Railway stations in Newmarket

This article is about the railway station in Suffolk, England. For other stations of this name, see Newmarket railway station (disambiguation).
Newmarket National Rail

"New Station" building, now offices
Location
Place Newmarket
Local authority Forest Heath
Coordinates 52°14′18″N 0°24′26″E / 52.2383°N 0.4073°E / 52.2383; 0.4073Coordinates: 52°14′18″N 0°24′26″E / 52.2383°N 0.4073°E / 52.2383; 0.4073
Grid reference TL 643 627
Operations
Station code NMK
Managed by Abellio Greater Anglia
Owned by Network Rail
Number of platforms 1
DfT category F1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05   88,721
2005/06 Increase 0.105 million
2006/07 Increase 0.124 million
2007/08 Increase 0.149 million
2008/09 Increase 0.165 million
2009/10 Increase 0.166 million
2010/11 Increase 0.198 million
2011/12 Increase 0.232 million
2012/13 Increase 0.269 million
2013/14 Increase 0.285 million
2014/15 Increase 0.290 million
History
Original company Newmarket and Chesterford Railway
Pre-grouping Great Eastern Railway
Post-grouping London and North Eastern Railway
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Newmarket from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Newmarket railway station serves the town of Newmarket. All trains serving it are operated by Abellio Greater Anglia. Following the sale of the station building for offices by Network Rail, plans are underway to build a new station building following complaints from local residents.[1]

The first railway station in Newmarket opened in 1848 as the terminus of the by the Newmarket and Chesterford Railway. A second station opened along with the final section of the Ipswich to Ely Line in 1879. Newmarket Warren Hill station, built by the Great Eastern Railway, opened 6 years later, which was followed by the only remaining station which was completed in 1902.

History

Newmarket (1848 station)

The original Newmarket Station (52°14′35″N 0°24′52″E / 52.2430°N 0.4145°E / 52.2430; 0.4145 (Newmarket railway station (1848))) was built by the Newmarket and Chesterford Railway on 4 April 1848 as a single platform terminus for the 15-mile (24 km) line from Great Chesterford. The line was extended by the Eastern Counties Railwayeastwards to Bury St Edmunds on 1 April 1854, but trains had to reverse in or out of the station.[2]

An alternative station was opened in 1879 for general traffic. the original station was used for race day traffic until at least 1954 and for goods in 1967. On 21 February 1967 the last shunting horse to work on British Rail, "Charlie" at Newmarket retired.[3]The buildings were demolished in 1980.[2]

Newmarket (1879 station)

When the line to Ely opened on 1 September 1879 a new island platform was opened and the two platforms were joined by a footbridge. The original terminus station remained in use for freight, while the through station (52°14′36″N 0°24′55″E / 52.2432°N 0.4154°E / 52.2432; 0.4154 (Newmarket railway station (1879))) was open until it was replaced in 1902 by a new station to the south. It was just south of Warren Hill tunnel. The former terminus became known as Newmarket (High Level).[2]

Newmarket Warren Hill

Newmarket Warren Hill station (52°15′09″N 0°25′07″E / 52.2524°N 0.4187°E / 52.2524; 0.4187 (Newmarket Warren Hill railway station)) was built by the Great Eastern Railway. It opened on 4 April 1885 just to the north of Warren Hill Tunnel[2] and catered for racecourse-goers arriving from points north, particularly Lincoln, Leeds and Manchester, with the encouragement of the Jockey Club.[4] Warren Hill was closed by the London and North Eastern Railway some time in or after 1945[2] but before 1 January 1948, when British Railways was formed.

Newmarket (1902 station)

The surviving station was opened by the Great Eastern Railway on 7 April 1902. It is 800 yards (730 m) south of the site of the original Newmarket station. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Abellio Greater Anglia.[2]

The station buildings at the "New Station" (52°14′16″N 0°24′21″E / 52.2377°N 0.4059°E / 52.2377; 0.4059 (Newmarket railway station (1902))) were sold, and the current station is just a short platform with simple shelters.

Newmarket Station redevelopment

In 2015, the Newmarket Vision group, partially composed of local councillors, identified the building of a new Newmarket railway station as a key priority for improving transport and access in the town.

Train services

The following services in the December 2015 timetable call at Newmarket:

Operator Route Material Frequency
Abellio Greater Anglia Cambridge - Dullingham - Newmarket - Kennett - Bury St Edmunds - Thurston - Elmswell - Stowmarket - Needham Market - Ipswich Class 170 1x per hour
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Abellio Greater Anglia
Dutchflyer
Cambridge-Amsterdam

References

  1. ↑ "Rail users hit out at Newmarket's station". Cambridge News. October 7, 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Farrant, David; Catford, Nick (23 June 2005). "Newmarket Warren Hill". Subterannea Britannica. Retrieved 7 April 2009.
  3. ↑ Holden, Bryan (1985). The Long Haul – the life and times of the railway horse. London: J. A. Allen. ISBN 0-85131-395-7.
  4. ↑ Easom, Sandra, Newmarket Sausages, Railways & Skulduggery, Newmarket Racecourses, retrieved 6 April 2009

External links

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