Moorland amp; City Railways Branch Line - Leekbrook - Ipstones
Posted on 4th Feb 2014
Contrary to recent speculation on various internet forums, I can assure everyone that the removal of track between Ipstones and Leekbrook is not imminent.
Representative from Trackwork Ltd who attended Ipstones recently, were acting without full knowledge or consent when they approached Churnet Valley Railway staff and made alarming and incorrect statements about coming to lift the track. An apology has now been made by Trackwork about the conduct of their staff.
The Churnet Valley Railway has a running rights agreement with Moorland amp; City Railways giving us a rolling three month period to operate over the branch. We also, as part of an earlier investment programme, have a first Legal Charge over the entire section of Moorland amp; City Line between Leekbrook Junction and Ipstones. When Moorland amp; City have previously wanted to remove a section of the track, notably from Ipstones to Cauldon Lowe, this was done with the full agreement and consent of the Churnet Valley Railway.
The Churnet Valley Railway’s view is that terminating and running round at Ipstones is a better proposition than running into an abandoned quarry loading area which has no possibility of being developed with any form of passenger facilities or amenities.
Moorland amp; City Railways as owners of the infrastructure have every right to conduct surveys and valuations of their assets, however they are not able to remove or curtail the infrastructure without consent from the Churnet Valley Railway. We at Churnet Valley recognise that Moorland amp; City have a considerable asset and that at some point in the future, as part of the upgrade works, this asset will be realised. We also appreciate that when this occurs, Churnet Valley trains will cease to run on the branch whilst this work is undertaken.
Our colleagues at Moorland amp; City have been working on this project since 2009, in some of the most adverse economic times ever experienced outside of war. Bank funding is effectively non existent for this sort of infrastructure project, and as has been well publicised, the quarry owners and operators have been involved with various significant changes in their structures, including mergers and various conditions imposed on them by the Monopolies amp; Mergers commission.
I as Chairman of the Churnet Valley Railway can assure everyone that the Steam Gala in February will proceed as planned, and we will continue to work with our colleagues at Moorland amp; City Railways.
Anthony Hancock.
Chairman Churnet Valley Railway (1992) PLC