Mid-Norfolk Railway
Locale	England
Connections	Network Rail (at Wymondham South Junction)
Commercial operations
Name	The Mid-Norfolk Railway
Built by	Samuel Morton Peto
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated by	Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust
Stations	5
Length	17 miles 40 chains (28.2 km)[1][2][3] 15 mi (24 km) operational
Preserved gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Commercial history
Opened	1845
Closed to passengers	6 October 1969
Closed	Between 1980 and 1989
Preservation history
1974	Wymondham, Dereham and Fakenham Rail Action Committee formed
1978	Fakenham & Dereham Society formed
1995	Dereham Rash's Green to Yaxham re-opens to passengers
1997	Dereham railway station re-opens to passengers
1998	Dereham to Wymondham section re-opens to goods
1999	Dereham to Wymondham section re-opens to passengers
2013	First passenger train to Hoe
2018	First passenger train to Worthing
Headquarters	Dereham
Website
www.midnorfolkrailway.co.uk

The Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) is a 17+1⁄2 miles (28.2 km) preserved standard gauge heritage railway, one of the longest in Great Britain.^[4] Preservation efforts began in 1974, but the line re-opened to passengers only in the mid-1990s as part of the "new generation" of heritage railways.^[5] The MNR owns and operates most of the former Wymondham-Fakenham branch line of the Norfolk Railway. The branch opened in 1847, was closed to passengers in stages from 1964 to 1969 as part of the Beeching cuts, and was finally fully closed to goods traffic in 1989. (The northern section of this line, to Wells, was built by the Wells and Fakenham Railway and part of this has been operated by the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway since 1982.)

Regular steam and diesel services run 11+1⁄2 miles (18.5 km) through the centre of Norfolk between the market towns of Wymondham and Dereham via Yaxham, Thuxton and Kimberley Park, and occasional sightseer services continue north of Dereham passing the nearby village of Hoe, where there is no station, to the limit of the operational line at Worthing.^[6][7] The line is periodically used for commercial freight operations and staff instruction for mainline railway companies.^[8][9] The company owns the line to a point just beyond County School railway station, which will make it the third longest heritage railway in England once restoration is complete.

The MNR is owned and operated by the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust (MNRPT, a charitable company limited by guarantee^[10]), and is mostly operated and staffed by volunteers. The railway is listed as exempt from the UK Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2000.^[11]

History

Route history

The Wymondham to Wells branch was opened in stages between 15 February 1847 and 1857,^[13] after Parliamentary consent was given in 1845.^[14] The entire line became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.^[15] The Wymondham to Dereham section received double track in 1882,^[16] while the line north of there remained single track.

Along with the rest of the Great Eastern Railway, the branch became part of the Southern Area of the London and North Eastern Railway when the various British railway companies were grouped into four large companies in 1923.^[17] The line was heavily used during World War I and World War II, with extra Air Ministry sidings provided at Dereham in 1943.^[18] In the early days of the war, Dereham was used as a reception centre for the construction materials used to build the local airfields.

The nationalisation of the "Big Four" railway companies placed the line as part of the Eastern Region of British Railways on 1 January 1948. The branch line between County School and Wroxham closed to passengers on 15 September 1952, with the section between Foulsham and Reepham closing to goods as well. A stub of the western section, between County School and Foulsham remained open for goods until 31 October 1964,^[19] being busiest in the sugar beet season.^[20]

The passenger service between Dereham and Wells ended on 5 October 1964.^[21] Dereham became an intermediate station for Norwich to King's Lynn services. In June 1965, the Wymondham to Dereham section was reduced to single track with a passing loop at Hardingham. The passenger service from King's Lynn ended on 9 September 1968,^[22] with the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society operating the 'East Anglian Branch Line Farewell' DMU special on the final Saturday.^[23] The withdrawal of the remaining passenger services, between Wymondham and Dereham, followed in October 1969.^[24]

Goods traffic continued after the passenger closure. The 1973 oil crisis led to a meeting being held at Dereham in 1974 by the Railway Development Society in order to petition for the restoration of passenger services between Wymondham and Fakenham. British Rail gave a price of £247,000 for such a restoration, but this proposal was rejected by Norfolk County Council. This meeting resulted in the formation of the Wymondham, Dereham and Fakenham Railway Action Committee.^[25]

In 1977 the Wymondham, Dereham and Fakenham Railway Action Committee presented the Norfolk County Chief Planning Officer with a report putting the case for restoring rail passenger services between Norwich, Dereham and Fakenham East.^[26] Services over the line ceased in June 1989.^[27]

Preservation

Fakenham and Dereham Railway Society

Fakenham & Dereham Railway Society (F&DRS), a forerunner of the MNR, was formed in 1978. The 1980 constitution of the society included its aim:

2a The aim of the organisation is to preserve the existing railway line between Wymondham and Fakenham in as far as near as practicable its original form on 1 January 1980. To ultimately, if at all possible, encourage extension of the line beyond that as on 1 January 1980. b To encourage use of the railway line between Wymondham and Dereham by freight and passengers. To assist the Fakenham and Dereham Railway Company Limited or any other Company involved in railway preservation.

In 1980 the F&DRS attempted to preserve the Ryburgh to Fakenham section of line failed, and the society instead leased Hardingham station in 1983. The small heritage centre had track re-laid in the former goods yard, and acquired a Ruston 0-4-0 diesel locomotive. The centre was commercially unsuccessful, forcing the society to leave the site—which was auctioned in 1986—and move to a temporary location at Yaxham station.^[25]

In 1987 Breckland District Council bought the station at County School, and granted the F&DRS a 999-year lease, inviting the society to re-lay track and relocate to the site.^[28] The intention was to re-connect the station with British Rail's railhead at North Elmham to connect with charter trains operating over the branch. This plan was abandoned when the complete closure of the line from June 1989 was announced.^[25]

Mid-Norfolk Railway Society and Great Eastern Railway (1989) Ltd.

In response to the approaching closure of the entire branch between Wymondham, Dereham and North Elmham, the Great Eastern Railway (1989) Limited formed to save the line. The F&DRS backed this scheme, and signed its lease of County School station over to the company. The society, renamed the Mid-Norfolk Railway Society in 1990,^[29] continued to provide financial backing and manpower for the development of the County School site. The running line was extended over 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) towards North Elmham, and a collection of rolling stock was built up. The first passenger train, a Mk2 brake coach converted to work as a DBSO with an industrial diesel locomotive, operated at the County School site on 2 November 1991.^[30]

On 21 April 1990 the constitution of the organisation amended the aims of the society:

2. The aim of the organisation is to assist the Fakenham & Dereham Railway Company Ltd in its efforts to reopen and preserve the railway between Fakenham and Dereham. Also to support and assist any other company or organisation that actively reopens and preserves the railway line between Wymondham, Dereham and County School.

In 1991 the managing director of the GER (1989) Ltd. stated that he had raised much of the required finance and that the company intended to provide a regular passenger train service over the line by 1993. About 400 commuters a day were expected to use the service. Plans were also announced for special excursions such as shopping trips to London and summer seaside services. The plans included providing a hotel and conference centre at Dereham, along with a public house and shopping arcade.^[31]

During the early 1990s the GER(1989), contrary to the earlier announcements relating to the future of the line, announced plans to lift the railway between Dereham and Wymondham. The MNRS withdrew their support for the GER(1989) and made their own bid for the line.^[32][33]

In 1994 the British Railways Property Board granted the MNRS access to the railway line between Wymondham and North Elmham on a temporary 'care and maintenance' basis. This was in response to increasing levels of vandalism occurring at the site, a problem which had worsened after the Great Eastern company had lifted the track between Norwich Road level crossing and a point just north of the Automatic Open Level Crossings. The first working party was held at Dereham station on Saturday 23 July 1994.^[34]

In December 1994 Class 20 diesels 20069 and 20206 were moved by road from County School to the truncated railhead at Dereham. On Christmas Eve, with permission from British Rail, both locomotives made their way along the line to Yaxham station.^[35]

In 1995 Yorkshire Bank called in the receivers to solve concerns with the Great Eastern Railway (1989) Ltd. In June 1995 Breckland Council informed the receivers that they wished for the GER (1989) Ltd. to give up the lease for County School station so that they could review their operations in respect of the site. The GER (1989) Ltd., who stated that they were attracting 12,000 visitors a year to the site, announced that they would contest this decision.^[36]

In July 1995, police were called in to investigate the sudden and unauthorised road transfer of two Mid-Norfolk Railway Society Mk 2 coaches to a breaker's yard at nearby Lenwade. In July 1996 Breckland District Council issued a threat to stop trains running at County School station, as it was found that someone other than the leaseholder was operating trains at the site; the lease being non-transferable.^[37] In November 1996 Breckland District Council brought in 24-hour security guards at the County School site in order to prevent the stripping of the property after having served an eviction order on the GER(1989) in mid-October.^[38]

County School station was boarded up and GER (1989) Ltd rolling stock was concentrated in the isolated yard prior to disposal or scrapping. All track north of the station platforms was lifted, and, as shown in the photograph, the site was left to become derelict.^[39]

Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust

The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust (MNRPT) was formed in 1995^[40] through the merger of the campaign groups and organisations that had been trying to restore passenger services over the route since 1974. The aims of the new charity were established:^[41]

To preserve and to renovate reconstruct and operate for the benefit of the people of the County of Norfolk and of the nation at large, whatever of the historical, architectural and constructional heritage that may exist of the permanent way, track, buildings (including any buildings as defined in Section 336(1) of the Town And Country Planning Act 1990), bridges, operating equipment and rolling stock once forming part of or connected with or adjacent to the Great Eastern Railway line running between County School at North Elmham in the County of Norfolk and Wymondham in the County of Norfolk.

In July 1995 two Mk2 coaches were transferred by road from County School railway station to the truncated railhead at Dereham, where they were placed between the already present Class 20 locomotives. These coaches were then hauled to the MNR's temporary base at Yaxham. A further three coaches were delivered on 17 August.^[42]

On 29 November 1995 the section of railway between Yaxham station and a temporary halt built beside a footpath crossing on the Rash's Green industrial estate in Dereham was inspected by Chris Hall, H.M. Principal Inspecting Officer of Railways. Permission to operate passenger trains over this section was granted from Saturday 23 December 1995. 63 trains, each composed of the five Mk2 coaches topped and tailed by the Class 20s, were operated between this date and 14 January 1996.^[43] In October 1995 Breckland District Council established a rail working party to consider purchasing the line from British Rail, then leasing it out to a rail group – of which the Mid-Norfolk Railway was the preferred lessee.^[44]

On 11 April 1998 the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust bought the route between Wymondham and Dereham for £100,000. This included the Dereham station buildings and the 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) goods yard. The British Rail Property Board also sold the 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) of track between Dereham and North Elmham for £25,000.^[45] On 17 March 1998 the MNRPT had signed a Tenancy at Will agreement with Breckland District Council to take over the station and trackbed at County School. This agreement was to allow the railway to take control of the station until it could afford to buy it outright, and followed on from the removal of the remaining rolling stock associated with the defunct Great Eastern Railway (1989) Ltd from the site.^[46]

The original Dereham station was re-opened to passengers on Saturday 26 July 1997, with the first services being operated by 1890-built Manning Wardle 0-6-0T 'Sir Berkeley', hired from the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.^[47] British Railways Board (Residuary) Limited transferred the line between Wymondham and Dereham to the MNRPT on 23 September 1997.^[48][49] The first preservation-era train to operate between Dereham and Wymondham ran on 8 February 1998, when a works train hauled by 20069 and Ruston & Hornsby 0-4-0 'County School ran as part of preparations for a March freight test train.^[50] The first commercial freight train operated on 8 July 1998.^[51]

Passenger services between Dereham and Wymondham commenced in 1999,^[52] with the opening of Wymondham Abbey railway station. The first passenger train to use the new station, on 2 May 1999,^[53] was operated by a Class 108 DMU. Thuxton station opened as a daylight hours only request halt at the same time, although Kimberley Park and Hardingham remained closed.^[54]

Following the completion of infrastructure work, such as the replacement of the water tower at Dereham and the provision of an inspection pit, steam passenger services returned to the Dereham to Wymondham Abbey section on Sunday 30 April 2006. These were operated by Great Western Railway pannier tank number 9466 from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre.^[55] The ownership of the section of railway line between Dereham and North Elmham, part of that originally authorised by the Norfolk Railway Extensions, Dereham, Wells and Blakeney Branch Act 1846, was passed to the Mid-Norfolk Railway in October 2001.^[56]

Part of the line from County School to Wroxham is now the narrow gauge Bure Valley Railway.^[57] The formation between Wells and the religious centre of Walsingham now hosts the miniature Wells and Walsingham Light Railway.^[58] Both schemes are independent of the MNR. Another independent scheme, the "Norfolk Orbital Railway" plans to link the MNR to the North Norfolk Railway and the coast at Sheringham.^[59] In 2009, the Whitwell & Reepham Preservation Society announced an eventual intention to link up with either the North Norfolk Railway or Mid-Norfolk Railway.^[60]

The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust is authorised by the Department for Transport to operate the railway in two statutory instruments, The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 1997^[61] and The Mid-Norfolk Railway Order 2001.^[62] The orders detail the length of track and level crossings over which the railway is permitted to operate trains (subject to safety inspections etc.) and refer to both the Norwich and Brandon Railway Act 1845 and the Norfolk Railway Extensions, Dereham, Wells and Blakeney Branch Act 1846. Planning consent for the restoration and operation of the remaining section to County School, which does not involve crossing any public rights of way but is to include the retention of a permissive footpath, was awarded in 1992.^[63]

Present day

The 11+1⁄2 miles (18.5 km) section of line between Dereham and Wymondham is in regular use, with a further 3+1⁄2 miles (5.6 km) to Worthing passed for operation, but only used for passengers during special events and for works trains enabling the reconditioning of the derelict line further north. The company also owns the next 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of disused line from Worthing to County School station near North Elmham,^[64] although a section of about one mile (1.6 km) lacks track between North Elmham and County School. This makes the Mid-Norfolk Railway one of the longest standard-gauge heritage railways in the United Kingdom. Beyond the railway's holding, the trackbed is mostly intact from County School to Fakenham, and is reserved by the council for railway use.^[65]

The MNR's preserved stations include Yaxham (which retains its original signal box and up platform buildings.^[66]), Thuxton, Hardingham, Kimberley Park and Wymondham Abbey. Trains hauled by both steam and diesel locomotives^[67] run on most weekends from the end of February to December, and on Wednesdays and Thursdays in summer. There are also various special events throughout the year.

Guest steam locomotives

Although predominantly diesel-operated, the MNR is not a diesel-only railway. The first train from Dereham after preservation, running between Dereham and Yaxham, was hauled by Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST tank locomotive "Sir Berkeley", and the railway has always intended to operate both steam and diesel trains.

In 2000, the railway arranged the loan of Barclay 0-4-0ST 'Little Barford'.^[68] Although the locomotive was too small to operate a scheduled service over the line it was used for a number of crew training runs, and, on Monday 12 June 2000, it became the first steam locomotive in preservation to operate over the entire route between Dereham and Wymondham.^[69] Steam also visited the line, although not to operate services, in 2001 when LNER Thompson Class B1 61264 was routed via Dereham for repairs after failing on railtour at Norwich, 20 November.

The 2006 return of steam-hauled passenger services marked the completion of Dereham Station restoration and the installation of steam infrastructure^[70] (such as the water tower).

The first locomotive to haul timetabled steam services over the Dereham to Wymondham section since 1955 was GWR 9400 Class 9466.^[71][72] The same locomotive returned to operate the line's steam services in June and July 2007, although Battle of Britain class 34067 Tangmere also visited this year, operating some scheduled trains and hauling the first steam charter from Dereham (to London Liverpool Street), on 5 May.^[73] Steam services have continued to operate during summer months.

Network Rail connections

Commercial freight

Mid-Norfolk Railway facilitates commercial freight trains, using its connection with the National Rail network at Wymondham. Dereham yard has been used as a servicing depot by Direct Rail Services since 2007 and for storage of Network Rail track plant since 2008.^[74][75]

The road vehicle loading ramp in Dereham yard is used by mainline train operators to load damaged rolling stock onto road vehicles. Such rolling stock usually comes at night (via the connection with the mainline at Wymondham) at slow speed (sometimes on wheelskates) from Crown Point TMD in Norwich (where no road-rail loading facilities are available) for onward road movement to specialist repair facilities around the country.

The line has also been used to carry equipment for army units based at Robertson Barracks or undergoing training at the Stanford Training Area, most recently in March 2020.^[76][77] Operation of these trains involves both resident and mainline locomotives.^[78]

North Norfolk District Council have listed Fakenham and Great Ryburgh as potential freight hubs, subject to them being linked to the Mid-Norfolk Railway at County School.^[79]

Commercial works trains operated on the line between 2018 and 2019, in conjunction with the Kimberley and Hardingham storage project. These were operated by a number of locomotives hired in for the purpose. These included BR Standard Class 4 2-6-4T steam locomotive 80078, BR Class 03 03197 and BR Class 33 33202.

Storage of mainline stock

Working with Abellio Greater Anglia, the Mid-Norfolk Railway have developed a rolling stock storage facility close to their Kimberley Park station. The £3 million sidings have been funded by Abellio Greater Anglia to allow them to store their Class 745 and 755 fleets until they are ready to be in service.^[81]

Training and testing

The Mid-Norfolk Railway is frequently used by mainline companies for crew training and the storage and testing of recommissioned and new on-track plant, including ballast tampers, ballast regulators, stoneblowers and Multi-Purpose Vehicles from companies including Network Rail and Balfour Beatty Rail Ltd. Since 2001 the line has been used annually for low adhesion training, or skidpan training, for crews from Anglia Railways, latterly for National Express East Anglia, where a specially fitted Class 153 treats the track with a slimy solution before the crew practices stopping in a virtual station.^[82]

The line has also been used for training exercises by East of England Ambulance Service, Norfolk Police and the Fire Brigade, including major incident training involving air ambulances.^[83]

Charter trains

Before the preservation of the line, a number of special trains and demonstration services were operated over the line by the Wymondham & Dereham Rail Action Committee (WyDRAC) and the Railway Development Society (RDS) to help maintain pressure for the restoration of passenger services over the line. By the line's closure, twenty special trains had operated, carrying over 5,000 passengers.^[84][85]

The junction with the main line at Wymondham has allowed the Mid-Norfolk Railway to continue to be used by a number of charter and excursion trains, which operate over the line as part of the wider rail network.^[86][87]