page updated
25 February 2016

Midland & Eastern Railway

Bourn to Kings Lynn.

Earlier Norwich & Spalding and Spalding & Bourn Chronology

Date Event Source
1865 Applied for extension from Bourn to join the Midland Railway near Saxby.
Rejected by Parliament.		 RM 1898-8
1866 Agreement reached with Great Northern Railway for running powers between Bourn and Stamford via Essendine and for joint working over this route with the Midland Railway. RM 1898-8
23rd July 1866 Royal assent given to Midland & Eastern Railway Act 1866 allowing the Midland & Eastern Railway to take over working the Norwich & Spalding and Spalding & Bourn Railways and to exercise running powers to Peterborough.
The Spalding & Bourn Railway was vested in the Midland & Eastern from this date.		 RM 1936-9.
Warren.
7th July 1873 Royal assent given to Great Northern Railway (Additional Powers) Act 1873 allowing the purchase of additional lands at Bourn station. The lands to be purchased within 2 years. Act of Parliament.
August 1867 Commenced working the Norwich & Spalding Railway which retained its separate legal identity. Warren.
1875 Royal assent given to Sutton Bridge Dock Act 1875. Act of Parliament
1876 Royal assent given to Sutton Bridge Dock Act 1876. Act of Parliament
12th July 1877 Royal assent given to Midland & Eastern Railway Act 1877 allowing the Norwich & Spalding and Spalding & Bourn Railways to be vested in the Midland & Eastern Railway Act from 1 July 1877. Warren.
29th June 1880 Royal assent given to Sutton Bridge Dock Act 1880 which notes the following:
  1. considerable progress has been made with the works authorised in the 1875 Act and authrises extension of time for completion,
  2. the railway authorised in the 1876 has been completed and opened for traffic but is not intended for the public conveyance of passengers,
  3. the Great Northern Railway subscribed to the undertaking using powers in the Great Northern Railway (Transfer &c) Act 1878.

    4. also authorised:
  4. extension of the dock,
  5. entering into agreement with the Great Northern Railway for working the Dock.
 Act of Parliament
6th August 1880 Royal assent given to Great Northern Railway Act which authorised opening of additional lines at Spalding and closure of Steppingstone Lane Crossing at Spalding.
Footbridges to erected at Bourn Road Crossing and just north of Steppingstone Lane.
Note: Bourn Road Crossing later renamed Winsover Road Crossing.		 Act of Parliament
9th October 1880 Spalding to Holbeach closed due to severe flooding of the South Lincolnshire Fens. RM 1898-8
2nd February 1881 Spalding to Holbeach reopened following severe flooding of the South Lincolnshire Fens. RM 1898-8
30th June 1883 Last day of independent existence. Eastern & Midlands Act 1882.

Subsequent Chronology