Breckland line

Breckland line
Shippea Hill in the typically flat Fens
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleEast of England
Termini
Stations12
Service
TypeHeavy rail
SystemNational Rail
Operator(s)Greater Anglia
CrossCountry
East Midlands Railway
Great Northern
Rolling stockClass 158
Class 170
Class 387
Class 720
Class 755
History
Opened1845
Technical
Track length51 miles 8 chains (82.2 km)
Number of tracks2
CharacterSecondary[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Loading gaugeW10
Electrification25 kV AC (between Cambridge and Ely and around Norwich)
Operating speed75–90 mph
Route map

(Click to expand)
Preserved British Railways Standard 7MT 70013 Oliver Cromwell near Hethersett in 2010, hauling a special train bound for the North Norfolk Railway.

The Breckland line is a secondary railway line in the east of England that links Cambridge in the west to Norwich in the east. The line runs through three counties: Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. It takes its name from the Breckland region of Norfolk and passes through Thetford Forest.

The line is 51 miles 8 chains (82.2 km) in length, from where it branches off the Fen line north of Ely to where it joins the Great Eastern Main Line south of Norwich. There are 12 stations on the line, including the termini.

The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5, SRS 05.09 and part of SRS 05.05. It is classified as a secondary line, except between Cambridge and Ely which is a London and South East commuter line.[1] Passenger services on the Breckland line are operated by Greater Anglia (which manages all of the stations), CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Great Northern.

  1. ^ a b "Route 5 – West Anglia" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 22 May 2009.