Dereham railway station

Dereham railway station is a railway station in the town of Dereham in the English county of Norfolk. The station is served by heritage services on the Mid-Norfolk Railway from Dereham to Wymondham.

History

The Lynn and Dereham Railway and the Norfolk Railway both obtained Parliament's permission to build lines to Dereham in 1845,^[1] at the height of the so-called "Railway Mania", when railways were being built across the whole country. The Norfolk Railway, building its line from Wymondham, reached Dereham first, and opened its railway to passengers on the 15 February 1847. The first station south of Dereham was Yaxham. The line from King's Lynn had to wait until 11 September 1848.^[2]

The King's Lynn line was originally operated by the Lynn & Dereham Railway, but in 1848 the Eastern Counties Railway leased the Norfolk Railway the line was absorbed. In 1857 the line between Dereham and Wells opened. The entire line became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.^[3]

The station was built in stages, being expanded over several decades. It is provided with four platforms, with platforms 2 and 3 being set back to back. Platform 4 is a short bay platform and was originally dedicated for trains heading towards King's Lynn.

Derelict remains of Dereham station in 1990.

Beeching's report intended to retain the King's Lynn - Dereham - Norwich line for express trains and freight: the local stations (that is all but Dereham and Swaffham) however,were recommended for closure in the report. Despite Beeching's intentions, the line from King's Lynn was closed in 1968, leaving a Dereham - Norwich service. After withdrawal of this remaining service in 1969 the station building was gutted and used as a showroom.

The building was later gutted in a serious fire. The exterior of the building has since been restored and the interior replaced, with the building reopening to the public in December 2005.

Locomotive depot

By 1880 Dereham boasted a two road wooden locomotive shed and a 45-foot turntable believed to have dated from the late 1860s and known to have replaced an earlier structure. The depot operated as an outstation of Norwich. In 1888 three locomotives were based at the depot. In 1926 the engine shed was rebuilt in brick.

Dereham depot was closed as a steam shed on 19 September 1955 - when DMU stock was introduced to the line. The shed was used to stable DMU stock until 1 September 1968.^[4] The shed was later demolished, and the site used for the construction of a rail-served fertilizer depot. This has since been demolished, and the site is now the Dereham Leisure Centre.

Present day

Hauled service at Dereham station

The station was reopened in 1997 by the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust who since then have gradually reopened the line to Wymondham. Work is in progress in reopening the line northwards from Dereham towards County School and Fakenham. Although National Rail passenger services do not operate from the station this has been proposed for the future as part of the wider Norfolk Orbital Railway scheme,^[5] and the station presently serves periodically as a National Rail freight terminal and charter destination.

The goods shed is used for restoration and storage at the moment. The Great Eastern Railway stables are unique but derelict. It is hoped a grant can be obtained in the future for restoration of this building.

The footbridge formerly at Whittlesford station was delivered to Dereham in July 2010, where it is intended to serve as a replacement to the demolished original structure. In May 2013 a planning application was submitted to Breckland District Council for the construction of the footbridge to link platforms 1 and 2.^[6]

Second station

Dereham's second station

Early Ordnance Survey maps show a second railway station located in the South Green area of Dereham on the branch line to King's Lynn. This line was originally provided with a number of stations that lasted less than a decade, and this second station does not appear in later documents.

The station building was retained as a crossing keeper's cottage, and survived the closure of the branch - becoming a private residence. The building survives, and the entrance to the booking hall and former platform door, now converted to be windows, can be seen and compared to contemporary station buildings.

Signal boxes

Although the original four signal boxes at Dereham have been demolished, two of the boxes have been rebuilt since the preservation of the site. The original Dereham North box is preserved at the former Hindolveston railway station.^[7][8]

Location	Original location	Built by	Notes	Photograph
Dereham North	Laundry Lane, Lowestoft	Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway	Crossing box for Norwich Road, Dereham. Construction commenced May 2007.
Dereham Central	Stratford Southern, London	Great Eastern Railway	As Stratford Southern, this box was originally supported on legs, allowing a siding to pass underneath. It has been rebuilt in a more conventional manner. Will serve as the main station box when completed.

Trains at Dereham

Dereham railway station (1950)
Legend Line towards Fakenham Neatherd Road Level Crossing Cattle docks Norwich Road Level Crossing North signal box Dereham station Goods shed Maltings siding Dereham Central signalbox to King's Lynn (left) South signal box War Dept. Sidings Green Lane Level Crossing Yaxham Road Level Crossing Line towards Wymondham

• 

  A British Army Leyland DAF T244 unloading at Dereham before restoration

• 

  Class 101 DMU crossing Neatherd Road north of Dereham station

• 

  Class 73s in Dereham yard

References

External links

• Map sources for Dereham railway station

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Terminus		Mid-Norfolk Railway		Yaxham
	Disused railways
North Elmham Line and station closed		British Rail Eastern Region Wymondham to Wells via East Dereham		Yaxham Line and station open
Scarning Line and station closed		British Rail Eastern Region Lynn and Dereham Railway		Terminus
	Proposed Heritage railways
North Elmham Line closed		Mid-Norfolk Railway		Yaxham Line and station open
	Future services
North Elmham Line and station closed		Norfolk Orbital Railway Mid-Norfolk Railway		Yaxham Line and station open

Coordinates: 52°40′44″N 0°56′51″E / 52.6789°N 0.9474°E / 52.6789; 0.9474