Norfolk Orbital Railway

Planned Norfolk Orbital Railway

Legend Cromer Beach To Norwich via Bittern Line West Runton Sheringham Occasional use level crossing over Station Road Sheringham (NNR) Weybourne (NNR) Kelling Heath Halt (NNR) Holt (High Kelling) (NNR) Holt Melton Constable Thursford Fakenham Ryburgh County School MNR North Elmham (MNR) Dereham (MNR) Yaxham (MNR) Thuxton (MNR) Hardingham (MNR) Kimberley Park (MNR) Wymondham Abbey (MNR) Wymondham Breckland Line

The Norfolk Orbital Railway — as the Holt, Melton Constable and Fakenham Railway Company — is a community railway project in Norfolk, England, to investigate and with others put in place a cohesive public transport structure for all who live and work in Norfolk as well as visitors.

The proposed line would link stations at Sheringham and Wymondham on the national rail network by using tracks of the two standard gauge heritage railways in the county, and restoring the former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line between Holt and Fakenham, creating a circular route which could be used by passenger services.

The heritage lines affected are Mid-Norfolk Railway and the North Norfolk Railway. The route would include stations on both of these lines.

History

The line from Fakenham to Melton Constable was part of the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway's main line from Peterborough to Great Yarmouth. The line from Melton Constable to Holt was part of the M&GN branch line to Cromer.

The main line closed to passengers in February 1959. The branch line remained open, operated as part of the line from Norwich Thorpe, when it was cut back to Sheringham in 1964.

Line status

Salhouse on the double track Network Rail section.

The line from Norwich to Sheringham is part of the National Rail network, marketed as the "Bittern Line". The line from Sheringham to Holt is operated as the North Norfolk Railway. Since March 2010 the two lines have been connected by a "periodic use" level crossing.

The trackbed through Holt, and the original station site, have been used to construct the town's bypass. The trackbed is then mostly clear as far as Melton Constable, although a couple of small homes have been built on the line and some of the formation has been lost to agriculture.

The station site at Melton Constable has been lost to an industrial estate, the platform site now the town's telephone exchange. The station throat, formerly a deep cutting, has been filled and restored to agriculture.

After reversing at Melton, the trackbed is mostly intact as far as Thursford, where it has been lost under a road for a short distance. Close to Fakenham, the formation was affected by quarrying and is now a track through Pensthorpe wildfowl preserve. A diversionary route would avoid this section.

The former Great Eastern branch from Fakenham to County School forms part of the future route of the Mid-Norfolk Railway. It is mostly intact, although the line is blocked at Great Ryburgh by an extension to the town's maltings. The trackbed from County School to Fakenham is in the last stages of protection; this also includes a short M&GNJR spur to the Fakenham gas works. The line from County School to Dereham retains most of its track and is owned by the MNR. The line from Dereham to Wymondham has been restored to passenger standards and carries the heritage services of the MNR.

The final section of line is part of the National Rail line between Ely and Norwich.

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  Norwich section.
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  Track renewal on the single track Network Rail section.
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  Sheringham's Network Rail terminus.
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  Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway.
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  The Holt terminus of the North Norfolk Railway facing Melton Constable.
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  County School on the Mid-Norfolk Railway facing Norwich.
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  Hardingham station, facing Norwich.
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  Wymondham, Network Rail, facing Norwich.

Rolling stock

The company does not plan to own rolling stock. The track would be operated by existing companies.

The Sheringham link

After 36 years the Bittern line has been relinked to the North Norfolk Railway via an "occasional use" link between the Network Rail station and the North Norfolk Railway's tracks. Although the length of the link is only a few yards the agreement represents a step towards a permanent link and new interchange station. This link is initially available for occasional use (such as charter trains from Norwich and/or London) and for delivery of rolling stock. The crossing was opened on March 11, 2010, after two months of work.^[1]

References

1. ^ BBC News Article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8518000/8518548.stm

MGNJR Line
Legend Cromer Beach To Norwich West Runton Sheringham Weybourne Kelling Heath Halt Built as NNR Station Holt, (High Kelling) Built as NNR Station Holt Old Railway Station Closed in 1964 To Norwich City and Great Yarmouth Melton Constable Closed in 1964 Thursford Closed in 1959 Wells-On-Sea to Wymondham Fakenham West Closed in 1959

GER Line

Legend Wells Harbour Wells-on-Sea Closed in 1964 WNJnR (to Holkham) Wighton Halt Closed in 1964 Walsingham Closed in 1964 Fakenham East Closed in 1964 MGNJR Line Ryburgh Closed in 1964 To Wroxham County School Closed in 1964 North Elmham Closed in 1964 Dereham Closed in 1969 To King's Lynn Yaxham Closed in 1969 Thuxton Closed in 1969 Hardingham Closed in 1969 Kimberley Park Closed in 1969 Wymondham Abbey Built as MNR Station Wymondham

External links and references

• Norfolk Orbital Railway Website
• BBC4 TV Beeching's Tracks-East