Great Yarmouth Quay Railways

Great Yarmouth once had an extensive network of rail lines linking the Vauxhall and Beach stations at Vauxhall stations with the quays so that fish and other freight traffic could be easily transported to and from the river.

In 1880, Great Yarmouth's three main termini were completely isolated from each other and on August 26th of that year the Yarmouth Union Railway was authorised in an attempt to remedy the situation. The Y.U.R. was a short line, just over a mile long and went from a junction just outside Beach station, west across Caister Road, then due south back into the town following the backs of the houses in Alderson Road. It then went on to the street by the White Swan Inn and finally made a junction with the Great Eastern tramway line from Vauxhall station just east of the bridge over the Bure. The joint line then continued on to the principal quays alongside the Yare.

The lines to the quays were worked by tramway engines which were kept at the Great Eastern engine shed at Vauxhall station when not in use. These engines clattered their way through the streets of Yarmouth for many decades and during the final years of use were frequently held up by cars parked across the lines. Throughout the whole life of the quayside lines the main traffic carried was "salt and coal in and loose fish out".

The lines were finally abandoned during the 1970s and the bulk of them were lifted in 1985 although it is still possible to see a few stretches in the road along the south quays.

Picture Gallery (click on picture for larger view)