway was gutted by an arson attack on March 12, as reported, causing substantial damage to the structure and the signalling equipment within. Its loss did not stop trains running on the line, but it did prevent the ability to pass services at Orton Mere and restricted movements along the Fletton Loop, which links the NVR to the East Coast Main Line.
A fundraising appeal was quickly launched by 12-year-old local schoolboys Harry Cowley and Oliver Walker, who were devastated by the act
