Fen line

{{Infobox rail line

| name = Fen Line

| color =

| logo =

| logo_width =

| image = 365537 passing through Runcton Holme.JPG

| image_width = 300px

| caption = First Capital Connect Class 365 Networker Express passing through Runcton Holme in 2012

| type = Heavy rail

| system = National Rail

| status = Operational

| locale = East of England

| start = {{rws|Cambridge}}

| end = {{rws|King's Lynn}}

| stations = 8

| routes =

| daily_ridership =

| open =

| close =

| owner = Network Rail

| operator = {{ubl|Great Northern|Greater Anglia|CrossCountry}}

| character = Secondary\London & South-East

| stock = {{ubl|Class 170 "Turbostar"|Class 379 "Electrostar"|Class 387 "Electrostar"|Class 720 "Aventra"|Class 755 "FLIRT"}}

| linelength = {{convert|41|mi|47|chain|km}}

| tracklength =

| tracks = 1-2

| gauge = {{track gauge|uksg|allk=on}}

| electrification = 25 kV AC OHLE

| speed = {{convert|90|mph|km/h|0|abbr=on}} maximum{{cite book |author=Network Rail |author-link=Network Rail |title=East Anglia Route Sectional Appendix |volume=Module EA |date=August 2006 |id=NR30018/02 |page=109 LOR EA1162 Seq007}}

| elevation =

| map = 300px
(Click to expand)

| map_state = uncollapsed

}}

The Fen Line is a railway line in the east of England that links {{rws|Cambridge}} in the south to {{rws|King's Lynn}} in the north. The line runs through Cambridgeshire and Norfolk and the name of the line refers to the Fens which cover parts of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire. It is {{convert|41|mi|47|chain|km}} in length and has eight stations.

The line is part of the Network Rail Strategic Route 5 and comprises SRS 05.06 and part of 05.05. It is classified as a secondary line except between Cambridge and {{rws|Ely}} where it is classified as a London and South East commuter line.{{cite web

|url=http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2009/Route%205%20-%20West%20Anglia.pdf

|title=Route 5 – West Anglia

|publisher=Network Rail

|access-date=2009-05-22

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607104701/http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse%20documents/StrategicBusinessPlan/RoutePlans/2009/Route%205%20-%20West%20Anglia.pdf

|archive-date=7 June 2011

|url-status=dead

}}

History

The line was completed in sections in the 1840s, and previously extended north to the seaside town of Hunstanton.

Services

=Great Northern=

Great Northern operate through services to {{rws|London King's Cross}} (via the Cambridge line). These services operate non-stop between London and {{rws|Cambridge}} for most of the day, as part of the half-hourly "Cambridge Express" service. One train an hour is extended beyond Cambridge to serve all stations to {{rws|King's Lynn}}, whilst the alternative services run to {{rws|Ely}}.

These services are mostly operated by Class 387 and Class 700 electric multiple units. Before May 2017, Class 365s were the principal units.

=Greater Anglia=

Greater Anglia regularly runs services between {{rws|Stansted Airport}} and {{rws|Norwich}} on an hourly basis via the Breckland line, running non-stop between {{rws|Ely}} and {{rws|Cambridge North}}. Class 755 units are used for this service.

Until the timetable change in May 2023, Greater Anglia ran a few direct services between {{rws|London Liverpool Street}} and King's Lynn or Ely (via the West Anglia Main Line). These services operated only during the morning and evening peaks. After the alterations, these services only run to and from Ely, and King's Lynn no longer has any direct services to London Liverpool Street.{{cite news

| url = https://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/towns-train-station-will-see-half-hourly-departures-during-p-9312087/

| title = Extra trains to run from King's Lynn into London King's Cross in timetable update

| work = Lynn News

| date = 2023-05-11

| accessdate = 2023-05-23

}}

=CrossCountry=

The section between Cambridge and {{rws|Ely}} is also used non-stop by CrossCountry services from {{rws|Stansted Airport}} (and onward to {{rws|Birmingham New Street}} via {{rws|Peterborough}} and {{rws|Leicester}}). Class 170 units are used for this service.

Signalling

The line is double tracked except between Littleport and Downham Market and between Watlington and King's Lynn where it is bi-directionally signalled single track. In the Down direction, the entrance to the single line sections is protected additionally by SPAD indicators.

Signal boxes controlling the line are;

Cambridge power box
Littleport
Downham Market
Magdalen Road (Watlington)
King's Lynn

The signalling system is Track circuit block with multiple aspect colour light signals- with the exception of:

one semaphore signal at King's Lynn{{cite book |author=Network Rail |author-link=Network Rail |title=East Anglia Route Sectional Appendix |volume=Module EA |date=August 2006 |id=NR30018/02 |page=110 LOR EA1270 Seq001}} which controls entry to the One Train In Section freight-only line from King's Lynn to {{rws|Middleton Towers}}
two semaphore shunt signals at {{rws|Downham Market}} station

In 2020, the Department of Transport announced funding to renew the signalling on the Fen Line to ETCS cab signalling.{{cite web|last=|title=New rail tech roll-out set to bring more reliable journeys and boost jobs|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rail-tech-roll-out-set-to-bring-more-reliable-journeys-and-boost-jobs|access-date=2020-11-19|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}

Infrastructure

Traction current for electric trains is provided by 25 kV AC OHLE controlled by Romford Electrical Control Room.{{cite book |author=Network Rail |author-link=Network Rail |title=East Anglia Route Sectional Appendix |volume=Module EA |date=August 2006 |id=NR30018/02 |page=110 LOR EA1161 Seq008}} There are Neutral Sections at Shepreth Branch junction, Milton Fen and just north of Littleport bypass. The line has a loading gauge of W8 except for the section connecting the Ipswich–Ely line to the Ely–Peterborough line, which is W10.

Passenger volume

These are the statistics of the numbers of passengers on the line from the year beginning April 2002 to the year beginning April 2017. Comparing each station between the first and last years (14 years total), King's Lynn has increased by 68%, Watlington by 133%, Downham Market by 111%, Littleport by 157%, Ely by 113%, Waterbeach by 149% and Cambridge by 109%.{{cite web |title=Station Usage |work=Rail Statistics |publisher=Office of Rail Regulation |url=http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529 |access-date=2 September 2015 |archive-date=5 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070705115621/http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/server/show/nav.1529 |url-status=dead }} Cambridge North was not open at the time of the publication of these figures.

{{GBsta-u |

{{GBsta-u A|stn=King's Lynn|u1=593,675|u2=641,668|u3=622,034|u4=656,624|u5=680,230|u6=739,282|u7=750,738|u8=821,772|u9=869,006|u10=879,836|u11=913,460|u12=970,890|u13=973,660|u14=998,316|u15=998,498{{cite web |title=Station usage, April 2017 to March 2018 data |work=Rail Statistics |publisher=Office of Rail Regulation |url=https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/1220/table-1410-estimates-of-station-usage-2017-18.ods |access-date=2 September 2015 }}|u16=991,252|u17=931,394|u18=240,162|u19=683,706|u20=757,034}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Watlington|u1=64,091|u2=85,231|u3=85,423|u4=91,250|u5=100,665|u6=111,612|u7=107,956|u8=113,898|u9=129,146|u10=137,874|u11=131,742|u12=143,904|u13=148,928|u14=144,114|u15=146,014|u16=153,782|u17=138,366|u18=39,078|u19=105,886|u20=107,724}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Downham Market|u1=248,368|u2=277,744|u3=276,900|u4=307,013|u5=361,433|u6=365,612|u7=360,032|u8=406,690|u9=432,014|u10=452,674|u11=460,060|u12=491,744|u13=500,442|u14=523,846|u15=533,426|u16=549,562|u17=512,772|u18=129,058|u19=341,550|u20=386,270}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Littleport|u1=94,363|u2=119,198|u3=122,655|u4=146,218|u5=148,836|u6=156,124|u7=149,428|u8=178,254|u9=199,804|u10=206,596|u11=225,024|u12=238,062|u13=229,628|u14=242,814|u15=248,786|u16=248,808|u17=238,488|u18=60,976|u19=153,660|u20=186,752}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Ely|u1=1,038,708|u2=1,255,362|u3=1,278,724|u4=1,420,734|u5=1,505,730|u6=1,583,246|u7=1,579,948|u8=1,731,956|u9=1,824,036|u10=1,878,426|u11=1,976,150|u12=2,068,240|u13=2,131,818|u14=2,209,350|u15=2,281,710|u16=2,386,744|u17=2,363,818|u18=577,460|u19=1,634,548|u20=1,894,014}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Waterbeach|u1=176,639|u2=197,594|u3=213,500|u4=227,281|u5=250,039|u6=277,470|u7=266,020|u8=301,376|u9=312,216|u10=335,660|u11=344,726|u12=381,202|u13=420,730|u14=440,142|u15=430,050|u16=407,650|u17=377,660|u18=100,176|u19=265,180|u20=309,130}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Cambridge North|u1={{n/a}}|u2={{n/a}}|u3={{n/a}}|u4={{n/a}}|u5={{n/a}}|u6={{n/a}}|u7={{n/a}}|u8={{n/a}}|u9={{n/a}}|u10={{n/a}}|u11={{n/a}}|u12={{n/a}}|u13={{n/a}}|u14={{n/a}}|u15=488,878|u16=812,972|u17=949,550|u18=220,958|u19=733,612|u20=1,074,602}}

{{GBsta-u A|stn=Cambridge|u1=5,478,112|u2=6,060,475|u3=6,137,423|u4=6,522,309|u5=6,997,887|u6=7,571,838|u7=7,661,146|u8=8,245,416|u9=8,823,236|u10=9,168,938|u11=9,824,910|u12=10,420,178|u13=10,954,212|u14=11,424,902|u15=11,530,238|u16=11,983,320|u17=11,599,814|u18=2,300,528|u19=6,952,780|u20=9,341,600}}

}}