Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway
Branch line in western Norfolk, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway was a branch line in western Norfolk, England.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | King's Lynn and West Norfolk |
| Dates of operation | 1882–1898 |
| Successor | Great Eastern Railway |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 7 miles (11 km) |
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History
| Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway Act 1879 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act for authorising the construction of a Railway from the Ely and Lynn Branch of the Great Eastern Railway to Stoke Ferry; and for other purposes. |
| Citation | 42 & 43 Vict. c. clxxxviii |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 24 July 1879 |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway (D&SF) was just over 7 miles (11 km) long.[1] It was authorised by the Downham and Stoke Ferry Railway Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict. c. clxxxviii) on 24 July 1879, and opened on 1 August 1882, being worked by the Great Eastern Railway (GER).[1] It ran from a junction with the GER at Denver (to the south of Downham), to a terminus at Stoke Ferry.[2] There were two intermediate stations: Ryston and Abbey (latterly known as Abbey and West Dereham).[3]
Ownership changes
On 6 August 1897 the Great Eastern Railway (General Powers) Act 1897 (60 & 61 Vict. c. xcv) authorised the GER to absorb the D&SF, which they did on 1 January 1898.[1] Being part of the GER, the line passed to the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at the Grouping on 1 January 1923.[4]
When the railways were nationalised in 1948 operation of the line became the responsibility of British Railways Eastern Region.
Closure
The LNER withdrew the passenger service on 22 September 1930.[1]
Freight services were withdrawn from:
- Denver (13 July 1964)
- Ryston (28 December 1964)
- Abbey (31 January 1966) and
- Stoke Ferry (19 July 1965).[5][6]
The section between Abbey and Stoke Ferry was abandoned in 1965 but traffic continued to the Wissington Light Railway until 1982.
Wissington Light Railway
At Abbey and West Dereham, a privately owned line, the Wissington Light Railway, branched off. It opened c. 1905, mostly closed in 1957,[7] and finally closed in 1982.[8]
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