Place Melton Station code MES DfT category F2 Number of platforms 1 Original company East Suffolk line | Grid reference TM284503 Managed by Abellio Greater Anglia 2011/12 55,086 | |
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Address Melton, Woodbridge IP12 1LT, United Kingdom Similar Woodbridge railway station, Wickham Market railway st, Brampton (Suffolk) railway st, Saxmundham railway station, Oulton Broad South rail | ||
Melton is a railway station serving the village of Melton in Suffolk, England. The station is located on the Ipswich-Lowestoft East Suffolk Line. The station was opened in 1859 but was closed in 1955 and remained closed until 1984 when, after a local campaign, the station was reopened. The station is 1.25 miles from the ancient Anglo Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo run by the National Trust.
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History
The railway line connecting the East Suffolk Railway (ESR) at Halesworth to an extension of the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) at Woodbridge was built by the ESR. The line opened on 1 June 1859, and Melton station opened with the line. The ESR was absorbed by the ECR on opening day.
On 1 July 1862, the ECR and other small railway companies amalgamated to become the Great Eastern Railway (GER). At the 1923 Grouping, the GER was amalgamated with other companies to form the London and North Eastern Railway; this in turn was a constituent of British Railways at the start of 1948.
At the beginning of World War 1, the 9th field company Royal Engineers were sent to Melton station to prepare defences at the station and nearby Wilford Bridge (the first crossing point of the River Deben) against possible invasion.
The station is located outside the village centre (and close to the first road crossing on the River Deben) and was vulnerable to bus competition which started in 1919.
During World War 2 Melton was the railhead for nearby RAF Bentwaters with a pipeline running from the station yard. This was supplied by tanker wagons kept in the yard. Remains of crashed aircraft from Orfordness and Sutton crash airfield were sent via Melton during 1943.
The station closed to passengers on 2 May 1955; the goods yard closed on 1 June 1972, although private sidings remained open for domestic coal traffic and roadstone between 1972 and 1976. During this time a small Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter was based at the sidings. All rail freight traffic ceased in the early 1980s but after local campaigning the station was reopened for passengers on 3 September 1984.
With the privatisation of British Rail, ownership of the line and station passed to Railtrack on 1 April 1994. The franchise to operate the passenger services on this route was won by Anglia Railways in 1997; in 2004 National Express won the franchise and operated services using the branding 'one', which was renamed National Express East Anglia in 2008.
National Express East Anglia was succeeded as the operator of the Greater Anglia franchise from 5 February 2012 by Abellio.
A visit to the station site in August 2012 revealed the station building is in use as a butcher's shop. The railway line is now single through Melton with the old down platform being the only one in use. The up platform (Southbound - towards London) still exists, but is heavily overgrown.
Services
The following services currently call at Melton:
A few services to/from Ipswich start or terminate at Saxmundham. From 9 December 2012, 1 train per hour will operate between Ipswich and Lowestoft. Brampton will be served by request only.