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Written by Brian Carter - 25 Jun 2005
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Location notes
Eccles Road is a station on the Ely - Norwich line, between Thetford and Norwich in Norfolk. It is close to Thetford and Attleborough.
Railway type and traffic
East Midlands Trains and Greater Anglia both operate hourly passenger trains (although few stop), mostly using class 170 DMUs. The only freight is the Mountsorrel - Trowse (Norwich) stone train two or three times each week, plus seasonal limestone ('sugar stone') to Norwich three times a week (it is used in the processing of sugar beet). The sidings here have no regular traffic, and were last used for delivering the stone used to dual the nearby A11.
Environment
An unstaffed country station with a very limited train service. There is a staffed signal box, and a few houses in the locality.
Road directions
Take the 'Eccles Road' station turn from the A11; after around a mile turn right (again following the signs). The station is by the level crossing.

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Eccles Road map co-ordinates
Parking
There is space for a few cars by the station building on the south side of the level crossing.
Public transport
Eccles Road has a very limited train service, and local bus services also seem to be thin on the ground.

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Amenities
There are very few amenities in the immediate area. Attleborough and Thetford are a few miles away, where there are shops, etc.
Accommodation
For accommodation, try Attleborough or Thetford.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Eccles Road

Googly map
Streetmap links
Eccles Road general view map
Eccles Road close up map

Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Eccles Road



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Railway Gen Group
Anglia Gen
Photographic notes
The line runs roughly NE-SW. The best shots are of westbound trains (from Norwich), taken from the down (Norwich-bound) platform; they feature the level crossing, signal box and a semaphore signal. The sun is on the right side for this from mid afternoon.

Eastbound trains (and trains in the head shunt of the freight terminal) can be photographed from the up (Ely-bound) platform; the sun is on the right side in the morning, but moves off the nose by around 9am. Late in the afternoon eastbound trains can also be photographed from the down (Norwich-bound) platform, but this is quite head-on unless one walks off the end of the platform to get a wider view.

For videographers the area is very quiet, and you also have the advantage of a manually operated level crossing and semaphore signals: listen for bells and watch for the signaller leaving the box to close the gates.


General views - All photographs © Brian Carter unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north east


Fig 1 - Looking north east

The train is the North Walsham - Harwich condensate tanks, diverted via Cambridge and Stratford due to the Ipswich Tunnel closure during the summer of 2004.

Fig 2 - Looking south west


Fig 2 - Looking south west

This is a stone train for Eccles Road in March 2002, and it reversed into the sidings immediately to the right of the train (the loco is on the point).

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