Railways in Norfolk
Railways have played an important part in the history and development of the English county of Norfolk. It currently has thirty open National Rail stations, though there were once well over a hundred.
Between 1959 and 1970 much of the network was closed, including more than two thirds of Norfolk's railway stations, several main lines and most of the branch lines - leaving only a core network in place.
Several of the former routes have since been re-opened as heritage railway lines, such as the North Norfolk Railway and the Mid-Norfolk Railway.
History
Arrival of the railway
The railway first arrived in Norfolk in 1845 with a major extension of an existing line from
In 1849 this route was joined by the
King's Lynn had been linked to the country's growing railway network in 1846, and in 1862 the line was extended on to Hunstanton.
Expansion of the network
The creation of the
The M&GNR created a hub at
In the late Victorian era with the new waves of holiday passengers during the summer months, and the increased routes for cross-Britain trade, Norfolk boomed thanks to the new rail network.
Despite this some stations such as Bluestone railway station and Starston railway station closed shortly after opening, as traffic was considered too low to justify keeping them open. Other schemes, such as a proposed branch line extension to Blakeney, were dropped when they appeared uneconomical.
Groupings and nationalisation
In 1923 the Railways Act 1921 came into force which resulted in British railways being merged into four main companies. Much of the county's routes came under the control of the London and North Eastern Railway, though the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway maintained its independence, and remained one of the few routes outside of the new system.
In 1948, all British rail companies were nationalised and Britain's railways came under state control. Until 1997 all of Norfolk's stations were under the control of British Rail.
Beeching Axe
A number of the cuts to the Norfolk network predated the Beeching cuts by several years. In 1959 the Main Line of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway was closed, on economic grounds. Essential maintenance work was considered too much to be justified.
As car ownership increased, the need for rural routes was considered lessened, and the least profitable were screened for closure in order to save money. Beeching issued a report in 1962, recommending that a large number of stations and lines be closed.
In Norfolk, on the principal routes, such as the
Many of the former trackbeds were tuned into pathways such as Marriott's Way, which remain open to cyclists and pedestrians. Many of the former stations were converted for private use.
A few routes managed to survive the initial cuts, such as the line between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth which survived until 1970. The Bittern Line was not proposed for closure, and stayed open. But King's Lynn-Hunstanton and King's Lynn-Dereham-Wymondham closed despite not being proposed for closure in the Report.
A second report by Beeching had proposed even more severe cuts to the East Anglia rail network, leaving only the Main Line into Norwich, but it was rejected by the government.
Heritage railways
Norfolk is home to around five heritage railways and various preserved train stations.
North Norfolk Railway
The North Norfolk Railway operates a preserved five-mile route between Holt and Sheringham (via, Weybourne) on the Norfolk coast. It was preserved in the 1960s/70s, and the extension to Holt opened in 1987.[1]
Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway operates a preserved fifteen-mile route between Wymondham and Worthing, A further two and a half mile extension to County School station is planned. It is also proposed to extend south to Wymondham Junction, to connect services with the National Rail main line at nearby Wymondham.[2]
Bure Valley Railway
The Bure Valley Railway is a 15-inch gauge railway that runs for nine miles between Aylsham and Wroxham.[3]
Wells and Walsingham Light Railway
The
Whitwell and Reepham Railway
The Whitwell and Reepham Railway, is a newcomer to the UK Preservation Movement, it currently only runs just a few yards of newly relayed track, based at Whitwell Station, itself.
Existing network
There are currently thirty working
Future
The Norfolk Orbital Railway is a proposal to link the Mid-Norfolk Railway and the North Norfolk Railway to create a line running from Sheringham to Wymondham, restoring regular services to Fakenham and Melton Constable.[4]
In 2008 Hunstanton Council considered a proposal to re-open the line from King's Lynn, but decided against it.[5]
References
- ^ "The North Norfolk Railway - Welcome". www.nnrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 February 2006.
- ^ "About the Railway". Archived from the original on 16 June 2009. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
- ^ "Home". bvrw.co.uk.
- ^ "Home". norfolk-orbital-railway.co.uk.
- ^ West Norfolk County Council, "Final Masterplan; Chapter 3: Detailed Proposals", page 28. Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Bibliography
- British Railway Atlas. 1947