GUIDES to help walkers explore the countryside along local rural railway lines have been launched.Glossy 40-page booklets outline self-guided walks from stations along the Bittern and Wherry Lines to Cromer, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

GUIDES to help walkers explore the countryside along local rural railway lines have been launched.

Glossy 40-page booklets outline self-guided walks from stations along the Bittern and Wherry Lines to Cromer, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Information includes the length of the walk, gradient and suggested refreshment stops. The Railway Rambles booklets have been put together by the Countryside Access Team at Norfolk County Council, with the aim of encouraging more people to enjoy car-free days out in the areas around the rail routes.

They were launched at Norwich station this week by National Express East Anglia and the Bittern and Wherry Lines community rail partnerships.

The booklets, which have vintage pictures from the National Railway Museum archive on the covers, are free of charge. They are available on request from Norwich station and other staffed NXEA stations, as well as from libraries, Tourist Information Centres and by request via the Bittern and Wherry lines websites.

The guides have been primarily funded by grants awarded by the Department for Transport, the Association of Community Railway Partnerships and the county council.

James Steward, National Express East Anglia's rural area manager, said: 'The new guides are a delight. They are beautifully put together with lots of ideas for great days out. I hope they inspire more people to step out and explore the stunning East Anglian countryside on our Bittern and Wherry lines.'