Lowestoft railway station

Lowestoft
Lowestoft station
Location
Place	Lowestoft
Local authority	Waveney
Operations
Station code	LWT
Managed by	National Express East Anglia
Number of platforms	3
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2004/05 *	0.245 million
2005/06 *	0.226 million
2006/07 *	0.248 million
2007/08 *	0.410 million
2008/09 *	0.488 million
History
1 July 1847	Opened (Lowestoft)
1 October 1903	Renamed (Lowestoft Central)
1970	Renamed (Lowestoft)
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Lowestoft from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.

Lowestoft railway station, formerly known as Lowestoft Central railway station, is a staffed railway station serving the town of Lowestoft in Suffolk. It is the terminus of the Wherry Line from Norwich and the East Suffolk Line from Ipswich. It is the easternmost station on the National Rail network. The station was a finalist in Railtrack's Station of the Year 1999.

The station is owned by Network Rail and served by National Express East Anglia. All services are operated by diesel multiple units of Classes 153, 156 or 170. According to Strategic Rail Authority usage figures (2003) Lowestoft is, after Ipswich, the most used station in Suffolk, with busy commuter traffic to Norwich and to a lesser extent to Ipswich. Until the late 1960s the station was served more frequently, with regular direct express trains for holiday makers in the summer from London and elsewhere and local services to Great Yarmouth.

History

The station was built in 1855 by the Lucas Brothers and is a fine example of their work, which also includes buildings such as the Royal Albert Hall. Much of the original historical structure remains. It retains one of the last original British Rail enamel signs in situ on its frontage proudly declaring "British Railways - Lowestoft Central". The "Central" was to distinguish the station from Lowestoft North on the line to Great Yarmouth South Town, which was closed in 1970.

The withdrawal of the Great Yarmouth service and closure of that line saw the removal of the rails into platform 1. That section of the trackbed now forms part of the car park. Platforms 2 and 3 are still in daily use with platform 4 is available but not used for daily services, but the platforms were not renumbered with the removal of platform 1. The station building was later redeveloped in 1992.

There are sidings to the station which are used occasionally, although they no longer cross Station Square into the docks. There used to be substantial goods yard activity here to serve the docks.

Facilities and services

Facilities at the station include and ticket office and machine, shelters, seating in the booking hall and toilets. The ticket office is staffed during daytime operation. A pay and display car park is provided, whilst buses and taxis stop at the station and stands for bicycles are available.

On weekdays, the station sees an hourly service to Norwich, with an extra service in the morning peak. The services tend to be regularly timed, commonly departing at 42 or 50 min past each hour during the day. The final service usually departs at approximately 23:30. Norwich trains usually depart from platform 3. Saturday services follow a similar pattern with a reduced service on Sundays. The journey time averages 40 min.

The service to Ipswich, via the East Suffolk Line, runs every 2 h, usually at 58 min past each hour. These trains usually depart from platform 2, nearest the ticket office. Sunday services are again every 2 h but depart at 5 min past each hour from the first train at 08:05 to the last at 20:05. The average journey time to Ipswich is 1 h 30 min.

The following services currently call at Lowestoft:

Operator	Route	Stations	Trains	Frequency
NXEA	Wherry Lines	Norwich - Brundall Gardens - Brundall - Buckenham - Cantley - Reedham - Haddiscoe - Somerleyton - Oulton Broad North - Lowestoft	Class 153 Class 156 Class 170	1tph
	East Suffolk Line	Ipswich - Westerfield - Woodbridge - Melton - Wickham Market - Saxmundham - Darsham - Halesworth - Brampton - Beccles - Oulton Broad South - Lowestoft		1tp2h

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Oulton Broad North		National Express East Anglia Wherry Lines		Terminus
Oulton Broad South		National Express East Anglia East Suffolk Line
Disused railways
Lowestoft North Line and station closed		Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Railway Yarmouth-Lowestoft Line		Terminus

External links

• Webpage including picture of the station in 1980
• Train times and station information for Lowestoft railway station from National Rail