8th February – West Anglican Main Line & the Fens

8^th February – West Anglican Main Line & the Fens

The line from Broxbourne towards Cambridge is a bit like the Portsmouth Direct Line in being awkward to visit the stations on, due to there being no day ranger products available, likewise the line from Ely towards King’s Lynn, so it takes some planning with some festers at the hourly served stations (and a large pile of tickets).  This plan was revised with the removal of a couple stations due to wanting to get home before the storm started to hit hard.

I can’t remember the last time I used the 05:27 service from Grateley, probably last summer time, so it was a bit of a shock walking to the station in darkness (and calm) with 159010 taking me all the way to Waterloo (haven’t done that for a few months either!), where I had time to grab breakfast from Sainsburys before making my way across to Kings Cross (Jubilee to Green Park (96034/96093), then the Victoria to Kings Cross St Pancras (11004/11003).  I made my way over to 387110 working the 07:42 service to Kings Lynn, getting myself a nice table seat in the front coach, and enjoying the non-stop run to Cambridge (although I still prefer the 365s as they ride so much better). After Cambridge, I carried on heading north to reach Watlington for a short wait before 387110 returned to take me to Downham Market.

This station has been done-up to be like it was in the late eighties when it was run under Network South East, so looked excellent, much better than the mismatch of styles in other stations (i.e. elements of First Capital Connect, elements of WAGN and other operators from the past).  I didn’t have long here before 387113 arrived from London to take me to the end of the line at King’s Lynn, with a 317 being stabled overnight (from the peak time Greater Anglia services).

1980s style branding at Downham Market

1950s style branding at King's Lynn

I returned on 387113 to Ely, changing over to winner 755337 from Norwich to take me to Whittlesford Parkway, for a short wait for 317505 & 317342 to take me to Audley End, returning north with 317511 & 317510 to Shelford where it was time to grab some lunch from a nearby Tesco Express, waiting for the same pair of 317s to return from Cambridge North to take me to Great Chesterford for a nice hour fester in the sunshine before 379015 & 379021 arrived to take me to Elsenham featuring one very tall footbridge (I guess it’s tall due to the wires being high with the manual level crossing, one fit crossing keeper with the 4 trains an hour!

A Stansted bound 755 passes Elsenham

Next move for me was with 379006 & 379005 to Newport (the one in Essex, not the one in South Wales, for that would be very unusual for a pair of 379s to be!), featuring a lovely footbridge and some dodgy looking youths who must have missed the lessons on how to sit properly.  A short fester here before 317505 & 317342 arrived to take me Stansted Mountfitchet, where I visited the nearby Co-Op for items for dinner (wastes some time), before returning to the station, getting a bit of shock with the next Stansted Airport – London service being 317651 & 317502 (for I was expecting it to be the more usual pair of 379s).  These took me non-stop to Harlow Town, giving some excellent motor noise.

Station entrance to Stansted Mountfitchet

I changed over to the northbound platform, for 317660 & 317654 to take me to the very dodgy Harrow Mill, for an extended fester due to a late running Cambridge service with 379014 & 379029 to take me to Sawbridgeworth, for a short fester before 317338 & 317664 arrived with the next Bishop’s Stortford terminator.  317511 & 317510 were up next to take me to Roydon where I had a nice fester in the darkness (looking at the waterway next to the station) before 317664 & 317338 returned from Bishop Stortford to take me one stop to Broxbourne.  A short fester here before 317650 & 317662 arrived from Cambridge to take me all the way into Liverpool Street, where I boarded 321421 & 321304 for a time wasting move to Stratford with 96046/96057 taken all the way to Waterloo with the Jubilee line.

Platforms at Harlow Mill

At Waterloo, it was a short wait before I boarded 159003 working the Salisbury service to take me back home, walking home before the storm hit (more a case of watching the clouds moving fast across the sky with the wind).  Overall it was a successful day with only one minor delay, all the stations from Broxbourne towards Kings Lynn covered for photographs (just need Littleport for the southbound platform, and Stansted Airport for a photo).

Early morning at Grateley, roll on summer!