Snape Branch Line

The Snape was a railway branch line located in Suffolk which served Snape Maltings. It ran from Snape Junction on the East Suffolk line and was 1.25 miles long. The line was opened in 1859 and throughout its life was operated as a freight only line. The line was closed 101 years later in 1960.

The line was opened in June 1859 at the same time as the East Suffolk line, Framlingham branch line and Aldeburgh branch line (as far as Leiston). The supporters of the scheme proposed the branch to Snape Bridge in order to secure the support of the owner of Snape Maltings, Newsom Garrett, and as a way of securing malted barley traffic for the burgeoning brewery trade in London.

The line was built by the East Suffolk Railway, but on opening was taken over and operated by the Eastern Counties Railway.

A passenger station at Snape Junction on the East Suffolk Junction was proposed and indeed appeared in public timetables for some years during the 1860s. It was never built, although a road leading to the site was. Although no passenger trains ever operated on the branch, a building still known as 'Station House' was constructed, and there have been references to the site as 'Tunstall Station'.

In 1862 the Eastern Counties Railway became part of the Great Eastern Railway (GER).

Between 1862 and 1868 there was a dispute (between Newsom Garrett and the GER) over exactly who owned what on the site. The GER threatened to withdraw the train service and the dispute lingered on until 1878.

In the year 1893 Newsom Garrett died.

In February 1900 the line was blocked by snowdrifts for three days.

In 1908 the GER wrote to the Board of Trade and advised that the line would never carry passengers. This meant the branch could operate on a one engine in steam principle and no signals would be required at Snape. This enabled the ever careful GER to make operational savings with the only signalling be approaching the junction (and controlled by the signal box there).

In both 1910 and 1912 the line was closed for short periods due to flooding.

During 1917 the line was closed for a short period. With food shortages resulting from German U boat action in the North Sea, barley was required for food stuffs and malting ceased. The line re-opened after a few months carrying wheat and hay as well as some barley.

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