The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Through Time

Steph Gillett documents the history of this fascinating line, marking the sixtieth anniversary since its closure.

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Almost the entire network of the former Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway system closed at the end of February 1959. Some short sections of the railway were retained for passenger services until the mid-1960s and freight continued to run on a few others, one surviving into the 1980s. Only the passenger service between Cromer and Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast survives as part of the national network, which is now reached by the route of one-time competitor the Great Eastern Railway.

Over sixty years after closure, interest in the M&GNJR and its predecessors remains high. The North Norfolk Railway runs its steam trains from the original station at Sheringham to a new one at Holt, a railway heritage centre has been established at Whitwell & Reepham station, and the M&GN Circle continues to research and celebrate this long-closed railway. There is much remaining evidence of the railway and sections of the trackbed provide pleasant walking and cycling routes.

Utilising a range of rare and previously unpublished images, Steph Gillett offers a fascinating and nostalgic look back at this fondly remembered line.