Place Beccles Station code BCC Owned by Network Rail Owner Network Rail | Grid reference TM426904 Managed by Abellio Greater Anglia DfT category F1 Number of platforms 2 | |
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Address Beccles NR34 9QU, United Kingdom Similar Lowestoft railway station, Brampton (Suffolk) railway st, Reedham (Norfolk) railway st, Halesworth railway station, Cantley railway station | ||
Beccles is a railway station on the East Suffolk Line and serves the town of Beccles in Suffolk, England. There is now an hourly service to both Lowestoft and Ipswich, all direct trains to London having been withdrawn since December 2010.
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History
The East Suffolk Railway, opened in 1854 operating as far as Halesworth and the line was then extended to Ipswich and Great Yarmouth in 1859. The Beccles to Lowestoft line opened in the same year. The Waveney Valley Line from Tivetshall on the Great Eastern Main Line reached Beccles in 1863, making the town an important junction on the expanding Great Eastern Railway network.
The Waveney Valley Line closed to passengers in 1954 and the Yarmouth-Beccles Line closed to passengers in 1959. The Waveney Valley Line was then closed to freight traffic in 1963. The engine shed was demolished in 2006.
The island platform underwent restoration in 2012 in order to bring it back into use as part of a development to build a passing loop at the station. The loop and platform began operation on 10 December 2012.
Services
The following services currently call at Beccles:
From 9 December 2012, Beccles is served by an hourly service Monday to Saturday and service every 2 hours on a Sunday. Beccles is also the passing point for train services from this date. This significant improvement in services has been key in increasing patronage at the station.
Beccles loop development
Work began in early 2010 to develop a passing loop at Beccles to allow hourly services to operate on the line. The lack of a double track to allow trains to pass north of Saxmundham had previously made this frequency of service impossible.
By March 2010 the single track at Beccles was renewed with continuously welded rail and concrete sleepers. The track was also realigned from the southern approach to the station to allow room for the Beccles Loop. The old track was lifted and placed alongside the disused platform and disposed of in late 2010. By March 2012 work had started to build the passing loop and by May of that year new turnout points were in place and work had begun on redeveloping the disused island platform. The old trackbed had also been removed.
Work was completed by December 2012 and enhanced services began on 10 December 2012. The £4m scheme was jointly funded by Network Rail and Suffolk County Council.