 In order to reduce the costs of construction, it was built under the provisions of the Tramway Act, with the support of the Board of Trade, to demonstrate that such construction could bring railways to rural areas which could not otherwise benefit from the new mode of transport.The process of buying land began in February 1882, and building the tramway across the flat terrain proceeded rapidly.The section from Wisbech to Outwell Basin was opened on 20 August 1883, with the extension onwards from Outwell to Upwell Depot opening on 8 September 1884.