The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway

The Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway network once covered the map of Norfolk. The section between Sheringham and Holt (opened 1887, closed 1964) was saved by enthusiasts and re-opened in stages from 1976: today, as the Poppy Line, it is one of Britain’s foremost heritage railways, carrying over 126,000 passengers a year.

The M&GN Joint Railway Society is the registered charity that supports (and is the major shareholder in) the North Norfolk Railway, the Poppy Line operating company.

The Society owns four historic steam locomotives and a vintage diesel loco. It also owns the only surviving Gresley Quad-Art 4-coach set, an LNER pigeon van, a coach from the Wisbech Tramway, and other historic vehicles. Many of the Society’s artefacts, photographs, maps, tickets and other ephemera are on display in the William Marriott Museum at Holt Station.

There are some 2,000 Society members, many of whom work on the Poppy Line as volunteers: the line is volunteer-led, and over 90% of the jobs on the Railway are carried out by volunteers.

If you have any queries or wish for any extra information, please do not hesitate to contact me Alex Galpin, Society Secretary