Brundall Gardens new station sign has link to railway's past

Brundall Gardens station on the Wherry Lines between Norwich, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft has received substantial investment by train operator Greater Anglia which has included the resurfacing of platforms and a new lighting scheme.

The works have enabled some changes to the station planting and this has led to new station name signs, known within the rail industry as "Running in Boards", to be installed.

They have been funded by the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership and are a modern twist on the original signage in place when the station opened as a halt in 1924.

The Brundall station circa 1960 Picture: Courtesy of Graham Kenworthy Collection (Image: Courtesy of Graham Kenworthy Collection)

Construction of the signage has been a family affair with station adopter Greg Chandler building the frames and his son, a cabinet maker, creating the mahogany architrave.

Greater Anglia’s project delivery site manager, Phil Hogg, who has been overseeing the station improvement scheme, assisted with the installation.

Mr Chandler said: "I’ve wanted to reinstate the traditional Running in Boards at the station for several years, having seen them pictured in old photographs.

"When the project to install new lighting at the station began, it was necessary to remove some of the hedging and this gave the opportunity to create a little more space, enabling the installation of the new signs.

"They are a modern take on the original signage and I am grateful to Phil Hogg at Greater Anglia for his assistance in installing them and to the Wherry Lines Community Rail Partnership for providing the funding.”

The railway station opened in 1924, some 80 years after the line first opened, and was initially named Brundall Gardens Halt.

The station was jointly funded by the railway and cinema impresario Frederick Cooper who owned the adjacent Brundall Gardens

It is now used by about 14,000 passengers a year.