Wherry Lines

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Wherry Lines
Berney Arms railway station 1.jpg
Berney Arms, on the Wherry Lines, is one of the remotest and least-used stations in the country
Overview
StatusOperational
Owner Network Rail
Locale East of England
Termini
Stations14
Service
Type Heavy rail
System National Rail
Services3
Operator(s) Greater Anglia
Rolling stock Class 755 "FLIRT"
Technical
Track lengthNorwich to Great Yarmouth via Acle: 18 miles 29 chains (29.6 km)
Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Reedham: 20 miles 45 chains (33.1 km)
Norwich to Lowestoft: 23 miles 41 chains (37.8 km)
Number of tracks1-2
CharacterRural line
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Operating speed60 miles per hour (97 km/h)
Wherry Lines
mi-ch
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0-00
Norwich
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River Yare
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(original course)
 
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Whitlingham
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4-66
Brundall Gardens
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5-60
Brundall
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Brundall Junction
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7-62
Buckenham
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7-78
Lingwood
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10-00
Cantley
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10-34
Acle
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12-13
Reedham
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Breydon Junction
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18-29
20-45
Great Yarmouth
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15-71
Berney Arms
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Reedham Junction
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Haddiscoe
(1847–1904)
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16-11
Haddiscoe
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Haddiscoe Junction
Yarmouth–Beccles line
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18-00
Somerleyton
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22-04
Oulton Broad North
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23-41
Lowestoft

The Wherry Lines are railway branch lines in the East of England, linking Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. There are 14 stations including the three termini. They form part of Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.11 and are classified as a rural line. [1]

Contents

The lines pass through the Broads of Norfolk and Suffolk. The name is taken from the Norfolk wherries, which played an important role in the transport of goods and people around the Broads before road and rail transport became widespread.

Passenger services on the Wherry Lines are currently operated by Abellio Greater Anglia.

History

The route was opened from Norwich to Great Yarmouth by the Norwich and Yarmouth Railway in 1844, running via Reedham. The line from Reedham to Lowestoft was added in 1847 by Samuel Morton Peto as part of the Norfolk Railway.[ citation needed ] Finally, the northern route from Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Acle was added in 1883 by the Great Eastern Railway, opening from Breydon Junction to Acle on 12 March, and through to Brundall on 1 June. [2]

Community rail

In 2007 the services operating on the line were designated as community rail services as part of the Community Rail Development Strategy aiming to increase patronage and income, improve cost control and develop a greater sense of community involvement. [3] [4]

Infrastructure

Wherry Lines.svg

The line from Norwich to Lowestoft is double-track throughout, but the two Great Yarmouth branches that diverge from Brundall via Acle and from Reedham via Berney Arms are single-track, although the branch via Acle was formerly double-track throughout.

The Wherry Lines are not electrified, hence services are formed by Bi-mode multiple units. The route has a loading gauge of W8, except between Lowestoft and Oulton Broad North where it is W6, and a maximum line speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

Of the 14 stations, two are lightly served. These are Berney Arms, which typically sees four trains call on weekdays and Saturdays (eight on Sundays), and Buckenham, which sees two trains call on weekdays and Saturdays(thirteen on Sundays). At most of the stations on the Wherry Lines, service frequencies are increased during the summer months.

The signalling system was modernised in 2018–19. The line between Reedham and Great Yarmouth was closed from 20 October 2018 and was scheduled to open again in April 2019. Network Rail a bus replacement service was available during the works [5] In January 2019, it was reported that the project was overrunning and that the line between Reedham and Great Yarmouth would not reopen in April 2019 as scheduled. No firm date was initially given as to when the line would reopen. [6] The Great Yarmouth-Reedham line reopened on 24 February 2020. [7]

Current Rolling stock

Passenger services are operated by Abellio Greater Anglia, typically using Class 755 trains.

Past Rolling stock

In 2015 the train operator introduced DRS Class 37 locomotive-hauled services due to a shortage of rolling stock as the route is not electrified. These ceased following the introduction of the 755s in 2019.

On Mondays to Saturdays, one service in each direction between Norwich and Lowestoft is served by East Midlands Railway Class 158 Express Sprinter units, operated by Greater Anglia. The service runs in the early morning on both journeys. [8]

Nearly all services on the line run to and from Norwich. Some summer Saturday services were extended to and from London Liverpool Street via Norwich which ran to and from Great Yarmouth. These services were formed of British Rail Class 90 electric locomotives with Mark 3 Coaching Stock, which were hauled from Norwich by a British Rail Class 47 diesel locomotive. The services have now ceased favouring connections with existing local services, due to the complexity of the coupling and uncoupling and other issues which led to poor reliability of the mainline operation.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Express East Anglia</span> Former East Anglian train operating company

National Express East Anglia (NXEA) was a train operating company in England owned by National Express that operated the Greater Anglia franchise from April 2004 until February 2012. Originally trading as One, it was rebranded National Express East Anglia in February 2008. It provided local, suburban and express services from London Liverpool Street to destinations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk in the East of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berney Arms railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Berney Arms railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the East of England, serving the settlement of Berney Arms on the Halvergate Marshes in Norfolk. It is located 15 miles 71 chains (25.6 km) east of Norwich and is the only station on a short stretch of single line between Reedham and Great Yarmouth. The station is managed by Greater Anglia, which also operates all trains serving it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reedham railway station (Norfolk)</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Reedham railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the East of England, serving the village of Reedham, Norfolk. It is 12 miles 13 chains (19.6 km) down the line from Norwich and is situated between Cantley to the west and, to the east, Berney Arms on the Great Yarmouth branch or Haddiscoe on the Lowestoft branch. It is commonly suffixed as Reedham (Norfolk) in order to distinguish it from the station of the same name in south London. Its three-letter station code is REE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Yarmouth railway station</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acle railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Acle railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the east of England, serving the town of Acle, Norfolk. It is 10 miles 34 chains (16.8 km) down the line from Norwich on the route to Great Yarmouth. Its three-letter station code is ACL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwich railway station</span> Railway station in Norwich, England

Norwich railway station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England, serving the city of Norwich, Norfolk. It is 114 miles 77 chains (185.0 km) down the main line from London Liverpool Street, the western terminus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantley railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Cantley railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the East of England, serving the village of Cantley, Norfolk. It is 10 miles (16 km) down the line from Norwich on the routes to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth and is situated between Buckenham and Reedham. Its three-letter station code is CNY.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowestoft railway station</span> Railway station in Suffolk, England

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buckenham railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Buckenham railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the east of England, serving the village of Buckenham in Norfolk. It is 7 miles 62 chains (12.5 km) down the line from Norwich on the routes to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth and is situated between Brundall and Cantley. Its three-letter station code is BUC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lingwood railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Lingwood railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the east of England, serving the village of Lingwood, Norfolk. It is 7 miles 78 chains (12.8 km) down the line from Norwich on the route to Great Yarmouth and is situated between Brundall and Acle. Its three-letter station code is LGD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brundall railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Brundall railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the east of England, serving the village of Brundall, Norfolk. It is 5 miles 60 chains (9.3 km) down the line from Norwich on the route to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Its three-letter station code is BDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brundall Gardens railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Brundall Gardens railway station is on the Wherry Lines in the East of England, serving the western side of the village of Brundall, Norfolk. It is 4 miles 66 chains (7.8 km) down the line from Norwich on the routes to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Its three-letter station code is BGA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haddiscoe railway station</span> Railway station in Norfolk, England

Haddiscoe railway station is on the Wherry Lines in Norfolk, England, named after the village of Haddiscoe, some 2 miles (3.2 km) distant, although the village of St Olaves on the other side of the River Waveney is closer. It is 16 miles 11 chains (26 km) down the line from Norwich on the route to Lowestoft and is situated between Reedham and Somerleyton. Its three-letter station code is HAD.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarmouth & Norwich Railway</span>

The Yarmouth & Norwich Railway (Y&NR) was the earliest railway in Norfolk, England. It was formed after it became apparent that it would be a number of years before the Eastern Counties Railway would extend their railway into Norfolk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Railway</span> Railway company in Norfolk, England operating from 1845 to 1862

The Norfolk Railway was an early railway company that controlled a network of 94 miles around Norwich, England. It was formed in 1845 by the amalgamation of the Yarmouth and Norwich Railway opened in 1844, and the Norwich and Brandon Railway, not yet opened. These lines were built out of frustration that the Eastern Counties Railway line that was expected to connect Norwich to London failed to be completed. The Norfolk Railway also leased the Lowestoft Railway and Harbour company, and built a branch to Dereham and Fakenham, opened in 1846 and 1849 respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brundall signal box</span>

Brundall signal box is a Grade II listed former Great Eastern Railway signal box on Brundall railway station in Norfolk, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Rail Class 755</span> Electro-diesel multiple unit train

The British Rail Class 755 FLIRT is a class of bi-mode multiple unit passenger train built by Stadler Rail for Greater Anglia. Part of the FLIRT modular train family, the trains first entered service on 29 July 2019 and are used on regional and local services throughout East Anglia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Network Norwich</span> Bus service

Network Norwich is the brand name given to First Norfolk & Suffolk bus services in and around the city of Norwich. First launched in September 2012, the network now consists of nine colour-coded lines extending across Norwich city centre, outer suburbs, and surrounding towns and villages across Norfolk and into Suffolk.

References

  1. "Route 7 – Great Eastern" (PDF). Network Rail . Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  2. Railway Centenary. Locomotive, Railway Carriage and Wagon Review. 1925. p. 17.
  3. "Community rail – new life for local lines". Department for Transport.
  4. "Community Rail Development Strategy". Department for Transport.
  5. Matchett, Conot (4 September 2018). "No trains between Great Yarmouth and Reedham for six months as part of £68m upgrade". Eastern Daily Press. Archant Media Ltd. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  6. "Norfolk rail line to remain closed as £68m upgrade project overruns". BBC News Online. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  7. "Trains temporarily suspended from station - hours after line reopens following 18-month closure". Eastern Daily Press. Archant. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  8. "Frequently Requested Diagrams Thread".