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Breckland Line
Template:Px
Overview
TypeHeavy rail
LocaleCambridgeshire, Suffolk, Norfolk
Operation
Opened1845
OwnerNetwork Rail
Operator(s)CrossCountry
East Midlands Trains
Greater Anglia
Rolling stockClass 158
Class 170
Technical
Track gauge{{#switch:sg
|3mm=3 mm (0.118 in)
|4mm=4 mm (0.157 in)
|4.5mm=4.5 mm (0.177 in)
|4.8mm=4.8 mm (0.189 in)
|6.5mm=6.5 mm (0.256 in)
|6.53mm=6.53 mm (0.257 in)
|8mm=8 mm (0.315 in)
|8.97mm=8.97 mm (0.353 in)
|9mm=9 mm (0.354 in)
|9.42mm=9.42 mm (0.371 in)
|10.5mm=10.5 mm (0.413 in)
|11.94mm=11.94 mm (0.470 in)
|12mm=12 mm (0.472 in)
|12.7mm=12.7 mm (0.5 in)
|13mm=13 mm (0.512 in)
|13.5mm=13.5 mm (0.531 in)
|14mm=14 mm (0.551 in)
|14.125mm=14.125 mm (0.556 in)
|14.2mm=14.2 mm (0.559 in)
|14.28mm=14.28 mm (0.562 in)
|14.3mm=14.3 mm (0.563 in)
|15.76mm=15.76 mm (0.620 in)
Loading gaugeW10
Electrification25 kV AC (between Cambridge and Ely)
Operating speed75-90mph
Route map

File:BLmap.png

Template:Breckland Line

The Breckland Line runs from Cambridge in Cambridgeshire to Norwich in Norfolk, in East Anglia, England. It is so called because it runs through the Breckland region of Norfolk. The line also passes through Thetford Forest. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.09 and part of SRS 05.05. It is classified as a secondary line except between Ely and Cambridge which is classified as London and South East commuter line.[1]

File:Locomotive70013OliverCromwellHethersett11March2010.jpg

Preserved British_Railways Standard 7MT 70013 Oliver Cromwell at speed heading down the Ely-Norwich line near Hethersett on 11 March 2010 hauling a special train bound for the North Norfolk Railway.

History[]

The Norwich & Brandon Railway was incorporated in 1844 and backed by George & Robert Stephenson. It was opened as the Norfolk Railway on the 30th July 1845 and Eastern Counties Railway opened a route from Cambridge via Ely to Brandon on the same day.[2]

Infrastructure[]

The line is double track throughout but is only electrified between Cambridge and Ely, at 25 kV AC. It has a loading gauge of W8 except for the section connecting the Ipswich to Ely Line to the Ely to Peterborough Line which is W10, and has a line speed of between 80-105 mph.[1]

Until 2012 the line had very historic feel to it, with its well preserved stations, semaphore signalling and prior to Spring 2009 lineside telegraph poles, along with sections of jointed rail on wooden sleepers (gradually being replaced with many sections now cleared for 90 mph running, with 100 mph being feasible).

However, the two stage Ely-Norwich resignalling in August & December 2012 has meant closure of the nine local mechanical signal boxes and removal of the 7 sets of hand operated wooden gates at level crossings. Cambridge signal box now controls the modern electronic interlockings which operate the lightweight LED signals. The level crossing have been automated and are provided with full barriers and red flashing road lights.

Route[]

The towns and villages served by the route are listed below (Ordnance Survey grid references for stations):

Places Grid references
Norwich Template:Gbmappingsmall
Wymondham Template:Gbmappingsmall
Spooner Row Template:Gbmappingsmall
Attleborough Template:Gbmappingsmall
Quidenham (Eccles Road) Template:Gbmappingsmall
East Harling (Harling Road) Template:Gbmappingsmall
Thetford Template:Gbmappingsmall
Brandon Template:Gbmappingsmall
Lakenheath Template:Gbmappingsmall
Shippea Hill Template:Gbmappingsmall
Ely Template:Gbmappingsmall
Cambridge Template:Gbmappingsmall

Services[]

Some of the stations it serves see just one stopping train in each direction per day, mostly in the Norwich direction in the morning and from Norwich in the evening.

Passenger services are operated by several operators.

  • Greater Anglia operate an hourly service between Cambridge and Norwich using Class 755 FLIRT units..
  • East Midlands Trains operate services between Ely and Norwich, as part of the Norwich-Liverpool route. Services are operated by Class 158 diesel multiple units.
  • CrossCountry operate services between Ely and Cambridge as part of the Birmingham New Street-Stansted Airport route. Services are operated by Class 170 diesel multiple units.
  • Great Northern operate services between Cambridge and Ely as part of their Fen Line service to King's Lynn. Services are usually operated by Class 387 electrical multiple units.

The line between Cambridge and Ely, part of the Fen Line to King's Lynn, is electrified at 25 kV AC, using overhead wires. The rest of the route between Ely and Norwich is not electrified, other than the final section into Norwich station, after joining with the electrified line from London.


References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Route 5 - West Anglia. Network Rail. Retrieved on 2009-05-22.
  2. Station history. Wymondham Station. Retrieved on 2009-05-04.

Template:Railway lines in the East of England

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