 This plan was abandoned when complete closure of the line from June 1989 was announced.In April 1989 the Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society became part of the Mid Norfolk Railway Project, along with the Wymondham and Dereham Rail Action Committee, the Dereham Society and the Wymondham Heritage Society.The MNRP, an alliance of independent bodies intererested in the future of the line, was established to focus interest in the preservation of the route.