Felixstowe Branch Line
| Felixstowe branch line | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | Suffolk, England |
| Termini |
Westerfield Felixstowe |
| Stations | 4 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1 May 1877 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) |
|
| Character | Secondary |
| Rolling stock | |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 12 miles 11 chains (19.5 km) |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Operating speed | 75 mph |
The Felixstowe branch line is a railway branch line in Suffolk, England, that connects the Great Eastern Main Line to Felixstowe and its port.
The line is 12 miles 11 chains (19.5 km) in length from Westerfield to Felixstowe. The stations and all passenger services are currently operated by Greater Anglia. The passenger services originate at Ipswich but the branch itself starts one station further down-line at Westerfield. The line also carries freight trains operated by DB Schenker, Freightliner and GB Railfreight, to the port of Felixstowe.
The line was opened by the Felixstowe Railway & Pier Company in 1877, although the first station in Felixstowe was not in the town but at the company's pier on the River Orwell. The railway was sold to the Great Eastern Railway in 1887. A station near Felixstowe town centre was opened in 1898 and this has been the only station in the town since 1967. Freight traffic has increased significantly since that time, leading to the opening of a second route to the port in 1987.
As of December 2016 passenger service frequency on the line is typically one train per hour in each direction between Ipswich and Felixstowe. The timetabled journey time from one terminus to the other is 26 minutes.
The route is described from Westerfield to Felixstowe. Features on the up side will be on the right when facing towards Felixstowe, those on the down side on the left.
The Felixstowe branch is an unelectrified, single track secondary line with a maximum line speed of 75 mph, although lower limits apply at some places. It has a W10 loading gauge but W9 rolling stock is excluded .
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