Thuxton railway station
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Thuxton is a railway station in the village of Thuxton in the
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
county of
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
. The station is served by heritage services operated by the
Mid-Norfolk Railway The Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) is a preserved standard gauge heritage railway, one of the longest in Great Britain. Preservation efforts began in 1974, but the line re-opened to passengers only in the mid-1990s as part of the "new generation" ...
on the line from
Dereham Dereham (), also known as East Dereham, is a town and civil parish in the Breckland District of the English county of Norfolk. It is situated on the A47 road, about 15 miles (25 km) west of the city of Norwich and 25 miles (40& ...
to
Wymondham Wymondham ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England, south-west of Norwich off the A11 road to London. The River Tiffey runs through. The parish, one of Norfolk's largest, includes rural areas to ...
. When re-opened by the Mid-Norfolk Railway in 1997 the station was initially used as a request stop, but was returned to full stopping status on 16 June 2002. During fundraising for the opening of the MNR, a station was proposed for the nearby village of Garveston, and the local council purchased a small parcel of land for use as a car park at the proposed site. No platform was provided, and the station has never been developed.


History

The Wymondham-Dereham branch line and stations were opened on 15 February 1847. Thuxton is a two-platform station. The main building, which included the Stationmaster's house was built by the Norfolk Railway. The Great Eastern Railway later added glass-fronted waiting rooms to the platforms. The station was equipped with a single siding goods yard on the down side of the formation. The yard was to the north of the passenger station, with no goods shed or fixed loading facilities. Jenkins, 1993, page 135 A well-known seasonal traffic from the site was ''Peele’s Norfolk Black Turkeys''. From June 1965, when the line was singled, until late 2010 only the down platform was used for passenger services. The up line platform, where the waiting room was demolished, has since been restored to its original length as part of the passing loop project and a new waiting room is being constructed on the original footprint and will mirror the waiting room on the down platform.


Present day

Most trains currently use the extended up platform. The waiting room on the down platform has been converted for use as holiday accommodation. There is no passenger car parking available near this station due to the narrow lanes through the village. The station serves as a passing place for trains, as a station for the local community and the Railway Lake fishing venue.


Engineering projects


Passing loop

Work to relay the lifted up formation and restore the second platform at this station, in order to provide a
passing loop A passing loop (UK usage) or passing siding (North America) (also called a crossing loop, crossing place, refuge loop or, colloquially, a hole) is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at or near a station, where trains or ...
for trains running between Dereham and Wymondham, was completed in time for the September 2010 diesel gala. The loop is intended to be controlled by a signal box built using components from the box from East Winch railway station on the Dereham to King's Lynn line, and includes provision for an eventual restoration of a section of double track railway south of the station potentially to Kimberley Park. The McKenzie and Holland lever frame recovered from Seven Sisters signal box was installed in the signal box at Thuxton in August 2014 with plans to commission it during 2015. The crossover to the south of the station was completed by volunteer staff during January 2009. The northern point and track panels either side of the level crossing were laid by contractors during May and ballasted during June. Work on the signal box also commenced in June. The second track over the level crossing was restored over the weekend of 11–14 June 2010, with Class 31 diesel 31438 becoming the first locomotive, since the singling of the route, to pass over the level crossing on this side of the formation on 12 June 2010. Some local residents were unhappy about aspects of the restoration, citing concerns about disruption and the narrow access lane being blocked.


Signal box


References


External links


Thuxton station, 1975
{{Norfolk Railway Stations Heritage railway stations in Norfolk Former Great Eastern Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1847 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1969 1847 establishments in England