The town of Ely is in the fens to the north of Cambridge.The Cathedral at Ely towers above the town and the flat fen landscape

Ely railway station is on the Great Eastern main line from Cambridge to Norwich, with a line to Kings Lynn. There is also a railway line to Ipswich and another line to March and Peterborough. Passenger trains between the Peterborough line and Norwich line reverse in Ely station (Liverpool-Norwich and Nottingham-Norwich)

The main building at Ely is on the down platform 1. There is a under ground subway to the island platform platform 2 and 3 (above) were there are waiting rooms and a buffet. The overhead wires came to Ely when the line from Cambridge to King Lynn line was wired.

To the east of Ely is Ely North Junction at the small hamlet of Queen Adelaide were three lines head out into the fens. The first junction is for March and the Peterborough line (there are no overhead wires on this line).

The Ely avoiding line or West Curve was built to save March/Norwich trains having to reverse in Ely station. Freight trains now only use this line, bar about one East Midland Railways passenger train a week.

Norwich to Nottingham and Liverpool now all stop at Ely and then return back to Ely North Junction The driver change ends on the class 170 and class 158s which are used on these services.)

Birmingham to Norwich passenger trains often with class 31s and mark ones used The Ely Avoiding line in the 1970/80s. These trains did not stop at Ely.

The Kings Lynn line junction is next with stations at Littleport and Downham Market and Watlington and Kings Lynn  (Overhead Wires to Kings Lynn)

The Norwich line is next and is not wired.

The Department for Transport gave the go ahead to upgrade the Ely North Junction. The existing two single track leads onto the Kings Lynn and Norwich lines will be doubled. The signaling at these junctions is also be upgraded.

 

National Express East Anglia class 170272 at Ely in 2009