Felixstowe Beach railway station
| Felixstowe Beach | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
| Place | Felixstowe |
| Area | Suffolk |
| Coordinates | 51°57′12″N 1°20′03″E / 51.9532°N 1.3341°ECoordinates: 51°57′12″N 1°20′03″E / 51.9532°N 1.3341°E |
| Grid reference | TM291335 |
| Operations | |
| Original company | Felixstowe Railway and Pier Company |
| Pre-grouping | Great Eastern Railway |
| Post-grouping | London and North Eastern Railway |
| Platforms | 1 |
| History | |
| 1877 | Opened |
| 1966 | Closed to goods |
| 1967 | Closed to passengers |
| 2004 | Buildings demolished |
| Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom | |
| Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z |
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Felixstowe Beach is a disused railway station which served the seafront and southern part of Felixstowe in Suffolk, England. It was opened in 1877 and closed from 11 September 1967. The line remains open and sidings to the south of the station connect with railway lines in the Port of Felixstowe.
The Felixstowe Railway and Pier opened on 1 May 1877 but there were no stations between Orwell and the terminus at Felixstowe Pier as the station near the beach at Felixstowe was not ready in time, although it did open soon after. The company had been promoted by Colonel George Tomline who owned property near the station. He was criticised by the Suffolk Chronicle for building the stations where he thought "people ought to be, rather than where people actually live". It has been claimed that it was location was chosen to be away from his rival John Chevalier Cobbold's Ordnance Hotel, which was close to the railway on Landguard Road. The station had goods facilities and also the line's engine shed.
The Great Eastern Railway (GER) bought the line on 5 July 1887. The engine shed was soon closed but the site is believed to have been used for coaling and watering of locomotives for some time after. Eventually this was undertaken at Felixstowe Town station which was equipped with a turntable. There was a large three-road shed adjacent to the engine shed and in 1894 a carriage painting facility was opened which this dealt with the painting of around 200 carriages each year. This was a relatively short-lived activity at Felixstowe as the expansion of facilities at Stratford Works in the late 1900s would have rendered the establishment redundant. It was noted as redundant in 1927 when it was identified for use as the line's engine shed (the original having blown down) but burnt down in the 1930s.
The station was enlarged in 1888 but a new and more conveniently sited Felixstowe Town station opened on 1 July 1898. The original station was renamed Felixstowe Beach and the direct line from Ipswich was closed with the result that all trains now had to reverse in the new station.
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