Railway and canal projects of the Federal Republic of Herefordshire and Worcestershire (Mercia- UDI 1995)

Overview
There are several or were several railway and canal projets in the nation between 1999 and 2009. The most famouse were- Supplies were once smuggeld in via the The Gloucestershire Corridor.
 * 1) The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal restoration project.
 * 2) The Dymock and Ledbury Town Halt light railway project.
 * 3) The Brettell Lane to Dudley Port railway project.
 * 4) The Hereford to Hey-on-Wey branch line project.

Galton Bridge railway station
The 2007 restoration of Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station and the re-building of the former Galton Bridge was one of was one of the first of the many Anglo-Federal Reconstruction and Reconciliation Programs.

The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal restoration project
Since 1983 the UK's Canal Trust had pursued its aim to fully restore the 34 miles (55 km) of canal and locks which would once again link Hereford with Ledbury, Dymock, Newent and the rest of the inland waterway system at Gloucester. On independence, the rebel regime took up the idea and started work in 2003. It has been continuing on and off ever since and with the work being largely manned by volunteers and free (but well treated) prison work gangs.

The UK's Canal Trust and the UK/Federal joint national volunteer body the Waterway Recovery Group have started restoration work and it will reopen in circa May 2012 following the removal of silt containing heavy metal pollution.

The tourists use of canal boats and canoes has become a major event since 2010.

The Dymock and Ledbury Town Halt light railway project


The Ledbury and Gloucester Railway opened in 1885, closed for passengers in 1959 and closed to freight traffic until 1964 when the line was closed and lifted.

Plans were put forward in 1999 and work began in 2000, but further activity was held up initaly by political infighting and the shortages caused by the 1996-2000 trade blockade. The line was finally re-built in 2004.

It was largely built by volunteers and free (but well treated) prisons of war.

It was seen as a moral boosting and east to do with bootlegged equipment smuggled in via The Gloucestershire Corridor and thus became a prioity project.

The line is in regular, but light use. The route is as follows-
 * Ledbury Main Line Station (2000).
 * Ledbury Depot (2000).
 * Ledbury Town Halt (2004).
 * Greenway Halt (2004).
 * Dymock Village (2004).
 * Newent town (2014).

The Brettell Lane to Dudley Port and Pensnett railway project
The idea of reopening the line had been floating around since it first closed to passengers in the 1960's and freight in 1991 (1994 for Pensnett).

Plans were put forward for it to be reopened Stourbridge Junction railway station between Brettell Lane, Dudley Port, Pensnett and Sedgley by the federal government in 1999, but were not fully acted upon until 2008. .It was largely built by volunteers and free (but well treated) prisons labour gangs.

The Stourbridge Junction to Brettell Lane part was re-opened in 1999, but further growth beyond Brierley Hill in 2000, was abandoned until 2008 due to shortages. During the building program, a several items of abandoned ordnance, especially land mines and grenades left over from the war of independence, were found and the site was declared unsafe. For several months, RAF and Federal bomb disposal teams recovered the wartime ordnance before the building was competed at Harts Hill and Blowers Green.

The Dudley to Dudley Port section is still un-built, but the Brettell Lane to Sedgley section is in regular, but light, use.

Great Bridge North was cut from the list due to several lost landmines and 2 unexploded shells in the location of the former station dating from the 1996-1998 war of independence. Wednesbury station is as yet just a pipe-dream due to the technical dificulties Great Bridge North at and the descovery of another unlisted landmine, which is due to be cleared in early 2012.

 The 2 routes are as follows-  .
 * Hagley (1999)
 * Stourbridge Junction (1999)
 * Brettell Lane (1999)
 * Brierley Hill (2000)
 * Round Oak (2008)
 * Harts Hill (2008)
 * Blowers Green (2010)
 * Dudley (N/A)
 * Dudley Port (N/A)
 * Great Bridge North (N/A)
 * Wednesbury (N/A)

.
 * Sedgley (2010)
 * Gornal Halt (2009)
 * Pensnett Halt (2008)
 * Pensnett Trading Estate (2008)
 * Kingswinford depot (2008)
 * Bromley Halt (2008)
 * Brockmoor Halt (2008)
 * Moor Lane Goods Yard (1999)
 * Brettell lane (1999)
 * Stourbridge Junction (1999)
 * Hagley (1999)

The Hereford to Hey-on-Wye branch line project.


The HH&BR was incorporated on 8 August 1859 and company planned to link its line with the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway but actually linked to the Newport, Abergavenny, Pontrilas and Hereford Railway at Barton, Hereford. It was biult between 1860 and 1864.Passenger sevaces ended in until 1951 and goods in the mid 1950s. The whole of the Hereford to Brecon lines including Hey-on-Wye were completely dismantled in 1963 under Dr Beeching's axing of most of Britain's branch lines.

The Federal goverment sergested in 2003 and is now seriosly planig to rebiuld the Hereford to Hey-on-Wye and will posibly even exsteb it to Pontrilas in time.

The planned route is-
 * Hereford (2013)
 * Hereford Deopt (2013)
 * Credenhill (2013)
 * Moorhampton (2013)
 * Eardisley (2013)
 * Witney-on-Wye (2013)
 * Hey-on-Wye (2013)
 * Pieterchurch N/A
 * Vowchurch N/A
 * Abbey Dore N/A
 * Pontrilas N/A

The transport, energy and infrastucture minister is the South Wychavon and Throockmorton MP, (our time line's) Peter James Luff of the Federal Conservatives.

Also See

 * Worcestershire- UDI 1996
 * The Gloucestershire Corridor
 * The Federal Press Bureau
 * The Federal General Assembly