Watlington railway station (formerly known as Magdalen Road) is on the Fen line in the east of England, serving the village of Watlington, Norfolk. It is measured from London Liverpool Street and is situated between and stations. The station and all trains calling are operated by Great Northern.
History
The Bill for the Lynn and Ely Railway received Royal Assent on 30 June 1845. Work started on the line in 1846 and the line and its stations were opened on 27 October 1846. Watlington station opened with the line and was, as it is now, situated South of Lynn station (now King's Lynn). The line ran from Ely to Downham, the eventual destination being Ely.C.J. Allen
Watlington station, from 1847 part of the East Anglian Railway, became part of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862, and was renamed Magdalen Road from 1 June 1875 (a name which, perhaps, better reflects its lonely rural location in the middle of the flatlands of the East Anglian Fens). From 1848 onwards, Watlington was a junction, as a line once branched off from there to Wisbech. The branch, along with Magdalen Road station, was closed in 1968.
Due to local efforts, however, Magdalen Road station was reopened in 1975, and in 1989 returned to its original title of Watlington. KL Magazine records the efforts of local residents to prepare for the reopening:However, the dedicated pressure group were determined, and made it their mission to raise the money and restore their station to its former glory. Kate and Joyce busied themselves with fundraising activities, organising two dances and three tombolas and gathering donations with the help of their neighbour Johnny Lemon.
Parties of villagers cleared brambles from the platforms, cut back bushes, and repainted the waiting room.
Their labours were assisted by a strong sense of community (and beer provided by Dr Lacey) and the experience brought the whole village closer together. All the hard work proved to be worth it when, in November 1974, British Rail announced to delighted locals that the station would reopen the following spring.
‘’It really was a village effort,’’ Kate remembers. ‘‘It took a lot of perseverance, but together we made it happen.’’As of 2025, the signalbox still carries the former name of Magdalen Road. The former station house is now a private residence.
Facilities The station only has basic facilities, including shelters, ticket machines, departure screens, a car park and cycle spaces. Both platforms have step-free access.
Passenger volume +Passenger volume at Watlington2004–052005–062006–072007–082008–092009–102010–112011–122012–132013–142014–152015–162016–172017–182018–192019–202020–212021–222022–232023–242024–25Entries and exits85,23185,42391,250100,665111,612107,956113,898129,146137,874131,742143,904148,928144,114146,008153,782138,36639,078105,886107,724118,846133,888 The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.
Services Outside peak hours, trains run hourly to King's Lynn and London King's Cross. There are extra peak services increasing the service to twice per hour.eNRT, May 2026 Edition, Table 013 (Network Rail)
Greater Anglia no longer run services as of the May 2023 timetable change.
References
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External links