Stour Valley Railway
Encyclopedia
The Stour Valley Railway is a partially closed railway line that ran between , near Cambridge
and in Essex
, England
. The line opened in sections between 1849 and 1865. The route from Shelford to Sudbury
closed on 6 March 1967 leaving only the section from Sudbury to Marks Tey, known as the Gainsborough Line in operation.
forking off at Long Melford. Before construction was completed the company had changed hands twice and became part of the Eastern Union Railway
.
The Marks Tey to Sudbury section of the line opened on 2 July 1849 and ran for 5 years before being taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway
on 7 August 1862.
In 1862 the Eastern Union Railway and Eastern Counties Railway were amalgamated into the new Great Eastern Railway
.
After several years of protracted legal disputes, the Great Eastern Railway opened the section from to Shelford on 1 June 1865 and then the section from Sudbury to Haverhil on 9 August. The Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line
from Melford
to Bury St. Edmunds
was also completed in the same year. The line was now connected to the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway
at Haverhill serving Castle Hedingham
, and .
The closure of the line in 1967 under the Beeching Axe
was the subject of a protracted battle and a proposal, led by Haverhill Urban District Council, that local authorities subsidise the line.
The remaining operational section of the line is now known as the Gainsborough Line.
In 1964 conductor guards collected fares on the trains and all stations on the line became unstaffed apart from Haverhill and Sudbury.
Before the line closed (1966–7) there were two trains a day between Sudbury and Cambridge, four between Colchester and Cambridge and six between Marks Tey or Colchester and Sudbury, with a similar number in the reverse direction. The service was operated by primarily by Class 105
and Class 108
Diesel Multiple Units, although some services were locomotive hauled.
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
and in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The line opened in sections between 1849 and 1865. The route from Shelford to Sudbury
Sudbury railway station
Sudbury railway station is a railway station serving the town of Sudbury in Suffolk, England. It is the single-platform northern terminus of the Gainsborough Line, and is managed by National Express East Anglia, who provide all train services. The station is located on the edge of the town...
closed on 6 March 1967 leaving only the section from Sudbury to Marks Tey, known as the Gainsborough Line in operation.
History
Following acts of Parliament in 1846 and 1847 the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead Railway was authorised to construct a line from Marks Tey to Sudbury and then extend from Sudbury to Clare, with a branch line to Bury St. EdmundsBury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds is a market town in the county of Suffolk, England, and formerly the county town of West Suffolk. It is the main town in the borough of St Edmundsbury and known for the ruined abbey near the town centre...
forking off at Long Melford. Before construction was completed the company had changed hands twice and became part of the Eastern Union Railway
Eastern Union Railway
The Eastern Union Railway was an early English railway, initially sanctioned by Act of Parliament on 19 July 1844, with authorised capital of £200,000 to build from Ipswich to Colchester. Further Acts of 21 July 1845 and 26 June 1846 authorised further increases in capital of £50,000 and £20,000...
.
The Marks Tey to Sudbury section of the line opened on 2 July 1849 and ran for 5 years before being taken over by the Eastern Counties Railway
Eastern Counties Railway
The Eastern Counties Railway was an early English railway company incorporated in 1836. It was intended to link London with Ipswich via Colchester, and then on to Norwich and Yarmouth. Construction began in late March 1837 on the first nine miles, at the London end of the line.Construction was...
on 7 August 1862.
In 1862 the Eastern Union Railway and Eastern Counties Railway were amalgamated into the new Great Eastern Railway
Great Eastern Railway
The Great Eastern Railway was a pre-grouping British railway company, whose main line linked London Liverpool Street to Norwich and which had other lines through East Anglia...
.
After several years of protracted legal disputes, the Great Eastern Railway opened the section from to Shelford on 1 June 1865 and then the section from Sudbury to Haverhil on 9 August. The Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line
Long Melford-Bury St Edmunds branch line
The Long Melford–Bury St Edmunds branch line was a railway between Long Melford on the Stour Valley Railway and Bury St Edmunds on the Ipswich to Ely Line. The line opened on 9 August 1865 and closed to passengers on 10 April 1961 and freight on 19 April 1965....
from Melford
Long Melford railway station
Long Melford railway station is a disused railway station in Long Melford, Suffolk, England. It opened in 1865, as "Melford", and was renamed Long Melford in 1884. The station was part of the Stour Valley Line, operated by the Eastern Counties Railway, and served trains between Sudbury and...
to Bury St. Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds railway station
Bury St Edmunds railway station serves the town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. The station, and all trains calling there, are operated by National Express East Anglia.-Historical Services:...
was also completed in the same year. The line was now connected to the Colne Valley and Halstead Railway
Colne Valley and Halstead Railway
The Colne Valley and Halstead Railway is a closed railway between Haverhill, Suffolk and Chappel and Wakes Colne, Essex, in England.-History:...
at Haverhill serving Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham
Castle Hedingham is a small village in northeast Essex, England, located four miles west of Halstead and is situated in the Colne Valley on the ancient road from Colchester, Essex, to Cambridge....
, and .
The closure of the line in 1967 under the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
was the subject of a protracted battle and a proposal, led by Haverhill Urban District Council, that local authorities subsidise the line.
The remaining operational section of the line is now known as the Gainsborough Line.
Passenger
There were four trains each way on weekdays between Marks Tey and Sudbury in 1850, one of which went to Colchester. When services started between Cambridge and Haverhill there were three trains each way on weekdays. By the 1890s six passenger trains ran each way on a weekday with the majority going from Cambridge or Bury St Edmunds to Marks Tey or Colchester.In 1964 conductor guards collected fares on the trains and all stations on the line became unstaffed apart from Haverhill and Sudbury.
Before the line closed (1966–7) there were two trains a day between Sudbury and Cambridge, four between Colchester and Cambridge and six between Marks Tey or Colchester and Sudbury, with a similar number in the reverse direction. The service was operated by primarily by Class 105
British Rail Class 105
The British Rail Class 105 diesel multiple units were built by Cravens Ltd. of Sheffield from 1956 to 1959. The class were built with a side profile identical to British Railways Mark 1 carriage stock, using the same doors and windows. None were selected for refurbishment...
and Class 108
British Rail Class 108
The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
Diesel Multiple Units, although some services were locomotive hauled.
Freight
Coal between Peterborough and Colchester and agricultural traffic were the main freight flows on the line.Reopening
A study in 2004 looked in to the possibility of reopening Cambridge to Haverhill and maybe the entire line. The campaign is now being taken up by the Cambridge to Sudbury Rail Renewal Association.External links
- Cambridge-Sudbury Rail Renewal Association
- Marks Tey–Bures–Sudbury Rail Line (1849–1990)
- The Sudbury Line Website News and Information about the Sudbury Branch