Cromer is a railway station which serves the coastal town of Cromer, in the English county of Norfolk. It is a stop on the Bittern Line between Norwich and Sheringham. The station is located 26 mi down the line from Norwich.

History

The station opened as Cromer Beach on 16 June 1887. As the Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway (M&GNJR) line approached Cromer from the west, following the coastal clifftops, it avoided the steep escarpment which had prevented the earlier line from Norwich running all the way into the town. Consequently, it became possible to build a far more conveniently located station, near to the town centre and the beach. It was renamed Cromer on 20 October 1969, following the closure of Cromer High station in 1954. Cromer is one of only two former Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway stations to remain operational on the National Rail network; the other being the neighbouring West Runton. Sheringham and Weybourne are the other two surviving M&GNJR stations; both are still served today on the heritage North Norfolk Railway.

Buildings

To cater to the heavy leisure traffic at the end of the 19th century, Cromer Beach had a large station building in a half-timbered style, and a large goods yard. The station originally included a bar, which was closed in 1966. Following the introduction of conductor-guard working, the ticket facilities were no longer needed and the building fell into disuse; it was renovated and reopened as a public house in 1998. A large supermarket was built on the site of the goods yards in 1991.

Services

All services at Cromer are operated by Greater Anglia using BMUs. The typical service on all days of the week is one train per hour in each direction between Norwich and Sheringham. Due to its location, trains reverse at the station before continuing to Norwich or Sheringham. In 1997 a single daily through train to and from London Liverpool Street to Sheringham via Cromer was introduced but was discontinued due to low usage.