Railways Around the Fens

Occupying approximately 1,500 square miles of the East of England, the Fens are notorious flatlands lying very close to sea level. Extending across much of Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Lincolnshire, they offer a rare chance to see Britain’s railways in action against one of the most attractive rural backdrops in the country. Sadly, the Cambridgeshire town of Wisbech, often referred to as the capital of the Fens, has long been removed from the railway map. Today’s Fenland railways, however, linking Cambridge and King’s Lynn and the cathedral cities of Peterborough and Ely, both continue to cross this beautiful countryside. Various passenger-train operators provide vital links serving local communities, while longer-distance ones offer both commuters the chance to reach London and the leisure traveller a choice of airports. Most UK freight operators also cross the Fens with the major port of Felixstowe ensuring a constant procession of container trains through the area. The Fens’ attraction is in its rural setting where today’s modern railway sits alongside relics of a bygone age, including manually operated level crossings and semaphore signals. John Jackson takes an in-depth look at what the railways of the Fens have to offer today through a vibrant selection of images and informative captions.