Wells and Fakenham Railway
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Wells and Fakenham Railway
The Wells & Fakenham Railway, was the northern part of the Wymondham to Wells branch in Norfolk, England. It connected the market town of Fakenham to the coast at Wells-next-the-Sea. It closed to passenger traffic in 1964 and to goods traffic in 1980.
Construction
The Norfolk Railway opened a line from Wymondham to Dereham, on the Norwich to Thetford mainline, in 1847, and a line from Dereham to Fakenham in 1849. The Wells and Fakenham Railway, incorporated in 1854, was formed by local landowners and some directors of the Norfolk Railway. The Script error: No such module "convert". Fakenham to Wells line opened in 1857 and a short branch to Wells Harbour was built in 1859. The line became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.[1][2]
The line used diesel multiple units for passenger traffic from 1955. It was listed for closure in the Beeching Report and closed to passengers on 5 October 1964. Goods services continued until 1980.
The route today
Part of the route has been reopened as the Wells and Walsingham Light Railway.[1] A section of trackbed from Walsingham railway station southwards to the village of Houghton Saint Giles is used as a public footpath called the Pilgrims' Way.
References
Further reading
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