WHITWELL & REEPHAM
M&GN
HERITAGE RAILWAY STATION

The railway station at Whitwell was established in 1882 by the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway as a branch from the main line at Melton Constable to Norwich City. Despite its moderate usage, it faced difficulties competing against the larger Great Eastern Railway and its more direct routes. Notably, the Great Eastern had opened its own station at Reepham just one year earlier, which was strategically located to better serve the surrounding area compared to Whitwell.

The M&GN railway line experienced a decline due to the shift of freight transportation to roads and the increase in car ownership. As a result, the line relied solely on summer and school traffic. This led to significant financial losses, and British Rail eventually decided to shut down most of the line. Only Whitwell station remained operational for freight until 1964. Although the track through the station was still present, it was only used for transporting concrete products to the nearby Lenwade railway station until 1985.

In 2006, the station buildings, which had been abandoned for years, were put up for sale at a price of £250,000 by the Norfolk County Council. If it remained unsold, the Council had considered using it as a potential site for travellers.

Whitwell Station, which had been closed for 50 years, reopened to the public in 2009 and is now a part of the Marriotts Way foot and cycle path.

I would like to extend a personal thank you to all the volunteers who have done an exceptional job in restoring this station.