of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862, the London & North Eastern Railway in 1923 and British Railways from 1948. In 1922 Hacheston Halt was opened in an attempt to improve the line's poor passenger receipts. Well used until the 1930s, when passenger numbers fell due to the increased popularity of road transport, the line closed to passenger services on 1 November 1952, and to freight on 19 April 1965. The Royal Train overnighted on the branch in May 1956 headed by B1 4-6-0s 61252 and 61399. The branch was often served by mixed passenger/freight trains in latter years. Timetable Bradshaws 1922 timetable (Table 316) showed five departures from Framlingham at 0720, 0830, 1240, 1625 and 1830. All services had connections to London Liverpool Street. Journey times were 6 minutes from Framlingham to Parham, 6 minutes from Parham to Marlesford and 6 minutes to Wickham Market giving a total of 18 minutes. From Wickham Market the trains departed at 0756, 0935, 1314, 1752 and 1910. All services except the 0935 departure had a connection from London Liverpool Street Locomotives The line was operated by the Great Eastern Railway from 1862 until 1923 and it is locomotives from that company that predominantly operated the branch in London & North Eastern Railway and indeed up to closure under British Railways. Most locomotives would have been based at Ipswich engine shed which supplied branch line motive power for most branch lines in this area. Steam locomotives included (numbers of specific locos recorded under BR 1948 numbering scheme unless stated). Unless stated otherwise these locomotives were all photographed by Dr Ian C Allen. His collection is listed at http://www.transporttreasury.co.uk/ianallencollection.html : Diesel locomotives operated freight over the line, but as the passenger service had been withdrawn in 1952 only one diesel-hauled passenger train is believed to have worked the branch. This was a Ramblers special and was hauled by Class 31 no D5587. Local photographer Many of the last years of the branch were photographed by Dr Ian Cameron Allen (1910–1989), a local GP. Allen compiled a number of photographic books about railways in East Anglia, in which the Framlingham branch often featured. References Closed railway lines in the East of England Rail transport in Suffolk Railway lines opened in 1859 Railway lines closed in 1965 Great Eastern Railway 1859 establishments in the United Kingdom Framlingham