Kennett railway station
Kennett  | |
|---|---|
|
Kennett Railway Station in June 2016 | |
| Location | |
| Place | Kentford |
| Local authority | East Cambridgeshire |
| Grid reference | TL699672 |
| Operations | |
| Station code | KNE |
| Managed by | Abellio Greater Anglia |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| DfT category | F2 |
|
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries | |
| Annual rail passenger usage* | |
| 2010/11 |
 18,878 |
| 2011/12 |
20,234 |
| 2012/13 |
27,530 |
| 2013/14 |
30,992 |
| 2014/15 |
31,896 |
| History | |
| 1854 | Station opens |
| 14 April 1965 | Closed to goods |
| National Rail – UK railway stations | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Kennett from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year. | |
 UK Railways portal | |
Kennett is a railway station serving the village of Kentford in Cambridgeshire, England. It opened in 1854 when the railway was extended from Newmarket to Bury St Edmunds. At its peak during the period 1860 to 1890 there was a station master and three other members of staff. From 1929 onwards the four station staff were replaced by a 'Porter-in-charge' until 1967.[1]
During a heavy storm in 1968, the original brick bridge that crosses the River Kennett east of the station was washed away isolating the line for several days whilst a new metal structure was constructed to replace it.
The station closed to freight traffic on 28 December 1964,[2] although a Speedlink rail service continued to serve the granary behind the station until the mid-1980s. Further east of the station a siding serves Lafarge aggregate, providing sugar stone for British Sugar.
On 2 January 1967, the station became an unstaffed halt on the Cambridge-Ipswich line[3] and the main station buildings were demolished in 1976 after being left derelict [4] - although, similar to Dullingham, parts of the original building remained to serve as storage for the signal box and line side maintenance; these can be found at the entrance to platform 1 and further along platform 2. The station buildings were typical of the line between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket, with similar buildings at Saxham and Risby and Higham, the latter which still remains, consisting of a two-story station master's house adjoining a small booking hall.
Station Improvements
Since the closure and removal of the signal box and the replacement of the semaphore signals on 11 November 2011, with the movement of signal control to Bury St Edmunds Yard following further modernisation of the line to cope with increased line capacity, a new footbridge has been constructed.
Building work to improve the station continued until the Spring of 2016. For the platforms this meant a rebuild of platform 1, resurfacing of both platforms, the addition of sheltered and unsheltered seating, and the installation of LED lamp posts. The carpark was also improved, with the addition of dedicated motorbike and bicycle parking, and an illuminated noticeboard to display train timetables, and planned service alterations.
In recent years the line has been upgraded to provide greater efficiency due to the increase of freight operations from Felixstowe to the midlands.[5] The signal box was removed and transported by road to the Colne Valley Railway in Essex.[6]
Historical services
According to the Official Handbook of Stations the following classes of traffic were being handled at this station in 1956: G, P, F, L, H, C and there was a 1-ton 10 cwt crane.[7]
Train services
The following services currently call at Kennett:
| Operator | Route | Material | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abellio Greater Anglia | Cambridge - Dullingham - Newmarket - Kennett - Bury St Edmunds - Thurston - Elmswell - Stowmarket - Needham Market - Ipswich | Class 170 | 1 every 2 hours |
References
- ↑ http://www.little-saxham.suffolk.gov.uk/history/station.shtml
- ↑ http://www.little-saxham.suffolk.gov.uk/history/station.shtml
- ↑ http://www.little-saxham.suffolk.gov.uk/history/station.shtml
- ↑ http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-pelican-railways/8621748822/
- ↑ http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/8512.aspx
- ↑ http://colnevalleyrailway.blogspot.com/2011/12/kennett-signal-box-arrives.html
- ↑ Official Handbook of Stations, British Transport Commission, 1956.
External links
- Train times and station information for Kennett railway station from National Rail
- Kennett station on navigable 1946 O.S. map
- External pictures of Kennett station in 1975
- External pictures of Kennett station in the 1980s
| Preceding station | National Rail |
Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newmarket | Abellio Greater Anglia Ipswich-Cambridge |
Bury St Edmunds | ||
| Newmarket | Dutchflyer Cambridge-Amsterdam |
Bury St Edmunds | ||
| Historical railways | ||||
| Newmarket Warren Hill Line open, station closed |
Great Eastern Railway Ipswich-Cambridge |
Higham Line open, station closed | ||
| Fordham Line open, station closed |
Great Eastern Railway Ipswich-Peterborough |
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Coordinates: 52°16′38″N 0°29′25″E / 52.2772°N 0.4902°E