Railways:Newmarket and Chesterton Railway

The Newmarket and Chesterford Railway was formed in 1846 to build a railway connecting Newmarket with the main line of the Eastern Counties Railway at Chesterford, and it was also planned to construct a branch line from Six Mile Bottom to Cambridge. The ceremonial cutting of the first sod of turf took place at Dullingham and was performed by a ten-year-old boy, Christopher Jeaffreson of Dullingham House, on October 3rd, 1846.

The line from Newmarket to Chesterford was opened in 1848, but lack of means prevented the construction of the branch to Cambridge. Two years later the Company ran into even greater financial difficulties, and in June 1850 the railway was closed down.

The shareholders then sacked the Chairman and all the directors, and appointed a new Board whose energetic management retrieved the position and enabled the line to be re-opened in September. The line from Six Mile Bottom to Cambridge was completed, and soon afterwards the line from Chesterford to Six Mile Bottom was closed and the track removed. The Eastern Counties Railway purchased the Newmarket Railway and in 1858 extended the line eastward to Bury St.Edmunds to link up with the Eastern Union Railway• On January 14th 1847 the Castern Counties Railway opened an extension from fly to warch and Peterborough, thus linking up with the system of the Great Northern Railway and enabling coal to be routed by rail from the North to Bast Anglia direct instead of being taken by sea. 0びろ 1846