Editing North Norfolk Railway (section)

===Preservation history===
[[File:North Norfolk Railway - geograph.org.uk - 246533.jpg|thumb|left|Looking towards Holt from Weybourne]]
[[File:The North Norfolk Railway through Kelling Heath - geograph.org.uk - 1749248.jpg|thumb|left|The railway through Kelling Heath]]

The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railways Preservation Society formed in April 1959, initially hoping to save the 22-mile long {{rws|North Walsham Town}} to {{rws|Yarmouth Beach}} section; later, the North Walsham to {{rws|Aylsham North}} and [[Themelthorpe]] to Melton Constable sections.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wrottesley |first=A.J. |date=1970 |title=The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway |location=London |publisher=David & Charles |page=191 |isbn=0715381733}}</ref> After these plans proved impossible, attention turned to the {{convert|3|mi|km}} section of line between Sheringham and Weybourne.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wrottesley |first=A.J. |date=1970 |title=The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway |location=London |publisher=David & Charles |page=192 |isbn=0715381733}}</ref> In 1963, the Society formed ''North Norfolk Railways Limited'', initially required to be titled the ''Central Norfolk Enterprises'' due to not owning any railway, to preserve and operate the line.<ref>{{cite book |last=Perry |first=Gordon |date=1978 |title=North Norfolk Railway Guide Book |location=Aylsham |publisher=North Norfolk Railway Co Ltd |page=10 }}</ref>

Sheringham station was still being used by British Rail services and, by the time the purchase had been completed, track lifting had taken place at Weybourne and some way towards Sheringham.<ref name="auto">{{cite book |last=Oppitz |first=Lesley |date=1989 |title=East Anglia Railways Remembered |location=Newbury |publisher=Countryside Books |page=30 |isbn=1853060402}}</ref> Work on rebuilding the line started in 1965 and Sheringham station was leased by the society following closure in 1967<ref>{{cite book |last=Oppitz |first=Lesley |date=1989 |title=East Anglia Railways Remembered |location=Newbury |publisher=Countryside Books |page=29 |isbn=1853060402}}</ref> with two [[steam locomotive]]s, two [[British Rail railbuses|diesel railbus]]es and the LNER Quad-Art set being delivered on 4 June 1967.<ref name="auto"/>

Initially, trains were only operated for members. Operations over the line were later authorised through a [[Light Railways Act 1896|Light Railway Order]]; the first was issued in 1975, under control of British Rail, and independently from 1976.<ref>{{cite book |last=Perry |first=Gordon |date=1978 |title=North Norfolk Railway Guide Book |location=Aylsham |publisher=North Norfolk Railway Co Ltd |page=11 }}</ref> An amendment order was issued in 1987, relating to the extension of the NNR to a new station site at Holt - using a parcel of land originally purchased as the junction for the never-built Blakeney branch.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1987/950/made|title=The North Norfolk (Extension and Amendment) Light Railway Order 1987}}</ref>

At [[Sheringham (North Norfolk Railway) railway station|Sheringham]], the line has now been reconnected to the town's main [[Sheringham railway station|station]] on the [[National Rail]] network, via an occasional-use [[level crossing]];<ref name="LevelCrossing">[http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/page.php?pid=8 NNR Sheringham Level Crossing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100301040158/http://www.nnrailway.co.uk/page.php?pid=8 |date=1 March 2010 }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8518000/8518548.stm|title=Sheringham sees steam reconnected|date=11 March 2010|via=news.bbc.co.uk|access-date=12 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100221013154/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/norfolk/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8518000/8518548.stm|archive-date=21 February 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>  crossings by charter trains and visiting [[rolling stock]] are anticipated not to exceed 12 times a year. The North Norfolk Railway also operate a number of dining trains over the entire surviving section of the M&GN, between Holt and Cromer, during summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nnrailway.co.uk/portfolio-items/mainline-cromer-dining-trains/|title=Mainline Cromer Dining Trains|access-date=25 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190411002142/https://www.nnrailway.co.uk/portfolio-items/mainline-cromer-dining-trains/|archive-date=11 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Services began in 2016, working in partnership with the [[North Yorkshire Moors Railway]], who were already a licensed operator on Network Rail.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nymr.co.uk/news/unique-heritage-railway-partnership-for-new-cromer-service-news|title=Railway Partnership for New Cromer Service|website=North York Moors Historical Railway Trust - NYMR|date=15 May 2017 |access-date=25 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025085414/https://www.nymr.co.uk/news/unique-heritage-railway-partnership-for-new-cromer-service-news|archive-date=25 October 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The Tourist information Centre and public toilets, that sat on the footprint of part of the trackbed between the station and the network rail link, were demolished and rebuilt in the style of the station, releasing the trackbed alignment for this development.