Wherry Lines

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Wherry Lines
Principal Stations (from west to east)
                        Norwich
  Brundall Gardens
  Brundall
          Buckenham         Lingwood
  Cantley       ↓
  Reedham    Acle
Haddiscoe  Berney Arms ↓
Somerleyton      Great Yarmouth
Oulton Broad North
Lowestoft

The Wherry Lines are the railway lines in England, from Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. These lines pass through The Broads.

The line was first opened from Norwich to Great Yarmouth by the Norwich and Yarmouth Railway in 1844, running via Reedham. The link from Reedham to Lowestoft was added in 1847 by Samuel Morton Peto. Finally, the northern route from Norwich to Great Yarmouth was added in 1882 by the Great Eastern Railway. Despite their apparently rural nature the lines should be regarded as commuter lines. In this respect, gross overcrowding at morning and evening peaks has caused local concern.

On February 1 2007, the services operating on the line were designated community rail services[1] as part of the The Community Rail Development Strategy which aims to increase passenger numbers and income, improve the management of costs, and develop a greater sense of community involvement.[2]

The towns and villages served by the three routes are listed below.

Norwich-Great Yarmouth via Acle

Norwich-Lowestoft

Norwich-Great Yarmouth via Reedham

Passenger services are provided by 'one', using of Class 150, Class 153, Class 156 or Class 170 diesel multiple units, as the routes are not electrified. Most services originate from Norwich, but some services operate through from London Liverpool Street via Norwich. These through services are either formed of Turbostars or else are Class 90 electric locomotives with hauled coaching stock, which are dragged from Norwich by a Class 47 diesel locomotive.

The name of the line is taken from the Norfolk wherries, which played an important role in the transport of goods and people around the broads before road and rail transport became widespread.

References

External links



Railway lines in the East of England:
Main lines: East Coast Main Line   Great Eastern Main Line
Cambridge-King's Lynn "Fen" Line   Cambridge-Norwich "Breckland" Line   Colchester-Clacton "Sunshine Coast" Line
Ely-Peterborough Line   Ipswich-Ely Line   London-Cambridge Line   London, Tilbury & Southend Line
Manningtree-Harwich "Mayflower" Line   Thameslink   West Anglia Main Line   
Commuter lines: Hertford Loop Line   Lea Valley Lines   Northern City Line   Romford-Upminster Line   
Shenfield-Southend Victoria Line   Witham-Braintree Line
Rural lines: Cambridge-Ipswich Line    Crouch Valley Line   East Suffolk Line   Grantham-Skegness Line
Ipswich-Felixstowe Line   Marks Tey-Sudbury "Gainsborough" Line   Norwich-Sheringham "Bittern" Line
Peterborough-Lincoln Line   Thorpe le Soken-Walton "Sunshine Coast" Line   Wherry Lines