Southwold Railway - Proposed Re-establishment of The Line

Proposed Re-establishment of The Line

The Southwold Railway Society was formed in 1994 to:

1. further the memory of the Southwold Railway and to foster wider interest therein
2. research, collate and add to the information about the Southwold Railway and to augment the existing collection of artifacts and memorabilia relating to the railway
3. Publish and otherwise disseminate information, display at exhibitions and promote public events
4. Investigate the possibility of re-establishing part of the line and to promote this if re-establishment was shown to be possible
5. Initiate and promote other such activities as are determined

The Southwold Railway Trust was established in 2006 with the objective of promoting awareness of the heritage of the Southwold Railway, preserving any remaining artefacts and instigating re-instatement of the railway as a local community and public amenity connecting Southwold to the main line railway at Halesworth.

The trust submitted a planning application in June 2012 with a view to recreating a new station close to the original station site in Wenhaston. Plans include a new station building based on the design of the original, plus a workshop and visitor centre building. The proposals include the reopening of a 1⁄₂ miles (0.80 km) section of the original railway towards Bythburgh. Lineside walks and picnic facilities, and the conservation and appreciation of local wildlife are also central to the plans. It is hoped that the trust will conserve a little piece of this historic and unique railway for current and future generations. To haul trains on the reopened line the trust is progressing with the construction of a replica Sharp Stewart steam locomotive, based on the designs of the locomotives that served the railway.