Thetford railway station
Encyclopedia
Thetford railway station is a railway station serving the town of Thetford
in the English
county of Norfolk
. It is served by local services operated by National Express East Anglia on the Breckland Line
and Long distance East Midlands Trains
services. It lies 49 km (30½ miles) west of Norwich
on the line to Peterborough
and Cambridge
. It is the nearest railway station from the Center Parcs
resort of Elveden Forest
, 5 miles east from the station.
. The next station along the line was Roudham Junction
. The line was closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching Axe
. Another branch ran south to Bury St Edmunds
calling at the town's other station Thetford Bridge
. This closed to passengers in 1953.
(National Express East Anglia) and an hourly service to Liverpool
via Peterborough
and Nottingham
(East Midlands Trains
).
Thetford
Thetford is a market town and civil parish in the Breckland district of Norfolk, England. It is on the A11 road between Norwich and London, just south of Thetford Forest. The civil parish, covering an area of , has a population of 21,588.-History:...
in the English
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...
county of Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. It is served by local services operated by National Express East Anglia on the Breckland Line
Breckland Line
The Breckland Line runs from Cambridge in Cambridgeshire to Norwich in Norfolk, in East Anglia, England. It is so called because it runs through the Breckland region of Norfolk. The line also passes through Thetford Forest. The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.09 and part...
and Long distance East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
services. It lies 49 km (30½ miles) west of Norwich
Norwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
on the line to Peterborough
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
and Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
. It is the nearest railway station from the Center Parcs
Center Parcs
Center Parcs is a European network of holiday villages incorporating a UK-based company, Center Parcs UK, which runs holiday villages in the United Kingdom and a sister enterprise, Center Parcs Europe, that operates in numerous locations in continental Europe...
resort of Elveden Forest
Elveden Forest
Elveden Forest makes up a small area of Thetford Forest near the town of Brandon, Suffolk, England. It is east of the B1106 and is occupied by a Center Parcs Holiday village. It is named after the nearby village of Elveden.-2002 fire:...
, 5 miles east from the station.
History
Thetford station was once also the terminus for a branch to SwaffhamSwaffham
Swaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
. The next station along the line was Roudham Junction
Roudham Junction railway station
Roudham Junction railway station was a station in Norfolk, England. It was located in Roudham, where the Main Line between Norwich and Thetford intercepted the branch line from Swaffham. It was first opened in 1869, but remote and poorly used, it was slowly downgraded. Main line trains no longer...
. The line was closed in 1964 as part of 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...
. Another branch ran south to Bury St Edmunds
Thetford to Bury St Edmunds line
The Thetford to Bury St Edmunds line is a closed railway between Thetford in Norfolk and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, England. It was a single line railway of .The line opened on 1 March 1876 and was bought by the GER two years later...
calling at the town's other station Thetford Bridge
Thetford Bridge railway station
Thetford Bridge railway station served the eastern part of Thetford, Norfolk, England between 1875 and 1953.-History:The railway line between Bury St Edmunds and Thetford was proposed by the Bury St Edmunds and Thetford Railway and authorised on 5 July 1865; but the company had problems in raising...
. This closed to passengers in 1953.
Service
Generally, there are two trains per hour eastbound to Norwich, while westbound there is an hourly service to CambridgeCambridge
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...
(National Express East Anglia) and an hourly service to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
via Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
and Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
(East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
).