Wherry Line

Wherry Lines
Berney Arms, on the Wherry Lines, is one of the remotest and least-used stations in the country
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	East of England
Termini	Norwich Great Yarmouth / Lowestoft
Stations	14
Services	3
Operation
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Abellio Greater Anglia
Character	Rural line
Rolling stock	Class 37 Class 68 Class 153 "Super Sprinter" Class 156 "Super Sprinter" Class 170 "Turbostar"
Technical
Track length	Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Acle: 18 miles 29 chains (29.6 km) Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Reedham: 20 miles 45 chains (33.1 km) Norwich to Lowestoft: 23 miles 41 chains (37.8 km)
Number of tracks	1-2
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed	60 miles per hour (97 km/h)

The Wherry Lines are railway branch lines in the East of England, linking Norwich to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. There are 14 stations including the three termini. They form part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 7, SRS 07.11 and are classified as a rural line.

The lines pass through the Broads of Norfolk and Suffolk. The name is taken from the Norfolk wherries, which played an important role in the transport of goods and people around the Broads before road and rail transport became widespread.

Passenger services on the Wherry Lines are currently operated by Abellio Greater Anglia.

The line was opened from Norwich to Great Yarmouth by the Norwich and Yarmouth Railway in 1844, running via Reedham. The route from Reedham to Lowestoft was added in 1847 by Samuel Morton Peto as part of the Norfolk Railway. Finally, the northern route from Norwich to Great Yarmouth via Acle was added in 1882 by the Great Eastern Railway.

In 2007 the services operating on the line were designated as community rail services as part of the Community Rail Development Strategy aiming to increase patronage and income, improve cost control and develop a greater sense of community involvement.

The line from Norwich to Lowestoft is double-track throughout, but the two Great Yarmouth branches that diverge from Brundall via Acle and from Reedham via Berney Arms are single-track.