Tivetshall | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | Tivetshall St Margaret, South Norfolk England |
Grid reference | TM157879 |
Platforms | 3 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Pre-grouping | Eastern Union Railway Great Eastern Railway |
Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway Eastern Region of British Railways |
Key dates | |
12 December 1849 | Opened |
18 April 1966 | Closed to freight |
7 November 1966 | Closed to passengers |
Tivetshall was a railway station on the Great Eastern Main Line located in Tivetshall, Norfolk, England. It was also the western terminus of the Waveney Valley Line from Beccles. It served six small parishes in an agricultural area.
It was first opened when Norwich and London were connected by the Eastern Union Railway in 1849. The EUR was taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway before becoming the Great Eastern Railway in 1862. The station building, located on the down side of the main line, was believed to have been designed by Frederick Barnes, who was responsible for designing a number of other stations at this time in East Anglia. [1]
In 1855, the Waveney Valley Line was opened as far as Harleston; it was extended to Bungay in 1860 and finally on to Beccles.
A new signal box was provided in 1880 and this lasted 106 years. Immediately south of the station was a level crossing, which spanned all three tracks (the two main lines and platform road for the Waveney Valley line). A small goods yard was provided north of the station on the down side of the line and a small maltings (operated by Watney Combe & Reid in the 1960s) was also served by rail. [2]
In the 1880s, there were four main line trains each way serving Tivetshall and five trains serving the Waveney Valley line. In 1881, the GER built a timber waiting room on the up side of the station. [3]
Water troughs were installed near Tivetshall station in 1896, [4] which allowed trains to pick up water without stopping. [5] These were taken out of service in 1945, but the station had three water cranes. [6]
On 31 August 1907, Arthur Hardiment attempted to save an 18-month-old toddler from an oncoming express train. Hardiment managed to clear the toddler but was struck and injured by the engine. For this action, he was awarded the Albert Medal Second Class for gallantry, receiving his award at Windsor Castle from King Edward VII on 13 November the same year. [7]
In 1923, the operation of Tivetshall station was taken over by the London and North Eastern Railway. Some additional sidings were added during the Second World War for traffic to local airfields. [8]
Following nationalisation in 1948, the station became part of the Eastern Region of British Railways.
In the early 1950s, there were eight main line trains each way serving Tivetshall and seven trains serving the Waveney Valley line.
Passenger services on the Waveney Valley line ceased in 1953; goods services continued on the line until 1966.
1966 also saw an end to the local main line freight services in April and, with the withdrawal of the local Ipswich to Norwich passenger service, the station closed on 7 November. [9]
The signal box survived for a further twenty years but, following re-signalling and electrification of the line, this closed. At this time, the remaining station buildings were demolished, although the goods shed was still extant in 1994. [10]
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Forncett | Great Eastern Railway Great Eastern Main Line | Burston | ||
Terminus | Great Eastern Railway Waveney Valley Line | Pulham Market |
Beccles is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Suffolk. The town on the A145 and A12 roads, situated 16 miles (26 km) south-east of Norwich and 33 miles (53 km) north-northeast of Ipswich. Nearby towns include Lowestoft to the east and Great Yarmouth to the north-east. The town lies on the River Waveney on the edge of The Broads National Park.
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.
Lowestoft railway station serves the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk. It 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; it is the easternmost station on the National Rail network in the United Kingdom.
Beccles railway station is on the East Suffolk Line in the east of England, serving the town of Beccles, Suffolk. It is 40 miles 34 chains (65.1 km) down the line from Ipswich and 109 miles 11 chains (175.6 km) measured from London Liverpool Street; it is situated between Brampton and Oulton Broad South stations. Its three-letter station code is BCC.
Diss railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England, serving the market town of Diss, Norfolk. It is 94 miles 43 chains (152.1 km) down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Stowmarket to the south and Norwich to the north. It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Norwich. Its three-letter station code is DIS.
The Waveney Valley line was a branch line running from Tivetshall in Norfolk to Beccles in Suffolk connecting the Great Eastern Main Line at Tivetshall with the East Suffolk line at Beccles. It provided services to Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Ipswich and many other towns in Suffolk with additional services to London. It was named after the River Waveney which follows a similar route.
Bungay railway station was located on the now disused Waveney Valley Line which ran between Tivetshall and Beccles. The station was closed in 1953 and the buildings eventually demolished to make way for the A143 road. It was one of two stations in Suffolk on the line, which curved across the county boundary then back into Norfolk.
Lowestoft North was a railway station in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England. It was a stop on the Yarmouth-Lowestoft line, which closed in 1970. The station was located just to the east of the A12, opposite the Denes High School; a site which is now occupied by Beeching Drive.
Pulham Market was a railway station on the Waveney Valley Line in Norfolk, England. It was closed for passengers in 1953.
Pulham St Mary was a station in Pulham St Mary, Norfolk on the Waveney Valley Line which is now closed. The station has been demolished.
Harleston was a railway station in Harleston, Norfolk, on the Waveney Valley Line. It was an early post-war closure; passenger services on this line were withdrawn in 1953 with goods trains lasting until the complete closure of the line in 1966.
Homersfield was a railway station which served the village of Homersfield in Suffolk, England, although the station was located in Alburgh, across the county boundary in Norfolk. The station was part of the Waveney Valley Line.
Earsham was a railway station in Earsham, Norfolk, England. It was located on the Waveney Valley Line which connected Beccles with the Great Eastern Main Line. It opened in 1860 and closed to passengers in 1953, and to goods services in 1960. The station building was not demolished, but lay derelict for many years before being converted into a house. The platform also remains.
Yarmouth South Town, sometimes known as Yarmouth Southtown, was a railway station in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England. It was one of three major stations in the town; the others being Yarmouth Vauxhall and Yarmouth Beach, of which only the former remains.
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
Redenhall was a station in the small hamlet of Redenhall, Norfolk. It was opened in 1861 as part of the Waveney Valley Line between Tivetshall and Beccles and closed in 1866. It was close to the settlement of Harleston.
Ditchingham was a railway station in Ditchingham, Norfolk on the Waveney Valley Line. Opened on 2 March 1863, it closed to passengers along with the rest of the line in 1953.
Geldeston was a station on the Waveney Valley Line serving the village of Geldeston, Norfolk. It was operational for passenger services between 1863 and 1953, before closing completely in 1964. It was the penultimate station on the line, and the last in Norfolk as the line crossed the border into Suffolk before the junction station of Beccles. The station still exists today and can easily be found in Geldeston.
Wortwell was a station in the small hamlet of Wortwell, Norfolk. It was opened in 1855, as part of the Waveney Valley Line between Tivetshall and Beccles, and closed in 1878.
The East Suffolk line is a railway in East Anglia with a long history.