Downham Market railway station

Downham Market
National Rail
The southbound platform at Downham Market in August 2004
General information
LocationDownham Market, King's Lynn and West Norfolk
England
Grid referenceTF602033
OwnerNetwork Rail
ManagerGreat Northern
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeDOW[1]
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Opened27 October 1846
Original company
Lynn and Ely Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Eastern Railway
Post-groupingLondon and North Eastern Railway
Key dates
27 October 1846Opened as Downham
12 May 1981Renamed Downham Market
Passengers
2020–21Decrease 0.129 million
2021–22Increase 0.342 million
2022–23Increase 0.386 million
2023–24Increase 0.400 million
2024–25Increase 0.441 million
Location
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Downham Market railway station (formerly Downham) is on the Fen line in the east of England, serving the town of Downham Market, Norfolk. It is 86 miles 8 chains (138.6 km) measured from London Liverpool Street and is situated between Littleport and Watlington stations. The station and all trains calling are operated by Great Northern. The station building of 1846, built of carrstone with pale brick dressings, is a Grade II listed building.[2]

History

The station seen from the level crossing
Signal box at Downham Market in July 2009

The Lynn and Ely Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. lv) 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.[3] Downham station, as it was known at the time, was situated south of Stow Bardolph and was the temporary terminus of the line.[4] The line to Ely was completed and opened on 25 October 1847.[4] Downham station ceased to be a temporary terminus when the line was opened through to Denver Road Gate.[5] The name was changed to Downham Market from 12 May 1981.[3]

The wooden signal box, built for the Great Eastern Railway in 1881, was listed Grade II in 2013.[6] It is still in use today and is lever-operated.[7]

In early 2017, the station was redecorated to commemorate Network SouthEast, the British Rail division that operated services across England's south east 30 years previously. With assistance from the Railway Heritage Trust, paintwork and signage has been returned to a style that mimics that of the late 1980s.[8]

On 10 August 2009 Network Rail submitted a planning application for a new £1.5 million footbridge, describing the current foot crossing as "one of the most dangerous in the country". The plan was supported by then-station operator First Capital Connect, with an intended completion date of summer 2011.[9][10] The initial application was withdrawn following consultation with local councils, English Heritage and the Railway Heritage Trust and a revised plan submitted in December 2009 following changes to improve the appearance of the bridge.[11] However, this proposal was rejected by King's Lynn and West Norfolk Council in April 2010, citing the lack of accessibility for disabled passengers and the effect of the bridge on the Grade II listed station building.[12] The foot crossing has since been closed and passengers must now use the nearby road level crossing to switch between platforms.[13]

Facilities

The station is well equipped with a ticket office and ticket machine, a car park and cycle storage, a taxi rank, accessible toilets, a refreshment kiosk and help points. There is one waiting room and one waiting shelter.[14]

Passenger volume

Passenger volume at Downham Market[15]
2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25
Entries and exits 277,744 276,900 307,013 361,433 365,612 360,032 406,690 432,014 452,674 460,056 491,744 500,442 523,846 533,410 549,562 512,772 129,058 341,550 386,270 399,600 440,550

The statistics cover twelve month periods that start in April.

Services

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[16]

Additional services call at the station during the peak hours.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Great Northern
Historical railways
Denver
Line open, station closed
   Great Eastern Railway
  Stow Bardolph
Line open, station closed

References

  1. ↑ "Railway Codes". railwaycodes.org.uk. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Railway Station (1171244)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 Quick 2023, p. 168.
  4. 1 2 "Fen Line Users Association - flua.org.uk - Our history". www.flua.org.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  5. ↑ CJ Allen and RVJ Butt
  6. ↑ Historic England. "Downham Market Signal Box (1414022)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
  7. ↑ "Celebrating 175 years of first-class service". KL Magazine. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Makeover for Downham Market station". 28 April 2017.
  9. ↑ Bridge for 'one of UK's most dangerous rail crossings' - Norfolk News - EDP24
  10. ↑ First Capital Connect - Planning application submitted for new footbridge at Downham Market
  11. ↑ Network Rail - Press Releases - Downham station footbridge: improved application submitted Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ Borough of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Development Control Board - April 2010 Archived 3 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Crossing at Downham Market train station closed after safety concerns". Eastern Daily Press. 9 May 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2011.
  14. ↑ "{StationName} Station Information | Live Departures & Arrivals for {StationName} | Great Northern Railway". www.greatnorthernrail.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Estimates of station usage | ORR Data Portal". dataportal.orr.gov.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Table 25 National Rail timetable, December 2023

Bibliography

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