Save our signal box

A campaign has started to save a historic signal box at Newark Castle station.

The signal box currently controls the station’s level crossing but that will be automated in future and controlled from Derby under plans by Network Rail.

The box, built in 1912, would be boarded up and at risk of being demolished.

Mr Kevin Thompson, of Newark, says the signal box should be preserved and cared for by the community.

He, along with Newark In Bloom volunteers, have offered to paint and maintain it and hope Network Rail will agree.

“This is the first building people coming into Newark see and they don’t want to see it boarded up — it is a historical building,” Mr Thompson said.

“It will have an effect on investment coming into the town. I just can’t understand their way of thinking.

“The signals being automatic is a great idea but we want to preserve the building.”

Mrs Sue Tapply, a member of the Newark In Bloom committee, said: “We don’t want this building boarded up because it is one of the first people see and Newark Castle is in the background.

“When we cleaned up the station some time ago many people liked what we did and now this building needs to be spruced up.”

Network Rail is planning to remove signal boxes at Lowdham, Fiskerton Junction, Staythorpe and Newark Castle and the gate boxes at Fiskerton Station and Rolleston Station.

The signal boxes and gate boxes between Lowdham and Newark Castle date back to the early 1900s.

The signals will be operated from Derby using CCTV cameras and monitoring equipment.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “This relates to the investment we are making to upgrade the signalling in this area.

“This means that control of the train service will move to our state-of-the-art Railway Operating Centre in Derby and that the signal box will no longer be required to control train operations.

“In such circumstances our first choice, if the structure is not listed, is to demolish it in order to prevent any trespass and anti-social behaviour risk, as well as allowing our funds to be spent on improving services, rather than maintaining the now redundant building.

“This signal box is in a conservation area and so we are unable to demolish it without permission.

“That being the case we will board it up in order to prevent people gaining access to it and to keep it weather-tight.

“We are already working with groups who are able to provide alternative uses for other signal boxes away from the operational railway.

“The box at Newark Castle is immediately next to the operational railway line and so would be very difficult and costly for a third party to maintain as they would need protection from the train operation.

“There is also no safe access route to the signal box in its current location which would be required to enable the signal box to be used for another purpose.”

Mrs Jacqueline Barker, owner of Rainbows Day Nursery, which is next to the station, said children there loved to see the signal box when they climbed on the climbing frame.

“They know when the train is going right it will go to Lincolnshire and left to Nottingham,” she said.