Railway gets licence

A preservation railway society has been given permission to open a bar and hold a whole host of events. The Whitwell and Reepham Railway Preservation Society (WRRPS), based at an hold train station near Reepham, will now be able to sell alcohol seven days per week, show films, have live music, play music and put on plays.

A preservation railway society has been given permission to open a bar and hold a whole host of events.

The Whitwell and Reepham Railway Preservation Society (WRRPS), based at an hold train station near Reepham, will now be able to sell alcohol seven days per week, show films, have live music, play music and put on plays.

But their hours will be restricted to 10pm, Broadland Council's licensing committee decided on Thursday when they spent nearly three hours discussing the license.

The society had asked to be allowed to open until 12.30am Sunday to Thursday and to 1.30am Friday and Saturday.

The group hopes the permanent license will mean they can put on more events at the site, a former Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway (MG&N) station, which they returned railway services to earlier this year.

It was once a stop for steam trains on the line between Melton Constable and Norwich, it had been shut for 50 years until earlier this year, when it was reopened.

The group runs steam and diesel engines on track relaid in the sidings at the station and it is working at getting a track back into the actual platform.

It is hoped to open a griddle car that would offer food and drink and start running corporate events.