North Elmham railway station

Last updated

North Elmham
Station on heritage railway
North Elmham station 2019.jpg
Former station building
General information
Location North Elmham, Breckland, Norfolk
England
Grid reference TF993203
Platforms1
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Pre-grouping Eastern Counties Railway
Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping London & North Eastern Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Mid-Norfolk Railway
Key dates
20 March 1849 [1] Opened as Elmham
1 September 1872Renamed North Elmham
5 October 1964Closed to passengers
Location
North Elmham railway station

North Elmham railway station served the village of North Elmham in the English county of Norfolk. The station was part of the Wymondham to Wells Branch (1849 - 1989) and is part of a section of the line being restored by the Mid-Norfolk Railway from Dereham to County School.

Contents

History

The derelict station building in 2010, prior to restoration as a home. North Elmham Railway Station (geograph 2021091).jpg
The derelict station building in 2010, prior to restoration as a home.

The station was equipped with a single passenger platform on the down line. This line was flanked by a goods loop. The station was rebuilt by the London & North Eastern Railway, with a simple brick building replacing the earlier timber-framed building. [2] Passenger trains were not permitted to pass at this station. [3]

A collision took place close to the station on 14 December 1882. [4]

Goods trains

North Elmham was the location for a rail served dairy, with daily milk trains operating from the station to Ilford. [5] A shunting horse was used at Elmham to move loaded milk wagons from the down to the up side of the line for collection. The dairy closed in October 1963. [6]

The station also dealt in grain and fertilizer traffic. [3]

Present day

North Elmham
railway station
Historic lay-out
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to Fakenham
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BSicon BUILDING.svg
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ground frame
BSicon dENDEa.svg
BSicon vSTR.svg
BSicon dENDEa.svg
BSicon vUSTr.svg
BSicon vSTR.svg
BSicon lvENDE@F-.svg
BSicon vSTR.svg
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BSicon dPLTl.svg
BSicon dSTR.svg
BSicon vSTR.svg
BSicon dPLTl.svg
BSicon dSTR.svg
BSicon vUSTr.svg
North Elmham station
BSicon vUSTr.svg
BSicon dENDEe.svg
BSicon dRP1q.svg
BSicon dSKRZ-G1BUE.svg
BSicon dSKRZ-G1BUE.svg
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Elmham level crossing
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signal box
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to Dereham

Some materials are currently on site from the former Cambridge - St Ives railway to construct a new platform in preparation for the opening of the MNR's northern section for passengers. Construction of a new platform and the pace of track restoration between Hoe and North Elmham which relies on volunteer labour and charitable donations. [7]

It had been proposed that there could be an additional halt built between this location and Dereham in the small hamlet of Hoe, a popular location for walkers. The Mid-Norfolk Railway's volunteers are instead concentrating efforts on restoring the line progressively towards North Elmham.

Although there are no passenger train services near this station at this time, a Transport Works Order (The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 2001 [8] ) is in place allowing the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust to operate trains from Dereham. Planning permission for the relaying and operation of the line between County School and North Elmham was granted by Breckland District Council on 9 November 1992, with initial tracklaying starting soon after. [9] [10] This grants permission, associated with the original enabling act, to operate a railway beyond the buffers north of North Elmham station (at 52°44′53″N0°57′09″E / 52.74802°N 0.95237°E / 52.74802; 0.95237 ), where The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 2001 ends. [11] Engineering trains have operated as far as the level crossing beside the former station site since 2019. [12]

Disused railways
County School
Line and station closed
  British Rail
Eastern Region

Wymondham to Wells via East Dereham
  Dereham
Line open, station open
No scheduled passenger service
 Proposed service 
County School   Norfolk Orbital Railway
Mid-Norfolk Railway
  Dereham
Preceding station HR icon.svg Heritage railways Following station
Proposed extension
County School
towards Ryburgh
Mid-Norfolk Railway Dereham

References

  1. Railway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 341
  2. Jenkins, S. (2011). The Wells-Next-The-Sea Branch. Oakwood Press. p. 123. ISBN   978-0-85361-712-9.
  3. 1 2 Jenkins, S. (2011). The Wells-Next-The-Sea Branch. Oakwood Press. p. 125. ISBN   978-0-85361-712-9.
  4. Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at North Elmham - Dereham on 14 December 1882
  5. 'Thanks for the Memory', Mike Esau
  6. Hallet, Graham (July 2020). "Bringing home the milk". Great Eastern Journal. 183: 11.
  7. "Going North". MNR Website. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  8. "The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 2001". legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  9. Blastpipe No.39, Winter 1992/93, p.4
  10. Engineering works to lay and re-lay track and to operate railway between County School and Breckland boundary
  11. The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 2001
  12. MNR Official Twitter news on first train to Elmham

52°44′37″N0°57′05″E / 52.74362°N 0.95135°E / 52.74362; 0.95135