Our resident transport expert, Jamie Collingwood keeps you up to date with what's going on in the Wymondham area.

Bridge over troubled (Anglian) water

The road under and next to Wymondham station’s bridge has been subject to closure numerous times in recent months, causing chaos for residents in Silfield and villages beyond and prompting articles to be written and even a response from local MP Ben Goldsborough criticising the matter.

These are mainly due to Anglian Water needing to dig up the road in order to complete gas and water works, but the disconnect they seem to have between jobs mean they have been reclosing the road for each job. As someone that relies on Station Road to access Wymondham and other areas, I have experienced the delays firsthand and therefore know how frustrating it all is - the official diversion is a 10-mile trip via Hethel

Furthermore, there is work planned to widen the bridge to accommodate a mixed use cycle path into the town from Silfield which was supposed to be completed by the end of this year (2024) but does not yet seem to have made much progress. But this begs the question: when will this all end?

Park & Chide

Not directly in Wymondham, but a service surely used by lots of our local Wymondhamers, the Norwich Park & Ride (P&R) service has long been a useful and cheap option for those travelling into the city for work or for leisure purposes. Currently, bus fares from the P&R sites are £3 for a day ticket, and £1 for each additional ticket on the same transaction.

However, this could be all due to change with Norfolk County Council’s decision to find new operators which can operate without subsidy. First Bus will take over services from Thickthorn, the closest P&R site to Wymondham, as well as Airport and Sprowston sites, promising earlier and later buses on current operating days and a Sunday service. The details are yet to be revealed but what we do know so far is that Sprowston’s service will be integrated into the local ‘Pink Line’ service, meaning that fares will be charged at First’s standard adult ticket rate of £6, a doubling in cost with no group travel deal! Could this set the precedent for the other P&R sites like Thickthorn? We will find out.

If so, this could massively damage the value-for-money reputation that P&R currently has and I foresee a declining interest in the service with people preferring to park their cars directly in the city centre instead.

Baying for more

Ah yes, our favourite - Beryl returns to the headlines. Well, not really, but a bay has now been installed in Silfield on Aspen Drive, meaning those living in Silfield can now get to the station and into town without a car (or a long walk)! Scoot/cycle carefully around any roadworks please.

KIT THE BRAKES

Is it just me or has there been a notable spike in cat deaths and injuries on Wymondham’s roads this November? I’ve counted no fewer than four fatal incidents in as many weeks on the town’s social media groups. It’s not clear what’s causing the uptick: darker nights or just bad luck. Let’s hope things improve this winter.