Signal box at Dereham, Mid Norfolk Railway

Image: © Marathon Taken: 19 Aug 2015

The Lynn & Dereham Railway and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament’s permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on the 15th February 1847. As a result of modernisation, the line witnessed its last scheduled steam-hauled passenger train on the 17th September 1955. Diesel units took over the next day, But steam-hauled freight continued into the early 1960s. By 1960 there was an hourly passenger service to Norwich. The increased use of road transport, led to a decline in passenger numbers, and it became one of the many railways to be threatened by the “Beeching Report” in 1963. In June 1965, the Wymondham to Dereham section was reduced to single track with a passing loop at Hardingham, and the service between Wymondham and Dereham ceased in October 1969. Dereham station opened with the line on 15th February 1847. It was re-opened to passengers on Saturday 26th July 1997. Although the Mid Norfolk Railway is physically connected to the Norwich to Cambridge line at Wymondham, it actually starts from Wymondham Abbey station for its 11+ mile run to Dereham. It is hoped to extend the line beyond here to North Elmham and eventually to Fakenham. See http://www.mnr.org.uk/history-of-the-line/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Norfolk_Railway for much fuller histories. At the south end of the platform there is a viewing area which looks across to some of the extensive collection of wagons, engines and coaches. This is from the furthest point of the viewing area looking towards the signal box and a brake van.

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