Passenger traffic Yarmouth–Lowestoft line

a 1912 railway clearing house map showing coastal section of norfolk , suffolk joint railway (in dotted blue/yellow) , connecting lines.

as joint committee had no rolling stock of own, services between yarmouth , lowestoft or either , beccles typically consisted of 2 coaches hauled small tank locomotive such m&gn 4-4-2ts. m&gn ran 4 daily services , lowestoft, while ger laid on 3 trains; m&gn used yarmouth beach , ger south town. ger services withdrawn during first world war.

the m&gn operated 2 holiday expresses: morning service leicester , birmingham , afternoon 1 derby, manchester , liverpool. neither called @ hopton-on-sea or corton stations. consequently, although gorleston-on-sea , gorleston north stations received around 10,000 passengers between them , lowestoft central around 25,000 passengers during pre-first world war period, hopton , corton saw little traffic. in fact, corton station had less 10,000 passengers during 1911, corresponded less half passenger each m&gn stopping service. there no sunday passenger services except during summer, although stalham yarmouth service in october did run until 1905 benefit of daytrippers. between january 1917 , july 1919, ger services withdrawn between yarmouth south town , lowestoft central first world war economy measure.

although m&gn remained joint line after 1923 railway grouping, operated london midland , scottish railway , london , north eastern railway. same year, lms introduced new service connected liverpool lime street , manchester london road yarmouth , lowestoft. journey time between manchester , yarmouth 6 hours 25 minutes. variety of great eastern, great northern , great central tanks used provide regular poorly-patronised service. during second world war, single line working introduced between gorleston-on-sea , lowestoft north other line needed store wagons; normal service restored in march 1948. gorleston north badly damaged enemy bombing subsequently closed; station inconveniently sited in relation town , had suffered bus , tram competition. post-war timetable gave line poorest level of service @ previous point: 4 trains ran south town , 2 yarmouth beach. @ time, two-coach unit suitable workings except summer saturdays. holiday excursions returned after war , m&gn services east midlands , birmingham popular. service levels rose after closure of m&gn , introduction of dmus , winter 1957-58 timetable showed 15 hourly departures south town between 7.29am , 9.29pm, rising 20 in 1963-64 after closure of line beccles. final winter of 1969-70, number had fallen 12.