Diss railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in Norfolk, England}}{{More citations needed |date=August 2012}}
{{use British English|date=December 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Diss
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = 2014 at Diss - main building.jpg
| borough = Diss, South Norfolk
| country = England
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|TM127796|25|TM127796}}
| manager = Greater Anglia
| platforms = 2
| code = DIS
| classification = DfT category C2
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.671 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.124 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.422 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.560 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.615 million}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
Diss railway station is on the Great Eastern Main Line in the East of England, serving the market town of Diss, Norfolk. It is {{convert|94|mi|43|chain|km}} down the line from London Liverpool Street and is situated between {{rws|Stowmarket}} to the south and {{rws|Norwich}} to the north. It is approximately {{convert|20|mi|km}} south of Norwich. Its three-letter station code is DIS.
The station is currently operated by Greater Anglia, who also operate all trains serving it, as part of the East Anglia franchise.
Due to its location, Diss is the only station on the Greater Anglia network (and, by extension, one of the only stations in the UK) to be served exclusively by inter-city trains.
History
The station at Diss was proposed by the Ipswich & Bury Railway, as part of their route to Norwich. Such were the changes in the railway industry that, in 1847, the Ipswich & Bury Railway became part of the Eastern Union Railway, which started operating in 1849. This became part of the Eastern Counties Railway (ECR) in 1854, which amalgamated with several other companies in 1862 to form the Great Eastern Railway (GER).Great Eastern Railway Pages 234 - 239 by Cecil J Allen (Ian Allan 1955) {{ISBN|07110 0659 8}}
In 1873, there was an incident at Diss when a goods train and a passenger train collided in foggy conditions, injuring four passengers.{{cite journal|last=Walsh|first=Bernard|title=Diss Letter|journal=Great Eastern Journal|date=July 1997|volume=91|page=45}}
In 1883, a signal box was opened, possibly replacing an earlier structure.{{cite journal|last=Kenworthy|first=Graham|title=Diss Station|journal=Great Eastern Journal|date=January 1997|volume=87|page=29}}
From July 1898 to December 1915 the station master was Robert Gillingwater (1854–1923). He became a well-respected figure in the town and had a staff consisting of:
- 7 x clerks
- 2 x signalmen
- 2 x motor drivers
- 2 x horse shunters
- 2 x station foremen
- An unknown number of passenger and goods porters
During the early part of the twentieth century the goods yard was extended twice and during World War I an Army Service Corps depot was established adjacent to the station.
Following the 1921 grouping, the GER amalgamated with other railways to form the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).
On nationalisation in 1948, the station and its services came under the management of the Eastern Region of British Railways.
Some goods shunting at Diss was carried out by horses as late as 1959.{{cite journal|last1=Andrews |first1=Brian|title=Shunt horses at Thurston station (letter)|journal=Great Eastern Journal|date=January 2002|volume=109|page=39}}
In 1985, the line through Diss was electrified by British Rail to the 25 kV overhead system and, the following year, electrically-hauled InterCity services commenced. At the same time, the signal box was closed as power-signalling was introduced to the area.
Following the privatisation of British Rail, the ownership of the tracks and station passed to Railtrack until 2002 and then to its successor Network Rail. During this period, the operation of the station and train services has been franchised to Anglia Railways (1997–2004), then to National Express East Anglia (2004–2012) and currently Abellio Greater Anglia (since 2012).
Description
A goods yard was located on the 'up' (eastern) side of the line; it was equipped with a shed for the loading and unloading of goods, as well as cattle pens.{{cite journal|last=Kenworthy|first=Graham|title=Diss Station|journal=Great Eastern Journal|date=January 1997|volume=87|page=29}} Until the 1880s, the Scole Estate Railway had a connection into the station yard;{{cite journal|last=Kenworthy|first=Graham|title=Diss Station|journal=Great Eastern Journal|date=January 1997|volume=87|page=28}} it was an agricultural railway for William Betts' family at Frenze Hall, which extended for seven miles and had two engines.{{cite web|last=The Foxearth and District Local History Society|title=Book reviews|url=http://www.foxearth.org.uk/BookReviews.html|access-date=11 November 2013}}
The station has a waiting room on each platform and toilets on the up side (platform 1). It has a ticket office, with ticket machines on each platform.[http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/dis/details.html Diss station facilities] National Rail Enquiries; Retrieved 24 May 2024 The old station master's house, which is part of the station and mostly the station's upstairs accommodation, is currently being used by one of the town's taxi companies.
Services
Services at Diss are operated by Greater Anglia between London Liverpool Street and {{rws|Norwich}}; they call every 30 minutes in each direction.{{Cite web |work=Greater Anglia |title=Timetables |date=10 December 2023 |access-date=24 May 2024 |url= https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/timetables |quote=}}
Historically, a local stopping service also called at Diss serving other stations such as {{stnlnk|Mellis}}, {{stnlnk|Burston}} and {{stnlnk|Tivetshall}}. This was withdrawn in 1966 when the smaller stations on the line were closed.{{Cite web |work=Diss Express |title=Memory Lane: Remembering Norfolk and Suffolk village railways 50 years after closure |date=4 November 2016 |access-date=26 May 2024 |url= https://www.dissexpress.co.uk/news/memory-lane-remembering-norfolk-and-suffolk-village-railways-50-years-after-closure-1-7662865/ |quote=}}
{{rail start}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=Stowmarket|next=Norwich|toc=Greater Anglia|route={{smalldiv|Great Eastern Main Line}}}}
{{s-rail-next|title=Historical}}
{{s-rail-national|status=Historical|previous=Mellis|next=Burston|toc=GER|route={{smalldiv|Eastern Union Railway}}}}
{{s-rail-national|status=Historical|previous=Stowmarket|next=Norwich|toc=AR|route={{smalldiv|London Crosslink}}}}
{{end}}
References
{{Commons category|Diss railway station}}
{{reflist}}
{{Norfolk Railway Stations}}
{{Railway stations served by Abellio Greater Anglia}}
{{coord|52.374|N|1.124|E|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=title}}
Category:Railway stations in Norfolk
Category:DfT Category C2 stations
Category:Former Great Eastern Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1849
Category:Railway stations served by Greater Anglia