The Eastern Counties Railway had grossly underestimated the cost of building its line, and it was running out of money.

[2][3][4][5] Throughout the remainder of that year and in 1840, a number of schemes were put forward and discussed; there were alternative routes, but they all met with the suspicion that large sums of money might be subscribed without the lines being completed.

By now the Northern and Eastern Railway was in financial difficulty too; its original intention of connecting London to York was eventually reduced to a line from Stratford to Newport, Essex.

Ambitious railway schemes in East Anglia were not held in high esteem, especially when their projected cost was quoted in millions of pounds.

The ECR powers to build between Norwich and Yarmouth had lapsed by this time, but at a meeting on 19 March 1841 a proposal was tabled, prepared by Robert Stephenson, for a line.

It was to be routed indirectly, via Reedham, to minimise the cost by avoiding certain river crossings and keeping to low-lying ground: it became known as the Valley Line.

[6] Grissell and Peto were appointed as the contractors; they had agreed to take £30,000 of their fee in shares; they started work in late March 1843.

The issue was not resolved by the time the line opened, and at first arriving passengers were ferried across the River Bure.

For some time at the beginning, there were no goods or mineral trains; in fact this service was delayed until the Brandon connection was finished.

[2][4][1] The Yarmouth and Norwich Railway was the first in the country to adopt electric telegraph block working from its beginning.

[7]Carter states that "the Yarmouth and Norwich for many years held the railway 'sprint' record of one mile in 44 seconds.

By the construction of this railway, it is anticipated, Norwich, Yarmouth, and the county of Norfolk, will be ultimately connected, not only with the metropolis but with the Midland and Northern counties, and the manufacturing districts, as, no doubt, extension lines, to connect it with the above-mentioned railways, would speedily be obtained by the respective companies, who have already expressed their desire to co-operate with the promoters of the undertaking; and, with that object, some of them are now actually employed in making surveys.

Nevertheless the Northern and Eastern Railway had got as far as Bishops Stortford and an extension of that to Brandon by way of Cambridge and Ely was feasible.

At the time of authorisation this was a huge scheme: 126 miles of railway at a cost of £1.6 million, and it turned out that the project was considerably underestimated.

The N&ER had only reached Bishop's Stortford, but at the time of the lease it was in the course of constructing on to its authorised northern extremity at Newport, a distance of about 9 miles.

On 2 May 1845 the bridge collapsed under a crowd of people, and more than a hundred drowned: The scene of this dreadful event was the Suspension-bridge, on the North Quay, crossing the river Bure, and which has been the entrance to the town from the railway and the new road from Acle.

Cooke's Equestrian Company has for some time been staying in the town, and on the morning of this fatal day it was announced by public handbills that Nelson, one of the clowns, would sail up the River Bure... in a common washing tub, drawn by four "real geese," elegantly harnessed and caparisoned...

The clown and his geese started from the Old Bridge in the presence of an immense concourse of persons, who had assembled on the banks of the river to witness the feat.

The multitude of persons along the North Quay was greatly increased by the rush from the Old Bridge, and every spot where a view of Nelson and his geese could be obtained, was filled with spectators.

By far the most advantageous view was had from the Suspension-bridge, and... about four hundred persons occupied this position... every point of vision towards the spot where the geese were to be looked for was densely crammed with men, women, and children, and even the chains and suspenders had many occupants.

In order to accommodate this increased traffic, the proprietors had been induced to extend the bridge on each side of the chains, to the extent of four feet, for foot passengers, and the platform on the south side was the chief receptacle for the multitude who were on the bridge on this occasion... all eyes were stretched to the utmost and every ear listening with eagerness for the first announcement of the clown's appearance.

The Trowse station was just outside Norwich: the final entry to the city was delayed while a swing bridge over the River Wensum at Carrow was completed.

[note 3] Thus the first railway communication between London (Shoreditch) and Norwich (Trowse) had been brought to completion, though by way of Cambridge, and not the Colchester route for which the Eastern Counties had obtained its original powers in 1836.

The meeting agreed that a railway would be a good thing, and a bill for the line was deposited for the 1845 session of Parliament.

Opposition from Yarmouth was confined to technical and drainage issues, and the Lowestoft Railway and Harbour Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict.

c. xlv) was passed on 30 June 1845; share capital was to be £120,000, of which £80,000 was for building an eleven mile railway and £40,000 was for harbour improvements at Lowestoft itself.

[10] During 1845 a furious and controversial series of discussions took place in Norwich about a railway to Dereham and Fakenham, and the route it should take.

The ECR gained similar control of other railways in East Anglia, and at length amalgamation was proposed.

Most of the network of the Norfolk Railway continues in use; the Brandon to Norwich line lost much of the London traffic, which was later concentrated on the Ipswich route.

However it gained from a much more frequent cross-country passenger service from Liverpool via Ely and Thetford, typically at hourly intervals.