Dereham railway station

Dereham
Hauled service at Dereham station
Location
Place	East Dereham
Area	Breckland, Norfolk
Grid reference	TF993130
Operations
Original company	Norfolk Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping	London & North Eastern Railway Eastern Region of British Railways
Operated by	Great Eastern Railway (1989) Ltd. Mid-Norfolk Railway
Platforms	4
History
15 February 1847	Opened
6 October 1969	Closed to passengers
12 September 1984	Closed as a coal depot
Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom
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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.

History

The Lynn and Dereham Railway and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament's permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845,^[1] 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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.

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.^[4] 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

Dereham station - main building and canopy

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^[5], 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.

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 station.

Location	Original location	Built by	Notes	Photograph
Dereham North	Laundry Lane, Lowestoft	Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway	Crossing box for Norwich Road, Dereham. Construction commenced May 2007.
Dereham Central	Stratford Southern, London	Great Eastern Railway	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.

Trains at Dereham

• 

  Army lorry unloading at Dereham before restoration

• 

  Class 101 DMU north of Dereham station

• 

  Class 73s in Dereham yard

References

1. ^ Scrivenor, Harry (1849). The Railways of the United Kingdom Statistically Considered. Smith, Elder and Co.. p. 334. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=6jmFq73U91gC&pg=PA341&lpg=PA341&dq=norfolk+railway+act+of+parliament&source=web&ots=XMFG3o9fEW&sig=RokIOwN7YtLPtslxzOElcp7tEXQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=5&ct=result#PPA344,M1. 
2. ^ Oppitz, 1989, page 41
3. ^ MNR history of the line
4. ^ Hawkins, Chris; George Reeve (1986). Great Eastern Railway Engine Sheds. Wild Swan Publications Ltd.. p. 213. ISBN 0 906867 40 1. 
5. ^ Norfolk Orbital Railway

External links

• Map sources for Dereham railway station

Services

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
(Hoe)		Mid-Norfolk Railway		Yaxham
	Disused railways
North Elmham		British Rail Eastern Region Wymondham to Wells via East Dereham		Yaxham
Scarning		British Rail Eastern Region Lynn and Dereham Railway		Terminus

Future Services

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
North Elham		Norfolk Orbital Railway Proposed		Thuxton

Coordinates: 52°40′44″N 0°56′51″E / 52.6789°N 0.9474°E / 52.6789; 0.9474