Yarmouth Newtown railway station
Encyclopedia
Newtown Halt was a railway station on the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
(M&GN) which served the northern part of Great Yarmouth
in Norfolk
, England
. Opened in 1933, it was closed as a wartime economy measure and reopened in 1948 only to last a further eleven years before closing with the line.
, giving visitors access to the attractions found in the northern part of Yarmouth, as well as being convenient for Great Yarmouth High School
. The area was, however, already well-served by regular bus services and by June 1958 only 25 passengers were found to be boarding trains here during the course of a week. The line crossed Salisbury Road on the level, a signal box
standing on the opposite side of the crossing
; the signalman was responsible for locking and unlocking the gates to the halt. Following closure in 1959, the rails were lifted but the infrastructure remained intact until the early 1960s.
.
Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway
The Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, was a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Northern Railway in eastern England, affectionately known as the 'Muddle and Get Nowhere' to generations of passengers, enthusiasts, and other users.The main line ran from Peterborough to...
(M&GN) which served the northern part of Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
in 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...
, 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...
. Opened in 1933, it was closed as a wartime economy measure and reopened in 1948 only to last a further eleven years before closing with the line.
History
The halt was one of seven opened by the M&GN in the summer of 1933 in an attempt to increase revenues on the line. Comprising a single wooden platform situated at ground level, Newtown Halt was located on the northern side of Salisbury Road, approximately ½-mile north of the line's terminus at Yarmouth BeachYarmouth Beach railway station
Yarmouth Beach railway station is a former railway station in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. It was opened in 1877 by the Great Yarmouth & Stalham Light Railway...
, giving visitors access to the attractions found in the northern part of Yarmouth, as well as being convenient for Great Yarmouth High School
Great Yarmouth High School
Great Yarmouth VA High School is a coeducational comprehensive school on Salisbury Road in the town of Great Yarmouth in the English county of Norfolk. It educates about 1000 11 to 16 year old pupils, the age of entry having decreased from twelve to eleven in 2008. The school does not have a sixth...
. The area was, however, already well-served by regular bus services and by June 1958 only 25 passengers were found to be boarding trains here during the course of a week. The line crossed Salisbury Road on the level, a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
standing on the opposite side of the crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
; the signalman was responsible for locking and unlocking the gates to the halt. Following closure in 1959, the rails were lifted but the infrastructure remained intact until the early 1960s.
Present day
Although little evidence of the station remains today, the site of the halt remains unbuilt upon and can be discerned from Salisbury Road where it is used as an unofficial car park by residents. The trackbed immediately to the north and south of the station exists as an unadopted highwayPrivate road
A private road is a road owned and maintained by a private individual, organization, or company rather than by a government.Consequently, unauthorized use of the road may be considered trespassing, and some of the usual rules of the road may not apply...
.