page_title: Mid-Norfolk Railway
section_title: Route details
hierarchical_section_title: Mid-Norfolk Railway / Route details
caption_attribution_description: English: Stadler FLIRT unit in the down platform at Thuxton station.
context_page_description: The Mid-Norfolk Railway is a 15-mile preserved standard gauge heritage railway, one of the longest in Great Britain. Preservation efforts began in 1974, but the line re-opened to passengers only in the mid-1990s as part of the "New Generation" of heritage railways.
  Regular steam and diesel services run 11 ¹⁄₂ miles through the centre of Norfolk between the market towns of Wymondham and Dereham via Yaxham, Thuxton and Kimberley Park, and occasional sightseer services continue north of Dereham passing the nearby village of Hoe, where there is no station, to the limit of the operational line at Worthing. The line is periodically used for commercial freight operations and staff instruction for mainline railway companies.
  The MNR own and operate the majority of the former Wymondham-Fakenham branch line of the Norfolk Railway. The branch opened in 1847, was closed to passengers in stages from 1964 to 1969 as part of the Beeching cuts, and was finally fully closed to goods traffic in 1989.
  The MNR is owned and operated by the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust, and is mostly operated and staffed by volunteers.
context_section_description: Heading south from the former station site at Fakenham, the route of the line passes over the former Midland & Great Northern route to King's Lynn.  Published plans would see a spur, proposed during the original construction of the latter line, being constructed enabling a new station to be located close to the town's former gas works.  The line then passes over the River Wensum, with this first section being owned by the Norfolk Orbital Railway, in readiness for future restoration.  At this time, it is open to the public as a permissive footpath.
  The formation then passes along the rear boundary fence of the Pensthorpe Natural Park.  After final closure in 1981 the platform at Ryburgh was cut back and the formation is blocked by temporary maltings structures and a private access driveway.  The closure of the station was raised in the House of Commons due to concerns about whether the roads could cope with the volume of goods sent from the local maltings.  This five mile section is not in rail ownership, but a section south of Great Ryburgh is open as a permissive footpath.
  Although the line south of Great Ryburgh station is partially in use as a permissive footpath, two bridge decks have been removed and the section between these, running through Sennowe Park, is not open to the public.  The formation is subject to Policy CT7 of Norfolk County Council's adopted Core Strategy, with the track route corridor from Fakenham through to County school, the Northern station on the Mid-Norfolk railway being safeguarded for rail use.  The railway line between bridge 1708 and the MNR boundary at Yarrow Lane level crossing is a Public Bridleway.
  The Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust owned trackbed starts north of Yarrow Lane level crossing, in the Wensum valley; a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Candidate Special Area of Conservation, taking a roughly southerly direction.
  The line south of the County School station is in the ownership of the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust, and has been partially relayed following planning consent for the restoration and operation of the line being granted in 1992.  A one mile gap remains between the Mid-Norfolk's tracks at North Elmham and the relayed MNR track at County School, which much of the latter likely to also need to be replaced prior to the restoration of train services.  The line runs through the Wensum Valley, with the only level crossing on this section being on a private road owned by the railway company, and no public highways being crossed.
  After passing the remains of North Elmham station the line becomes operational, and runs to the rear of the historic RAF Swanton Morley, before passing the hamlet of Hoe before entering Dereham.  There are six public road level crossings and several bridges on this section.  The section is rarely in passenger use as no stations are open to passengers, and due to the lack of signalling systems in Dereham.  This section of line climbs out of the Wensum valley and enters the town of Dereham, passing two of the town's former maltings, including the Grade II* listed Crisps Malting buildings.
  After passing through the company's headquarters at Dereham station, the line runs through the town and open fields, passing over the River Tud, before arriving at the nearby village of Yaxham. This was the first section of the railway restored by the Mid-Norfolk Railway, when a temporary halt was provided at Rash's Green (since abolished).  The single track line continues through the one operational platform at the station, passing the Yaxham Light Railway, then running through a sequence of cuttings and embankments before reaching a level crossing at Garvestone where a station has previously been proposed.  The line then descends to pass through the head of the Yare valley, dividing into double track for the extended passing loop and storage siding at Thuxton.
  Work to complete a passing loop at Thuxton, provide operational signalling and lengthen the up platform to accommodate longer and more frequent train services was completed
caption: Thuxton station
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