What better way to discover the idyllic countryside of Norfolk than from the comfortable carriages of the Mid-Norfolk Railway? Covering 11 miles of Norfolk's classic British countryside, this enchanting railway covers some truly beautiful countryside as it curls through forests and meadows between Wymondham and Dereham. Timeless and endearing, the Mid-Norfolk Railway rediscovers the subtle majesty of the Great British outdoors. A variety of heritage railway societies operate on this line, many of which organise heritage train runs and preserve the track for all the passengers who travel on it. The track itself dates all the way back to the 1840s, and many of the stations reflect that time period, hailing from a time where rail travel was king.
The Mid-Norfolk
Railway was opened as a section of the Lynn &
Dereham Railway in 1847. Apart from changing owners after the
Grouping of 1923 and Nationalisation in 1947, the line continued in
much the same way for over a century. However, falling numbers of
passenger traffic led to the withdrawal of passenger services in
1965. Goods services continued to run for a number of years, so
although there was an interest in resurrecting heritage passenger
services, nothing could be done.
When freight traffic came to an end in 1995, the railway's
preservation trust took action. Later that year the first services
began on a small section of the line. These proved to be an
immediate success, and the line has managed to extend to its
current length.