Grab those whistles and make some noise for special celebration at March railway station
Railway fans and anyone else are being invited to get those whistles and hooters out to make some noise and join a national celebration.
March railway enthusiasts are hoping locals will join a cacophony of noise at the town’s station on New Year’s Day to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the modern railway.
Members of the Bramley Line Heritage Railway group – which is hoping that 2025 will see them open a heritage line between Coldham and Waldersea – are encouraging anybody, and everybody to join the Global ‘Whistle Up’ on January 1.
The Railway 200 Whistle-Up, spearheaded by the Heritage Railway Association (HRA), will involve more than 50 heritage railways in the UK and abroad blowing the whistles of nearly 200 vintage steam and diesel locomotives to herald a year-long celebration.
Railways across the world in countries such as Sierra Leone, France, Germany, and America will also be joining in.
Train engine horns at mainline stations will also sound off at the appointed hour to welcome in the anniversary year.
The event in March will see the Friends of March Railway Station opening their rooms and platforms between 11.30am and 12.30pm in support of the Bramley Line Heritage Railway – with the noise-making taking place at noon.
Clive Freeman, chair of the Bramley Line Heritage Railway, said: “I posted on various history group pages to spread the word via Facebook including Cambridge and King’s Lynn to spread the word and there was quite a bit of interest.
“We are hoping people will bring their whistles and hooters to sound them off at the station at noon to celebrate the start of RAILWAY200.”
Railway 200 is a year-long celebration of 200 years of the modern railway. It will explore how rail has shaped national life and encourage more people to consider a career in the railway.
The anniversary commemorates the launch of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR) in 1825, a journey that changed the world forever.
Steve Oates, chief executive of the Heritage Railway Association, added: “The railways made so much of the world we now live in possible. From package holidays to commuting and even the concept of standardised time, it was the coming of the railways that kickstarted it all and transformed communities across the globe.
“It’s important that we don’t let the landmark 200th anniversary go without a sizeable celebration.
“The whistle-up is a great chance for everyone involved in railways, big and small across the world, to join in the celebrations and see in 2025 in style by reviving a tradition from the age of steam. And, unlike in decades past, we’ll be able to join it all up thanks to the power of social media by using #WhistleUp200.”
Railways taking part in East Anglia include the North Norfolk Railway, East Anglian Railway Line, Bure Valley Railway and Silverleaf Poplar Railway – as well our local Bramley Line.
