Whitlingham railway station

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Whitlingham
Train tour to Holt - geograph.org.uk - 1824127.jpg
Viewed from the station footbridge towards Norwich
General information
Location Whitlingham, South Norfolk
England
Grid reference TG267082
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Pre-grouping Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
Eastern Region of British Railways
Key dates
20 October 1874Opened
19 September 1955 [1] Closed to passengers
13 July 1964Closed to freight

Whitlingham was a station in Whitlingham, Norfolk. [2] The simple station has been demolished leaving no trace of its existence. The metal lattice-work footbridge over the railway at Whitlingham is still in use and dated 1874, the year Whitlingham station was opened.

On 10 September 1874, one month before the station opened in October 1874, only a few metres west of the platform which was probably very close to completion, a terrible collision to place at night between a mail train coming from Great Yarmouth and the London-Norwich-Great Yarmouth passenger express on the single track. Both trains were travelling toward each other at speed. Nineteen people died, and over 70 were injured. It became known as `The Thorpe Railway Disaster` but it is properly located at Whitlingham. Whitlingham Lane, leading to the station, was improved for construction and future passengers and goods, and was the closest access to the accident. This can be seen in the photo below, in fact the train in that photograph is almost exactly where the collision took place, the scene can be readily imagined.

A Court of Enquiry in Norwich on 12 September 1874 found that either due to mistake or negligence the express had been allowed to depart Norwich on a track which was then single as far as Brundall station where the track was double and two trains could pass. There was telegraph communication between the stations but the Great Eastern Railway staff at Norwich and Brundall stations released both trains onto the single track on the mistaken assumption that each train would be the only one on the line. The Brundall staff released the mail train believing it would arrive in Norwich before the express departed. The Norwich staff gave differing explanations but failed to consider the situation carefully enough.

Following this, a national system of requiring a `tag` to be carried on the train and logged at stations on single sections of track was set up to prevent a re-occurrence.

Just east (away from Norwich and not in the photo) of the footbridge is the junction where services to Sheringham split from services to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

Former Services
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Norwich Thorpe
Line and station open
  Great Eastern Railway   Salhouse
Line and station open
Trowse
Line and station closed
   Brundall Gardens
Line and station open

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References

  1. Quick, M. E. (2002). Railway passenger stations in England, Scotland and Wales – a chronology. Richmond: Railway and Canal Historical Society. p. 455. OCLC   931112387.
  2. British Railways Atlas.1947. p.18

§ Report of The Court of Inquiry, by Order of The Board of Trade, C 1147, HMSO 1874

Coordinates: 52°37′31″N1°20′52″E / 52.6254°N 1.3477°E / 52.6254; 1.3477