GENERAL
  
Ipswich is the most important railway centre between London Liverpool Street and Norwich, on the main line of the former Great Eastern Railway. The line from Colchester to Ipswich was opened in 1846 and reached Norwich 3 years later. 

In preparation for electrification of the main line between 1985 and 1987, the whole area was resignalled. Colchester Power Box took over control from the manual boxes in the area, including Ipswich Station, Ipswich Goods Junction and East Suffolk Junction.

The express passenger service between London and Ipswich is currently operated by push-pull fitted class 86 electric locos, serviced at Norwich Crown Point depot. The locomotive stabling and fuelling point adjacent to Ipswich station is used mainly by the locos required to handle the considerable freight traffic, especially to the major container port of Felixstowe, which exchange electric for diesel locos at Ipswich.

Freight and passenger traffic to the Felixstowe branch takes the East Suffolk line, which diverges from the main line at East Suffolk Junction, a mile north of Ipswich station. Three miles further north, at Westerfield Junction, this traffic leaves the East Suffolk line which carries on for a further 45 rural miles to Lowestoft. The Sprinter units used on the passenger service are fitted with RETB (Radio Electronic Token Block) equipment, allowing the whole line to be controlled from Saxmundham signalbox. Diesel locos used on the only freight service, serving Sizewell atomic power stations, must also be fitted for this system.

Electric multiple unit services originate and terminate here, providing a semi-fast service to Liverpool Street and another to Harwich Town, reversing at Manningtree and serving Parkeston Quay, with its ferry connections to the Hook of Holland, Hamburg, Esbjerg and Gothenburg.

Haughley Junction is 14 miles north of Ipswich and here the cross-country route via Bury St.Edmunds leaves the main Norwich line. Cross-country passenger services, from Ipswich to Cambridge, Peterborough and beyond, use this line.

RUNNING LINES

Bidirectional working is available on all lines in the Ipswich station area, including the Main Lines as far as East Suffolk Junction to the north and Halifax Junction to the south. Also on the Down & Up Lowestoft and Down & Up Goods lines to East Suffolk Junction.
                      
Permissive working of trains of classes 1,2,3 and 5 is permitted on all platform lines.

Non-passenger trains, including light locos, may terminate or originate from Ipswich Yard, the Stabling Point/Carriage Sidings, and Wherstead Road sidings.

Trains originating at Wherstead Road are propelled out of the yard, unless requiring the Up Main line.

Freight trains scheduled to stop in the Ipswich area may use the following designated stopping places:

   Line/Siding         between signals       Capacity
       
   Down/Up Goods          322 & 337             19
   Reception 1            814 & 825             25
   Reception 2            816 & 827             24

These capacities are for class 4 trains and allow for 1 loco; capacities for trains of classes 6-8 are double the above figures.

The Working Timetable will show arrival and departure times for stops scheduled at these places. Other trains will be scheduled to enter Ipswich Yard, departing at a later time.

PLATFORM CAPACITIES
   
         Platform         No. of Coaches (*)
   			 
            1                    7
            2                   15
            3                   15
            4                   12 

Note: (*) Reduce by 1 for each loco on loco-hauled trains.       

These capacities may differ a little from the prototype.

SIDING CAPACITIES

        Siding                Between            Capacity
          
        Shunt Spur      789 and buffer stops        18
        Yard Spur       828 and buffer stops         7
        
These capacities are for empty coaching stock and class 4 trains and allow for 1 loco; capacities for trains of classes 6-8 are double the above figures.


TRAIN REPORTING NUMBERS

     First Character (Train Class):

           1      Express Passenger  
           2      Ordinary Passenger       	
           3      Parcels  (Max. 90 mph+)  	
           4      Freight (Max. 65 mph+)      
           5      Empty Coaching Stock     	
           6      Freight (Max. 50-60 mph)    
           7      Freight (Max. 40-45 mph)    
           8      Freight (Max. 35 mph) 		
           0      Light Engine             	

     Second Character (Destination):

           A      Harwich district
           C      Liverpool Street district
           E      Eastern Region        
           F      Colchester district
           H      Cambridge/Peterborough district
           J      Sheffield district
           L      Anglia Region
           M      London Midland Region 
           O      Southern Region     
           P      Norwich district
           R      Barking district
           S      ScotRail   
           V      Western Region       
           Y      Ipswich district
           Z      Local Movements      

Routing is as specified in the Working Timetable. 

Light locos and empty coaching stock proceeding to/from a booked working may carry the headcode 0 or 5, followed by the last 3 characters of the train concerned.

ELECTRIFICATION

All lines in the controlled area are electrified using the 25kV AC overhead system, with the exception of the East Suffolk line and Wherstead Road depot.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Thanks are due to Nick Goward for providing information to assist in producing this simulation.
