Tickets for tour of Norfolk rail depot 'sell out' in little over TWO hours |
The free tickets for an open day at the Crown Point depot on the edge of Norwich were all claimed by 12.30pm on Tuesday, after Greater Anglia announced they were up for grabs at 10am.
The Crown Point railway depot in Norwich (Image: Mike Page)
The depot is one of the most important elements of the region's railways, but not many have had the opportunity to see what goes on behind the walls.
Greater Anglia is opening up the depot for the open day on Saturday, June 6 - marking the first time in more than 30 years people will get a behind-the-scenes look at the facility.
Opened in 1982 and now operated in partnership with Stadler, Crown Point plays a vital role in supporting rail services, with up to 27 trains refuelled and sanded every 24 hours.
Sir Peter Parker opens Crown Point in October 1982 (Image: Newsquest)
Visitors will be able to see Greater Anglia’s Class 745 intercity electric trains, used between Norwich and London Liverpool Street and on the Stansted Express route between London and Stansted Airport.
The Class 755 bi-mode trains used on regional routes across the East of England network will also be on show.
The day will also feature engineering demonstrations, railway heritage exhibits and the chance to meet the people who keep the railway running.
The open day runs from 10am to 4pm and the tickets were timed for certain slots during the day.
A message on the Greater Anglia website says all the tickets have gone, but says that more tickets may be available at a later date.
A locomotive is prepared at the Crown Point depot (Image: Simon Finlay)
Helen Dickerson, depot yard manager at Crown Point, said: "We are really looking forward to welcoming visitors from across the region to Crown Point for what promises to be a fantastic day.
"This is a unique opportunity to go behind the scenes of a working depot and see first-hand the work that goes into keeping our trains running safely and reliably every day, connecting communities across East Anglia with each other and with London, and enabling longer journeys right across the UK rail network.
"We hope visitors of all ages will enjoy learning more about the railway and meeting the people who make it happen."
The event forms part of the national Railway 200 celebrations, marking 200 years of the modern railway.