Harleston Station, on the former Waveney Valley Railway

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 29 Nov 2022

Harleston Station was the largest station on the line, if Tivetshall and Beccles are discounted. It was 6¼ miles down line from Tivetshall and about 14 miles from Beccles. Everything except the station building has been demolished, cleared or built over. The owners of the building are a company called Zero Retain so it isn't surprising. The station was approached from an embankment and a girder bridge, diagonally spanning Redenhall Road The Tivetshall to Harleston was the first stage to be completed and trains began running on 1st December 1855, with stations at Pulham Market Pulham St Mary and Starston. Work was already underway to extend the line to Bungay and finally to Beccles. The station was well equipped with a 70 Yard long platform, Goods shed with various sidings with a total length of 3500 feet serving a coal yard, maltings, cattle pens, the corn mill and five private sidings. The station signal box which stood at the eastern end of the Up platform. After a Down platform was installed a covered passenger footbridge, the only one on the line was also added.

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