DMU Operations: Eastern Region
Sudbury-Colchester
DMUs were first introduced when Sudbury was a through station on the Stour Valley route. Paytrain operation was introduced on 14 August 1966[1].
The through Stour Valley route closed on 6 March 1967 making Sudbury a terminus on an 11 mile branch from Marks Tey. DMUs used would be two-car sets allocated to Norwich, by the late 1980s Cambridge sets were used.
Eventually second generation units were introduced. In 1997 Great Eastern was using a Class 153 hired from Anglia, but that lease was cut short in September 1997, and in its place Bletchley bubbles were borrowed until another Class 153 was obtained for the summer 1998 timetable.
Sample Timetables
23 June 1974 to 4 May 1975
This measured 4 1/8" x 3" when folded.
1 October 1979 until further notice
This measured 4 1/8" x 2 7/8" when folded.
12 May 1980 until further notice
This measured 4 1/8" x 2 7/8" when folded.
1 June 1981 until further notice
This measured 4 1/8" x 2 7/8" when folded.
1st June 1968
A down train arrives at Subdury on the 1st June 1968. David Underwood.
6th December 1969
Sudbury station in the snow on December 6, 1969. The train is the 13.57 to Colchester, and the DTCL closest is E56376. Tom Burnham.
25th July 1971
Cravens DMBS E51278 at the Chappel & Wakes Colne stop of a Sudbury service on 25 July 1971. It is paired with Met-Camm DTCL E56380. Nicholas T Smith.
25th July 1971
A Class 101/105 hybrid (56380 + 51278) arrives at Chappel & Wakes Colne on its return from Sudbury on 25 July 1971. Nicholas T Smith.
2nd August 1976
Class 105 DMU set 54 arrives into Chappel & Wakes Colne station with a service from Sudbury on 2 August 1976. Alistair Ness.
Unknown date
Cravens DMU set 37 in Sudbury station, date unknown. The KDH Archive.
10th April 1979
A Class 105 at Sudbury on 10 April 1979, awaiting the return back to Marks Tey. The leading car is E50384 and I only noted it as I got it new. Sadly the meticulous noting down of everything that I saw was waning by then. Alistair Ness.
10th April 1979
A Class 105 at Sudbury on 10 April 1979, having arrived at the truncated terminus on my Easter Region Rover. The far power car is E50384. Alistair Ness.
22nd March 1980
E50346 is seen at Colchester with E56114 forming a Sudbury service on March 22, 1980. Jeremy Chapter.
22nd March 1980
This is the old Sudbury station; the line was later cut back about one hundred yards and the former station site is now a leisure centre. Working on Colchester services are Class 105 DTCL E56114 and Class 100 DMBS E50346 on March 22, 1980. Jeremy Chapter.
26th April 1980
With the red tail light illuminated, rusty track in the foreground was marking the limit of travel at the single track terminus at the market town of Sudbury on April 26th 1980. A Cravens Class 105 two-car DMU formed of cars E51277 & E56125 was awaiting departure with the 16.69 mile return journey to Colchester, joining the Great Eastern main line en-route at Marks Tey. Sudbury was once on a through route to and from Cambridge, the line was closed West of Sudbury in March 1967. The station in this view has since closed, with a new station being opened in 1991. Martyn Hilbert.
7th June 1980
The driver of this Sudbury bound class 104 DMU at Chappel & Wakes Colne on 7th June 1980 seems to be making a rude gesture at the photographer as he arrives at Chapel & Wakes Colne on 7th June 1980! E50596 presumably leads. Bob Belcher.
29th March 1981
On a overcast Spring Sunday afternoon in the market town of Sudbury in Suffolk, the run-down looking station was seeing some activity with the arrival of a Cravens Class 105 Two-Car DMU formed of cars E51255 & E56130 with the branch service along the Stour Valley route from Marks Tey on the Great Eastern main line from Liverpool St to Norwich on March 29th 1981. Since 1967 Sudbury has been the end-of-the-line, the station once being on a through route to Shelford and Cambridge. Martyn Hilbert.
5th April 1981
A Cravens Class 105 two-car DMU formed of cars E51255 & E56130 had arrived at the market town of Sudbury, with a service from Colchester & Marks Tey on an overcast Sunday April 5th 1981. Much disused and abandoned infrastructure is visible in this scene, a legacy from the days when prior to 1967, Sudbury was a through station on a route to Cambridge. Martyn Hilbert.
circa 1982
A Cravens 2-car DMU waits at the remains of Sudbury station in Suffolk, before returning to Marks Tey, circa 1982. This former GER station was closed and re-sited in 1991; a leisure centre now covers the area. Kevin Lane.
31st December 1982
A Cravens DMU at Sudbury on 31 December 1982. Rob Paterson.
4th August 1984
Standing amongst the rural neglect that was Sudbury (Suffolk) back in the early 1980's is this 2-car class 101 DMU set is waiting to depart with the 11.02 to Colchester on August 4, 1984. Adrian Nicholls.
4th August 1984
Norwich based class 101 DMU set no.80 is seen amid the weed choked remnants of the once larger station of Sudbury on the former Great Eastern Railway cross country line from Marks Tey to Cambridge via Haverhill. The line beyond here closed in 1967 and this station itself shut in 1990 when the branch was truncated slightly to a newer station south of this one serving Sudbury. The 'Met-Cam' DMU is waiting to depart with train 2K11 the 11.35 to Colchester on 04/08/84. Adrian Nicholls.
1st April 1985
Class 101 DMU set 75 (51217 + 54364) arrives into Marks Tey station with a Sudbury service on 1 April 1985. An image from the Jim Freebury Railway Slide Archive Collection. David Page.
1st April 1985
Class 101 DMU set 75 (54364 + 51217) departs from Sudbury on 1 April 1985. An image from the Jim Freebury Railway Slide Archive Collection. David Page.
References
- ⋏ Sudbury railway station, Wikipedia, accessed 6 December 2022