Railways:Cambridge to Newmarket Railway
The Cambridge to Newmarket Railway is the branch line linking Cambridge to Newmarket.
To discover what traffic used Fulbourne Station we have to gather historical data from the line it is on, and also understand the other lines in the region.
This page is the route-level overview; detailed local coverage is on station and topic pages.
Route overview
The route connects Cambridge and Newmarket and forms part of the wider east-of-England rail network. At Fulbourn, the line historically carried both passenger and freight traffic.
In Cambridge the line starts at Coldham's Lane Junction where the line curves East away from the mainline going North.
From there the line crosses the Laundry Lane level crossing before curving South East alongside [Railways:Coldham's Common] and some allotments. Two footpaths traverse the line, the first via an underpass, and the second via a footbridge over the line. The line straightens out before crossing Barnwell Road and then Coldham's Lane by two bridges.
The line then curves from SSE to ESE past the sites of the marl pits for the Saxon Cement Works to the south of the line (now near the site of Sainsbury's), and then the Norman Cement Works to the North (now the site of the David Lloyd gym). The cement works were connected to the line by the Brookfield sidings, and the Brookfield signal box.
The line then continues into Cherry Hinton, passing the original Cherry Hinton Station (the station master's house still exists) and then crossing the High Street at a level crossing. The line then closes Yarro Road at a second level crossing.
Once into the parish of Fulbourn the line passes Fulbourn Old Drift where originally there was a crossing, before passing the Teversham road crossing, and then onto the Station road crossing, where Fulbourne station originally existed, along with the Fulbourn signal box. Just beyond the station there was a point that came off the northern line going to the Banks grain silos (now S&B Herba Foods).
The line continues under a bridge connecting Wilbraham to the A11, and then onto Six Mile Bottom.
The line then continues on to Dullingham Station, then past Wood Ditton crossing, and then onto Newmarket
History
In 30 September 1846 construction began on the Newmarket and Chesterford railway, which bypassed Cambridge. This originated in Great Chesterford and went to the East of Fulbourn, with a small stop on Balsham Road, then onto Six Mile Bottom, Dullingham and then Newmarket. The line was opened on 3 January 1848 (for goods) and 4 April (to passengers), but the link from Chesterton to Six Mile Bottom was replaced by a line from Cambridge which opened on the 9 October 1851 when the
Chronology
| Date/period | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nineteenth to twentieth century | Line developed as part of the Cambridge-Newmarket corridor | Detailed dated chronology to be expanded from primary sources. |
| 1948 | Route availability map records the Coldham's Lane-Chippenham Junction line as RA 8 | Comparison in source notes indicates this was higher than some nearby main-line sections.[1] |
| 1952 | Timetable compendium notes route-availability exclusions for specific locomotive classes | Includes exclusions noted in existing Fulbourn notes.[2] |
Infrastructure and engineering
Route availability and axle-load context
Existing Fulbourn research notes describe the Coldham's Lane-Chippenham Junction section as RA 8 in 1948, with operational implications for which locomotive classes could pass.[1][2]
Operations by era
Pre-1948
Local notes indicate that some race-day special workings before the Second World War may have included classes otherwise restricted by later route-availability guidance. This remains a working hypothesis pending fuller documentary confirmation.[2]
BR era (1948 onwards)
Route-availability documentation and timetable notes indicate broad access for many classes but explicit exclusions for some high route-availability locomotives and certain freight classes.[1][2]
Fulbourn in route context
For local station layout, traffic, staff, and surviving evidence, see Railways:Fulbourn railway station.
Stations and stopping places
| Station | Notes | Related page |
|---|---|---|
| Fulbourn/Fulbourne | Station on the Cambridge-Newmarket corridor; spelling varies historically | Railways:Fulbourn railway station |
Traffic and economics
At Fulbourn, local notes record mixed passenger and freight usage, including goods and military-related wartime traffic references in adjacent parts of the line. Detailed traffic reconstruction is in progress from primary and archival sources.
Decline, rationalisation, and modern period
A wider route-development proposal has referred to this corridor as part of a "Mid-Anglia" concept.[3]
See also
References
Further reading
- Existing working notes in Hidden:Cambridge-Newmarket chronology draft (if present).