Shippea Hill railway station
Encyclopedia
Shippea Hill is a railway station in the county of Cambridgeshire
, England
. It was opened in 1845 as Mildenhall Road. In 1885, its name was changed to Burnt Fen
, and finally in about 1904 to Shippea Hill.
Shippea Hill is situated on the line between Ely
and Norwich
. According to 2003 Strategic Rail Authority
figures, Shippea Hill was (and remains) one of the least-used railway stations in Great Britain
with at one point just eleven passengers a year. Passenger figures saw an increase on the 2004–05 report with 37 tickets being sold that either originated or exited the network at Shippea Hill. A surprising rally saw passenger usage increase seventyfold in 2007-2008 from the low of 2004.
Situated some distance away from any substantial settlement (although not many miles from Mildenhall
) in a totally flat fen
landscape, Shippea Hill in fact has no hill
.
Despite not being within walking distance of any large settlement, most of the station's car park was closed and sold off after the Privatisation of British Rail
.
The level crossing adjacent to Shippea Hill Railway Station is not automated; the gates are opened and closed manually by Network Rail staff.
Eastbound services go to Norwich
and operate at 07:23 Monday-Saturday. Westbound services go to Cambridge
and operate at 19:28 on Saturday only.
All services stop on request only, and there is no Sunday Service.
Despite the sparse service, Shippea Hill has seen a substantial increase in the number of passengers and is no longer one of the least used stations on the national network.
Cambridgeshire
Cambridgeshire is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west...
, England
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...
. It was opened in 1845 as Mildenhall Road. In 1885, its name was changed to Burnt Fen
Burnt Fen
Burnt Fen is an area of low-lying land crossed by the A1101 road between Littleport in Cambridgeshire and Mildenhall in Suffolk, England. It is surrounded on three sides by rivers, and consists of prime agricultural land, with sparse settlement...
, and finally in about 1904 to Shippea Hill.
Shippea Hill is situated on the line between Ely
Ely railway station
Ely railway station serves the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. The station lies on the Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
and Norwich
Norwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
. According to 2003 Strategic Rail Authority
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
figures, Shippea Hill was (and remains) one of the least-used railway stations in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
with at one point just eleven passengers a year. Passenger figures saw an increase on the 2004–05 report with 37 tickets being sold that either originated or exited the network at Shippea Hill. A surprising rally saw passenger usage increase seventyfold in 2007-2008 from the low of 2004.
Situated some distance away from any substantial settlement (although not many miles from Mildenhall
Mildenhall, Suffolk
Mildenhall is a small market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is run by Forest Heath District Council and has a population of 9,906 people. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of county town, Ipswich. The large Royal Air Force base, RAF Mildenhall as well as RAF...
) in a totally flat fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
landscape, Shippea Hill in fact has no hill
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
.
Despite not being within walking distance of any large settlement, most of the station's car park was closed and sold off after the Privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
.
The level crossing adjacent to Shippea Hill Railway Station is not automated; the gates are opened and closed manually by Network Rail staff.
History
The station became infamous on 3 December 1976 when, at about 16.00, a passenger train collided with a lorry carrying carrots on an unmanned level crossing. The engine driver Robert (Bob) Hitcham was killed and several passengers were injured.Services
Shippea Hill is currently served by one train per day Monday-Friday and two trains per day on Saturday.Eastbound services go to Norwich
Norwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
and operate at 07:23 Monday-Saturday. Westbound services go to Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
and operate at 19:28 on Saturday only.
All services stop on request only, and there is no Sunday Service.
Despite the sparse service, Shippea Hill has seen a substantial increase in the number of passengers and is no longer one of the least used stations on the national network.