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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.
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==
<gallery>
Melton station from the road 2012.jpg|Melton station from the road in 2012
</gallery>

==Train services==
The following services currently call at Melton:
The following services currently call at Melton:
{| class="wikitable vatop"
{| class="wikitable vatop"
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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.<ref>http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables/download/771</ref>
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.<ref>http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables/download/771</ref>

{{rail start}}
{{s-rail-national |toc=Abellio Greater Anglia |route=[[East Suffolk Line]]|next=Woodbridge|previous=Wickham Market}}
{{s-end}}


==Notes==
==Notes==
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== External links ==
== External links ==
{{stn art lnk|MES|IP121LT}}
{{stn art lnk|MES|IP121LT}}
{{rail start}}

{{s-rail-national |toc=Abellio Greater Anglia |route=[[East Suffolk Line]]|next=Woodbridge|previous=Wickham Market}}
{{s-end}}
[[Category:Railway stations in Suffolk]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Suffolk]]
[[Category:Former Great Eastern Railway stations]]
[[Category:Former Great Eastern Railway stations]]

Revision as of 22:02, 16 March 2016

Melton
General information
LocationSuffolk Coastal
Managed byAbellio Greater Anglia
Platforms1
Other information
Station codeMES
History
Original companyEast Suffolk Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1 June 1859Station opened
2 May 1955Closed to passengers
1 June 1972Closed to freight
3 September 1984Reopened for passengers

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 re-opened. The station is 1.25 miles from the ancient Anglo Saxon burial site at Sutton Hoo run by the National Trust.

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.[1] The line opened on 1 June 1859,[1] and Melton station opened with the line.[2] The ESR was absorbed by the ECR on opening day.[1]

On 1 July 1862, the ECR and other small railway companies amalgamated to become the Great Eastern Railway (GER).[3] At the 1923 Grouping, the GER was amalgamated with other companies to form the London and North Eastern Railway;[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

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.[6]

The station closed to passengers on 2 May 1955;[2] the goods yard closed on 1 June 1972, although private sidings remained open for domestic coal traffic[7] and roadstone between 1972 and 1976. During this time a small Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter was based at the sidings.[6] All rail freight traffic ceased in the early 1980s but after local campaigning the station was reopened for passengers on 3 September 1984.[2]

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 [8] 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:

Operator Route Material Frequency Notes
Abellio Greater Anglia (Harwich International -) Ipswich - Westerfield - Woodbridge - Melton - Wickham Market - Saxmundham - Darsham - Halesworth - Brampton - Beccles - Oulton Broad South - Lowestoft Class 170 Every 1 Hour Service to Harwich 1x per day

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.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Allen 1956, p. 216.
  2. ^ a b c Butt 1995, p. 157.
  3. ^ Allen 1956, p. 46.
  4. ^ Allen 1956, p. 199.
  5. ^ Moss 2016, p. 21.
  6. ^ a b c Cooper 1982, p. 33.
  7. ^ McCarthy, McCarthy & Cobb 2007, p. 110.
  8. ^ "Better services for East Anglian passengers under new franchise" (Press release). Department for Transport. 20 October 2011.
  9. ^ http://www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables/download/771

References

  • Allen, Cecil J. (1956) [1955]. The Great Eastern Railway (2nd ed.). Hampton Court: Ian Allan. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Cooper, John M (1982). The East Suffolk Railway. Oakwood Press. ISBN 085361 285 4. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • McCarthy, Colin; McCarthy, David; Cobb, Michael (August 2007). Waller, Peter (ed.). Norfolk and Suffolk. Railways of Britain. Hersham: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-3223-1. 0708/c1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Moss, Chris (July 2015). "GER and mobilization in August 2014". Great Eastern Journal. Vol. 163. {{cite magazine}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)

External links

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Abellio Greater Anglia