Newtown Halt railway station

Last updated

Newtown Halt
General information
Location Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth
England
Grid reference TG528090
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Post-grouping Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Key dates
17 July 1933Opened
September 1939Closed
June 1948Reopened
2 March 1959Closed

Newtown Halt was a railway station on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GN) which served the northern part of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England. Opened in 1933, it was closed as a wartime economy measure and reopened in 1948 only to last a further eleven years before closing with the line.

Contents

History

The halt was one of seven opened by the M&GN in the summer of 1933 in an attempt to increase revenues on the line. Comprising a single wooden platform situated at ground level, Newtown Halt was located on the northern side of Salisbury Road, approximately ½-mile north of the line's terminus at Yarmouth Beach, giving visitors access to the attractions found in the northern part of Yarmouth, as well as being convenient for Great Yarmouth High School. [1] The area was, however, already well-served by regular bus services and by June 1958 only 25 passengers were found to be boarding trains here during the course of a week. [2] The line crossed Salisbury Road on the level, a signal box standing on the opposite side of the crossing; the signalman was responsible for locking and unlocking the gates to the halt. Following closure in 1959, the rails were lifted but the infrastructure remained intact until the early 1960s. [3] As at 2020 the site of the station is now a car park.

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Caister-on-Sea   Midland and Great Northern
Yarmouth Line
  Yarmouth Beach

Present day

Although little evidence of the station remains today, the site of the halt remains unbuilt upon and can be discerned from Salisbury Road where it is used as an official car park by residents. The trackbed immediately to the north and south of the station exists as an unadopted highway. [4]

Related Research Articles

Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Former railway network in England

The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GNJR) was a railway network in England, in the area connecting southern Lincolnshire, the Isle of Ely and north Norfolk. It developed from several local independent concerns and was incorporated in 1893. It was jointly owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway, and those companies had long sponsored and operated the predecessor companies.

East Suffolk line

The East Suffolk line is an un-electrified 49-mile secondary railway line running between Ipswich and Lowestoft in Suffolk, England. The traffic along the route consists of passenger services operated by Greater Anglia, while nuclear flask trains for the Sizewell nuclear power stations are operated by Direct Rail Services.

Great Yarmouth railway station Railway station in Norfolk, England

Great Yarmouth railway station is one of two eastern termini of the Wherry Lines in the East of England, serving the seaside town of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The other terminus at the eastern end of the lines is Lowestoft, and the western terminus to which all trains run is Norwich.

Lowestoft railway station Railway Station in Suffolk, England

Lowestoft railway station serves the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, and is the eastern terminus of the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich and is one of two eastern termini of the Wherry Lines from Norwich. Lowestoft is 23 miles 41 chains (37.8 km) down the line from Norwich and 48 miles 75 chains (78.8 km) measured from Ipswich; and is the easternmost station on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom.

Kings Lynn railway station Railway station in Norfolk, England

King's Lynn railway station is the northern terminus of the Fen line in the east of England, serving the town of King's Lynn, Norfolk. It is 41 miles 47 chains (66.9 km) from Cambridge and 96 miles 75 chains (156.0 km) measured from London Liverpool Street.

The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway (NSJR) was a British joint railway company.

Railway stations in Cromer Railway stations in Cromer, Norfolk, UK

The fishing port and holiday resort of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk has had a rail service since 1877. It was served by three railway stations for many years, and is now served by two. Cromer Beach station, which opened in 1887, was renamed Cromer following the closure of the other early stations.

Cromer Links Halt was a railway station on the outskirts of Cromer. It was on the now disused Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway line between Roughton Road Junction and Overstrand station. It opened on 9 July 1923, only to close thirty years later on 7 April 1953.

Melton Constable railway station Former railway station in Norfolk, England

Melton Constable was a railway station on the Midland and Great Northern Railway which served the North Norfolk village of Melton Constable from 1882 to 1964. Notwithstanding its rural location, the station became an important railway centre with lines converging from all directions providing connections to key East Anglian towns such as King's Lynn, Norwich, Cromer, Fakenham, Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Although long since demolished, there is a possibility that the station may yet be resurrected as part of the proposed Norfolk Orbital Railway.

Yarmouth Beach railway station Former Railway Station in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England

Yarmouth Beach railway station was a railway station serving Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It was opened in 1877 by the Great Yarmouth & Stalham Light Railway. In 1893 it was taken over by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway which had built a large network of track over East Anglia, initially conceived to transport holidaymakers from the Midlands to their destinations on the Norfolk coast. Acquiring Yarmouth Beach station fitted into this grand strategy. The line was also dependent on use by local travellers.

Lowestoft North railway station Railway station in Lowestoft, England

Lowestoft North railway station was in Lowestoft, England. It closed in 1970.

Yarmouth South Town railway station Railway station in Great Yarmouth, England, United Kingdom

Yarmouth South Town, sometimes known as Yarmouth Southtown, was a railway station in Great Yarmouth, England, that is now closed. It was one of three major stations in the town, the others being Yarmouth Vauxhall and Yarmouth Beach, of which only Yarmouth Vauxhall now remains.

Ellingham railway station Former railway station in England

Ellingham is a former railway station in Ellingham, Norfolk. It was opened in 1863 as part of the Waveney Valley Line between Tivetshall and Beccles, Suffolk. It was closed to passengers in 1953 and closed fully on 19 April 1965, when the last goods train called there. The station still stands much altered

Bramford railway station Disused railway station in England

Bramford railway station refers to the two stations located in Bramford, Suffolk.

Sutton Staithe Halt was a railway station on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway which was opened in 1933 to serve the holidaymakers visiting the Norfolk Broads in the vicinity of the village of Sutton.

Sidestrand Halt railway station Disused railway station in Norfolk, England

Sidestrand Halt was a railway station on the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway which briefly served the Norfolk coastal village of Sidestrand from 1936 to 1953.

East Norfolk Railway

The East Norfolk Railway was a pre-grouping railway company operating a standard gauge 25 mile, mostly single track, railway running between Norwich Thorpe railway station and Cromer in the English county of Norfolk. It opened in 1874, reaching Cromer three years later, and remains mostly operational. The company also operated a branch between Wroxham and County School, which closed to passengers in 1952, and had proposed a branch to Blakeney in 1878, which was never constructed.

The Yarmouth–Beccles line was a railway line which linked the Suffolk market town of Beccles with the Norfolk coastal resort of Yarmouth. Forming part of the East Suffolk Railway, the line was opened in 1859 and closed 100 years later in 1959.

The Yarmouth–Lowestoft line was an East Anglian railway line which linked the coastal towns of Yarmouth, Gorleston-on-Sea and Lowestoft. It opened on 13 July 1903 as the first direct railway link between the two towns and was constructed by the Great Eastern Railway and the Midland and Great Northern Railway in the hope of encouraging the development of holiday resorts along the coast. In the event, although the line was built to high standards and considerable cost, intermediate traffic did not develop and competition from buses and trams eroded the little that had been generated. Fish traffic was carried in large quantities until the 1930s when it fell into decline. In 1953, when major repairs to the Breydon Viaduct were required, it was decided to discontinue through services from the Midland and Great Northern to Lowestoft and to divert London trains to Lowestoft via Norwich. After the Midland and Great Northern and Yarmouth–Beccles line closed to passengers in 1959, the Yarmouth–Lowestoft line was upgraded to accommodate the diverted traffic, but after services were switched to Yarmouth Vauxhall in 1962, it was singled and the stations made unstaffed halts. With only a local service running between vandalised stations, the decision was taken to close the route on 4 May 1970 in favour of bus services which were judged adequate for most of the year.

Chesterton railway station Former railway station in England

Chesterton railway station was located on the line between Cambridge and Histon. It opened in 1850 and closed the same year.

References

  1. Adderson, R.; Kenworthy, G. (2007). Melton Constable to Yarmouth Beach. Midhurst, West Sussex: Middleton Press. pp. Plate XXI. ISBN   978-1-906008-03-1.
  2. Adderson, R. and Kenworthy, G., Plate 101.
  3. Adderson, R. and Kenworthy, G., Plate 102.
  4. Yarmouth Newtown Halt

Coordinates: 52°37′12″N1°44′05″E / 52.6201°N 1.7348°E / 52.6201; 1.7348