Dereham railway station
Encyclopedia
Dereham railway station is a railway station in the town of Dereham in the English
county of Norfolk
. The station is served by heritage services on the Mid-Norfolk Railway
from Dereham to Wymondham
.
and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament's permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845, at the height of the so-called "Railway Mania
", when railways were being built across the whole country. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on the 15 February 1847; the line from King's Lynn
had to wait until 11 September 1848.
The King's Lynn line was originally operated by the Lynn & Dereham Railway, but in 1848 the Eastern Counties Railway
leased the Norfolk Railway the line was absorbed. In 1857 the line between Dereham and Wells
opened. The entire line became part of the Great Eastern Railway
in 1862.
The station was built in stages, being expanded over several decades. It is provided with four platforms, with platforms 2 and 3 being set back to back. Platform 4 is a short bay platform and was originally dedicated for trains heading towards King's Lynn
.
Beeching's report
intended to retain the Kings Lynn - Dereham - Norwich line for express trains and freight: the local stations (that is all but Dereham and Swaffham) however,were recommended for closure in the report. Despite Beeching's intentions, the line from Kings Lynn was closed in 1967, leaving a Dereham - Norwich service. After withdrawal of this remaining service in 1969 the station building was gutted and used as a showroom.
The building was later gutted in a serious fire. The exterior of the building has since been restored and the interior replaced, with the building reopening to the public in December 2005.
Dereham depot was closed as a steam shed on 19 September 1955 - when DMU stock was introduced to the line. The shed was used to stable DMU stock until 1 September 1968. The shed was later demolished, and the site used for the construction of a rail-served fertilizer depot. This has since been demolished, and the site is now the Dereham Leisure Centre.
Most services from Dereham are operated by the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust. Although regular National Rail passenger services do not operate from the station this has been proposed for the future as part of the wider Norfolk Orbital Railway scheme, and the station presently serves periodically as a National Rail freight terminal and charter destination.
The goods shed is used for restoration and storage at the moment. The Great Eastern Railway stables are unique but derelict. It is hoped a grant can be obtained in the future for restoration of this building.
The footbridge formerly at Whittlesford station was delivered to Dereham in July 2010, where it is intended to serve as a replacement to the demolished original structure.
.
Future Services
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. The station is served by heritage services on the Mid-Norfolk Railway
Mid-Norfolk Railway
The Mid-Norfolk Railway or MNR is a heritage railway in the English county of Norfolk. Opening as a tourist line in 1997, it is often referred to as a "New Generation" heritage railway....
from Dereham to Wymondham
Wymondham
Wymondham is a historic market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. It lies 9.5 miles to the south west of the city of Norwich, on the A11 road to Thetford and London.- Before The Great Fire :...
.
History
The Lynn and Dereham RailwayLynn and Dereham Railway
The Lynn and Dereham Railway was a standard gauge single track railway running between King's Lynn and Dereham in the English county of Norfolk...
and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament's permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845, at the height of the so-called "Railway Mania
Railway Mania
The Railway Mania was an instance of speculative frenzy in Britain in the 1840s. It followed a common pattern: as the price of railway shares increased, more and more money was poured in by speculators, until the inevitable collapse...
", when railways were being built across the whole country. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on the 15 February 1847; the line from King's Lynn
King's Lynn
King's Lynn is a sea port and market town in the ceremonial county of Norfolk in the East of England. It is situated north of London and west of Norwich. The population of the town is 42,800....
had to wait until 11 September 1848.
The King's Lynn line was originally operated by the Lynn & Dereham Railway, but in 1848 the Eastern Counties Railway
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
leased the Norfolk Railway the line was absorbed. In 1857 the line between Dereham and Wells
Wells-On-Sea railway station
Wells-next-the-Sea railway station served the small seaside port of Wells-next-the-Sea in North Norfolk, England. It was opened in 1857 by the Wells & Fakenham Railway, later part of the Great Eastern Railway's Wymondham to Wells branch, and became a junction in 1866 with the arrival of the West...
opened. The entire line became part of the Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
in 1862.
The station was built in stages, being expanded over several decades. It is provided with four platforms, with platforms 2 and 3 being set back to back. Platform 4 is a short bay platform and was originally dedicated for trains heading towards King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
.
Beeching's report
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
intended to retain the Kings Lynn - Dereham - Norwich line for express trains and freight: the local stations (that is all but Dereham and Swaffham) however,were recommended for closure in the report. Despite Beeching's intentions, the line from Kings Lynn was closed in 1967, leaving a Dereham - Norwich service. After withdrawal of this remaining service in 1969 the station building was gutted and used as a showroom.
The building was later gutted in a serious fire. The exterior of the building has since been restored and the interior replaced, with the building reopening to the public in December 2005.
Locomotive depot
By 1880 Dereham boasted a two road wooden locomotive shed and a 45 foot turntable believed to have dated from the late 1860s and known to have replaced an earlier structure. The depot operated as an outstation of Norwich. In 1888 three locomotives were based at the depot. In 1926 the engine shed was rebuilt in brick.Dereham depot was closed as a steam shed on 19 September 1955 - when DMU stock was introduced to the line. The shed was used to stable DMU stock until 1 September 1968. The shed was later demolished, and the site used for the construction of a rail-served fertilizer depot. This has since been demolished, and the site is now the Dereham Leisure Centre.
Present day
The goods shed is used for restoration and storage at the moment. The Great Eastern Railway stables are unique but derelict. It is hoped a grant can be obtained in the future for restoration of this building.
The footbridge formerly at Whittlesford station was delivered to Dereham in July 2010, where it is intended to serve as a replacement to the demolished original structure.
Signal boxes
Although the original four signal boxes at Dereham have been demolished, two of the boxes have been rebuilt since the preservation of the site. The original Dereham North box is preserved at the former Hindolveston railway stationHindolveston railway station
Hindolvestone railway station was in North Norfolk, England. It was part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway branch from Melton Constable to Norwich. It closed in 1959. It served the small village of Hindolveston...
.
| Location | Original location | Built by | Notes | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dereham North | Laundry Lane, Lowestoft Lowestoft Lowestoft is a town in the English county of Suffolk. The town is on the North Sea coast and is the most easterly point of the United Kingdom. It is north-east of London, north-east of Ipswich and south-east of Norwich... |
Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway The Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway was a British joint railway company.The NSJR was owned by the Great Eastern Railway and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway and consisted of two distinct sections: a line between North Walsham and Cromer via Mundesley, and a coastal section running... |
Crossing box for Norwich Road, Dereham. Construction commenced May 2007. |  |
| Dereham Central | Stratford Stratford station Stratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in... Southern, London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
Great Eastern Railway Great Eastern Railway The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia... |
As Stratford Southern, this box was originally supported on legs, allowing a siding to pass underneath. It has been rebuilt in a more conventional manner. Will serve as the main station box when completed. |  |