Shippea Hill railway station
Shippea Hill | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | East Cambridgeshire |
| Managed by | Abellio Greater Anglia |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Station code | SPP |
| Key dates | |
| 1845 | Opened as Mildenhall Road |
| 1885 | Renamed Burnt Fen |
| 1904 | Renamed Shippea Hill |
Shippea Hill railway station is on the Breckland Line in the east of England, serving the hamlets of Shippea Hill and Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire. The line runs between Cambridge in the west and Norwich in the east.
Shippea Hill is a request stop situated between Ely and Lakenheath stations, 77 miles 17 chains (124.3 km) down-line from London Liverpool Street via Ely, in one of the few areas within Burnt Fen which rises above sea level.
It is known for being one of the least-used railway stations in Britain. In 2013-14, just 12 passenger entries/exits were recorded, which made it the second least-used station in the country behind Teesside Airport (8 entries).[1] In 2014-15, patronage at Shippea Hill increased to 22, but despite this increase, it became the least-used station in Britain, as the number at Teesside Airport increased to 32.[2][1]
History
The station was opened in 1845 as Mildenhall Road. In 1885 its name was changed to Burnt Fen, and in about 1904 it adopted its current name, Shippea Hill.[3]
On 3 December 1976, at about 4 pm, a passenger train collided with a lorry on an unmanned level crossing at Shippea Hill. The train driver, Robert (Bob) Hitcham, was killed and eight of his passengers were injured.[4]
Despite not being within walking distance of any large settlement, most of the station's car park was closed and sold off after the privatisation of British Rail.
The wooden level crossing gates at Shippea Hill used to be operated manually by the signaller in the local signal box. In 2012, the signal box was closed and the crossing was renewed with automatic barriers and warning lights.
Services
Shippea Hill is a request stop, so passengers must signal to the conductor or driver if they wish to alight or board.
As of December 2015[update] the station is served by one train per day to Norwich, also calling at all intermediate stations except Lakenheath.
There is one train each Saturday to Cambridge, also calling at Ely.
There is no Sunday service.
References
- ^ a b "Revealed: Britain's busiest and quietest stations". BBC News. BBC. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
- ^ http://www.sra.gov.uk/pubs2/performance_statistics/stat_usage/stat_usage.exc
- ^ City of Ely – Introduction | British History Online
- ^ "Report on the Accident that occurred on 3rd December 1976 at Chivers Occupation Level Crossing (No. 1) between Lakenheath and Shippea Hill in the Eastern Region British Railways". The Railways Archive. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
External links
- Train times and station information for Shippea Hill railway station from National Rail
52°25′48″N 0°24′47″E / 52.430°N 0.413°E
| Preceding station |  National Rail
|
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abellio Greater Anglia |