 Although called a tram, in many ways it more closely resembled a conventional railway line, and paved the way for the passing of the Light Railways Act 1896.The Great Eastern Railway (GER) promoted the idea of a tramway between Wisbech and Upwell, and permission to construct the line was obtained by W L Ollard in 1873, but he failed to raise the finance to build it.The GER were still in favour of the line, and authorisation to construct it was enshrined in the Great Eastern Railway Act 1881.