SprinterMan
Established Member
Until recently, I never had any interest in this station but a trip to Harwich has shown me what a weird station this is. I thought it was laid out like Ely or any other generic 3 platform station. Platform 3 is a bay platform used by the early-morning/late-evening DMU services to Lowestoft/Cambridge which are 170 operated these days I think. Platform 2 is bi-directional for the local Manningtree-harwich Town shuttle, but platform 1 is really odd.
Platform 1 is used as a terminal platform for boat-trains from London but is a through platform. The line it is on runs to a seemingly abandoned goods yard at Harwich Town but is heavily overgrown and not electrified for all of the distance. It does not run through the platforms at either Dovercourt or Harwich Town and there seems to be no way of accessing the one remaining working line without a reversal, meaning Platform 1 is basically a bay platform also.
The entrance to the station (from the west) is through a large goods yard, which was apparently abandoned when I was there but was used for storing 317/7s until December 2011 apparently.
The station only really serves the port (and maybe the village of Parkestone) and was quite empty when I was there. I assume it is busier when the ferry is there, although that seems to be in decline due to cheap flights.
The service has suffered a bit in recent years. The station used to be operated by Anglia Railways and the boat trains were operated by LHCS, but NX put bay to that. The whole Harwich branch got hourly though-service to London but the boat-trains were operated by 321s and the DMU service was reduced to parliamentry levels with it being SuO. In 2010, the old FGE timetable was reintroduced and the hourly London trains were lost but the DMU service became regular again. In December 2011, the boat trains received a big upgrade when they became operated by 317/7s, but GA chose to relieve themselves over that particular bonfire by withdrawing the 317/7s so ferry passengers are stuck once again with 321s.
It is sad to see the decline of this station and it's services, and I hope the ferry service keeps operating and the "Dutchflyer" boat trains once again get some decent stock.
Adam
Platform 1 is used as a terminal platform for boat-trains from London but is a through platform. The line it is on runs to a seemingly abandoned goods yard at Harwich Town but is heavily overgrown and not electrified for all of the distance. It does not run through the platforms at either Dovercourt or Harwich Town and there seems to be no way of accessing the one remaining working line without a reversal, meaning Platform 1 is basically a bay platform also.
The entrance to the station (from the west) is through a large goods yard, which was apparently abandoned when I was there but was used for storing 317/7s until December 2011 apparently.
The station only really serves the port (and maybe the village of Parkestone) and was quite empty when I was there. I assume it is busier when the ferry is there, although that seems to be in decline due to cheap flights.
The service has suffered a bit in recent years. The station used to be operated by Anglia Railways and the boat trains were operated by LHCS, but NX put bay to that. The whole Harwich branch got hourly though-service to London but the boat-trains were operated by 321s and the DMU service was reduced to parliamentry levels with it being SuO. In 2010, the old FGE timetable was reintroduced and the hourly London trains were lost but the DMU service became regular again. In December 2011, the boat trains received a big upgrade when they became operated by 317/7s, but GA chose to relieve themselves over that particular bonfire by withdrawing the 317/7s so ferry passengers are stuck once again with 321s.
It is sad to see the decline of this station and it's services, and I hope the ferry service keeps operating and the "Dutchflyer" boat trains once again get some decent stock.
Adam
