Railway stations in Cromer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The fishing port and holiday resort of Cromer in the English county of Norfolk has had a rail service since 1877. It was served by three railway stations for many years, and is now served by two. Cromer Beach station, which opened in 1887, was renamed Cromer following the closure of the other early stations.
Cromer High, on the outskirts of the town, was opened in 1877 as the terminus of the Great Eastern Railway main line from London. It was followed in 1887 by Cromer Beach station, on the rural Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GNJR). Cromer Links Halt railway station, on the little-used and now closed Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway line to North Walsham via Overstrand and Mundesley, was opened in 1923.
Following a reduction in traffic caused by Cromer's decline in popularity as a holiday destination after World War II, and the closure of many Norfolk railway lines in the 1950s, a decision was made to concentrate all passenger traffic into a single station. Although Cromer High had far better facilities, it was inconveniently situated on the edge of the town. Therefore all passenger services were diverted into Cromer Beach (renamed Cromer) and the other stations closed. Following growth of the town as a commuter town to Norwich, a new station called Roughton Road opened in 1985, near the site of the former Cromer High.
Contents |
[edit] Cromer railway station
| Cromer | |||
 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | |||
| Place | Cromer | ||
| Local authority | North Norfolk | ||
| Operations | |||
| Station code | CMR | ||
| Managed by | National Express East Anglia | ||
| Platforms in use | 2 | ||
| Live departures and station information from National Rail | |||
| Annual Rail Passenger Usage | |||
| 2004/05 * | 0.134 million | ||
| 2005/06 * | 0.132 million | ||
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |||
| * Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Cromer from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. | |||
|
|||
Because the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GNJR) line approached Cromer from the west, following the coastal clifftops, it avoided the steep escarpment which had prevented the earlier line from Norwich running all the way into the town. Consequently it became possible to build a far more conveniently located station, near to the town centre and the beach. The station opened as "Cromer Beach" on 16 June 1887 and was renamed "Cromer" on the closure of Cromer High station.[1]
[edit] Buildings
To cater to the heavy leisure traffic at the end of the 19th century, Cromer Beach had a large station building in a half-timbered style, and a large goods yard. The station originally included a bar, which was closed in 1966.[2] Following the introduction of conductor-guard working, the ticket facilities were no longer needed and the building fell into disuse; it was renovated and reopened as a public house in 1998.[3] A large supermarket was built on the site of the goods yards in 1991.[1]
Cromer is one of only two former M&GNJR stations to remain operational on Network Rail, the other being the neighbouring West Runton.
[edit] Services
The station is currently served only by local services operated by 'National Express East Anglia' on the Bittern Line from Norwich to Sheringham.[4]
There is generally an hourly service to Sheringham (8 minutes) and to Norwich (55 minutes), with more frequent services during the morning and evening peak travel times. On Sundays, trains run every two hours to Sheringham and Norwich.[5] In 1997 a single daily through train to and from London Liverpool Street to Sheringham via Cromer was introduced; it was not heavily used and the service was consequently discontinued.[1]
Because of its historical position as the terminus of the line from Melton Constable and Sheringham to the west, trains running via Cromer reverse direction on leaving the station.[3]
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roughton Road | National Express East Anglia Bittern Line |
West Runton | ||
| Disused Railways | ||||
| Terminus | Midland and Great Northern Cromer Branch |
West Runton | ||
|
|||||||||||
[edit] Former stations
[edit] Cromer High railway station
Cromer High railway station was the first station opened in Cromer, situated to the south on the outskirts of the town on a steep escarpment.[6] Built initially by the short-lived East Norfolk Railway, the station (along with the line) was incorporated into the Great Eastern Railway, who had operated the services from the beginning.[6] It served as the terminus of Great Eastern Railway services from London and Norwich. Initially named "Cromer" on opening, it was renamed "Cromer High" in 1948.[6]
The station opened on 26 March 1877. Because of steep gradients near the town, the station was built in open fields some distance from the town itself.[1]
[edit] Closure
On 23 July 1906 a connection was opened between the line to Cromer High and the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway line between Melton Constable and Cromer Beach stations, allowing through trains from Norwich to run to Cromer Beach. As Cromer Beach was far more conveniently sited in the centre of the town, passenger numbers using Cromer High dropped substantially, although it remained in heavy usage as a freight depot. On 20 September 1954 passenger services ceased at Cromer High, with all traffic diverted to Cromer Beach (now renamed "Cromer"). The station remained open as a freight terminus until 7 March 1960, but was then closed completely and the station demolished.[1] Despite the loss of passenger revenue, the bar attached to the station did not close until 1957.[7] Part of the station site has been redeveloped for housing, but much remains undeveloped;[6] although derelict and overgrown, the former station approach road is also still present.[8] North Norfolk Council is considering converting the station into a site for the use of Travellers.[9][10]
Cromer High station was situated directly above the Cromer Tunnel, Norfolk's only standard gauge railway tunnel, connecting the Sheringham and Mundesley lines. Although disused since services ceased in 1953, the tunnel remains intact.[11]
[edit] Cromer Links Halt railway station
Cromer Links Halt was a railway station on the outskirts of Cromer. It was on the now disused Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway line between West Runton and Cromer Beach stations to the west and Overstrand to the east.
The station opened in 1923, primarily to serve the nearby Royal Cromer Golf Club.[12] The station facilities were very basic, consisting of a single wooden platform with no buildings or facilities other than two wooden benches. The entire station cost only £170 to build.[1]
With no direct service to Norwich, the nearest city, the station was little-used, and it closed along with the rest of the line on 6 April 1953. Due to its wooden construction, virtually no trace of it has survived[8] other than the remains of the wooden gate leading to an approach path.[1]
[edit] Roughton Road railway station
Roughton Road was opened on 20 May 1985, to serve the new housing developments in the area. It is on the southern edge of Cromer, near the junction for the disused Cromer Tunnel leading to the former Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway line,[1] about 200 yards (180 m) from the site of the former Cromer High station.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Adderson, Richard; Kenworthy, Graham (1998). Branch Lines Around Cromer. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 1 901706 26 5.
- ^ Refreshment Room, Cromer Beach. Norfolk Public Houses. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ a b Sheringham to Norwich. Dudley Mall Railway Directory. Dudley Mall (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Current timetables: Cromer. One Railway. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Current Timetables. one. Retrieved on 2008-02-05.
- ^ a b c d Catford, Nick. Cromer High. Subterranea Britannica. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Refreshment Room, Cromer High. Norfolk Public Houses. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ a b Places of Interest. Norfolk by Rail. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Gypsy and Traveller Site Consultation Forum (2006-10-20). Minutes of the Gypsy and Traveller Site Consultation Forum. North Norfolk District Council. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Travellers' site options spark new opposition (2006-10-02). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ Norfolk Railway Policy Group (1995). Safeguarding Transport Routes & Protection of Disused Railway Trackbeds. Norfolk County Council. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
- ^ History of Royal Cromer Golf Club. Royal Cromer Golf Club (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
[edit] External links
- Map sources for Railway stations in Cromer
- Train times and station information for Railway stations in Cromer from National Rail
