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Written by Geoff Tibble - 24 Mar 2008
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Location notes
Soham is a small town on the edge of the Suffolk/Cambridgeshire border only 10 minutes drive from the town of Newmarket and the A14 carriageway.The railway line is on the route from Bury St. Edmunds to Ely.
Railway type and traffic
This line is a branch line but is an important freight artery for cross country traffic to the port of Felixstowe, it often sees aggregate and engineering trains to East Anglian destinations. GM class 66s are the norm but DRS/DB Schenker often run locos of many classes throughout the year and expect to see less often than the daily 66s class 20,31,37,47,57,67 on various special workings however passenger traffic at the time of writing is 2 hourly and you need to be very patient sometimes at this location waiting for trains to pass!
Environment
The bridge over the railway is located in the middle of open fenland and is very open to the elements without any shelter. There is a private farm access track from beside the bridge with limited parking nearby on the opposite side of the road which is access to a public footpath running parallel to the railway. I encountered no problems when I walked a little way down the farm track to get some other vantage points, but make yourself known if the farmer passes by as to what you are doing there and there should not be any problems at all in this safe, quiet and relaxing place.
Road directions
From the A10 in Stretham:
At the roundabout take the A1123 east toward Wicken and continue through the village. The bridge is about 2 miles east of Wicken Village.

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Soham, Wiken Road Bridge map co-ordinates
Parking
Safe place to leave car and there is some traffic along this road so be careful on the narrow pavements on the bridge as there is not a lot of room to stand/walk there.
Public transport
Unknow at the time of writing.

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Amenities
Petrol station less than a mile up the road on the roundabout junction of this road with the A142 road with usual facilities, the nearest toilets either in Soham village pub or over in Newmarket - Tescos supermarket or other direction Ely Tescos.
Accommodation
There is a Motel on A142 bypass to Ely from Soham.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Soham, Wiken Road Bridge

Googly map
Streetmap links
Soham, Wiken Road Bridge general view map
Soham, Wiken Road Bridge close up map

Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Soham, Wiken Road Bridge



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Photographic notes
Sun is in very good position for Bury St. Edmunds trains with front and side well it on a sunny day also good for Ely bound trains in afternoon. Various angles from bridge and better shots along farm track looking back under bridge and around bend towards Bury, excellent for video of trains coming from Bury around bend.


General views - All photographs © Geoff Tibble unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking south east


Fig 1 - Looking south east

An Ely bound working.

Fig 2 - Looking south east


Fig 2 - Looking south east


Fig 3 - Looking north


Fig 3 - Looking north

A Bury St. Edmunds bound working.

Fig 4 - Looking north


Fig 4 - Looking north

A Bury St. Edmunds bound working, from the farm track.

Fig 5 - Looking west



Fig 5 - Looking west

An Ely bound working, from the farm track.

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