The original plan by the Grand Eastern Counties Railways in 1834 showed a rail route from Ipswich to Norwich via Debenham, Eye and Harlestone to Trowse just outside Norwich. The plan by John Braithwait was proposed because of the simpler construction to the alternative route going though Stowmarket and Diss which, even in those days, were far larger towns. However, the Grand Eastern Railways development got no farther than Colchester before they ran into difficulties and had to abandon further expansion.
At this stage the Ipswich brewer J.C. Cobbold (Tolly Cobbold) with banking and other interests, including a line from Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds via Stowmarket, took over. Not unnaturally he took a different view and developed a branch line from Stowmarket taking in the larger Town of Diss on the way to Norwich.
When the line was built running through Diss and Mellis, the decision was made in 1865 to build a branch line from Mellis to Eye. This was to become the shortest branch line in the country. Although only 3 miles in distance the cost of transporting a ton of goods by horse and cart was a not inconsiderable 2/- or 10p (Average weekly wage at the time in the area was thought to be 10/-) so it was with the thought of the potential haulage cost savings that drove forward the plans.
The new railway to Norwich via Diss and Mellis opened in 1849 and the effects can be seen on the population of the town. The population of Eye in 1801 was 1,734 rising to 2,493 in 1841 then declined slightly to 2,430 in 1861. With the majority being females (1,238) indicating a lack of job opportunities possibly caused by the increased carriage and haulage costs compared to Diss.
The Eye to Mellis line was eventually given parliamentary approval on the 5th July 1865 and had a capital of £15,000 and a loan of £5,000. However, following the financial crisis of 1866 when Overend, Gurney & Company, the London wholesale discount bank, collapsed owing 11 million (The last run on a British Bank prior to Northern Rock 2008) the building of the line was delayed but was eventually opened on the 2nd April 1867.
According to the original timetable the journey took 10 minutes with the first train leaving Eye at 6.30 in the morning and the last of 6 return trips arriving back in Eye at 8.00 pm. Single fares ranging from 3 old pence to 8 old pence depending on class with return costing 6 old pence to 1 shilling. However, the railway struggled to make a profit and the secretary who was also a local solicitor Mr. J C Warnes remained unpaid for 15 years. However, by 1886 gross receipts hit £2,078 and a dividend of 3.5 % was paid.
Beals - Coal, Coke Salt and Cake Merchants -Magdalane Street
Despite the train the population of Eye declined once again following the closure of the flax mill. But passenger traffic still increased, as train travel with seaside excursions became the norm even for the poorer people, with takings rising to £500 a year by 1896.
In the early 1840s, before the railway line, Eye was served by an Ipswich to Norwich horse drawn coach. In addition a local businessman, a man called Dade, ran a horse drawn cart every Tuesdays and Saturdays for Ipswich while Francis Smith ran a similar service to Norwich on Fridays. Obviously these came to an end with the coming of the train but by the 1920s the road was beginning a revival, with a daily bus service to Ipswich and Friday and a market bus to Diss. This resulted in the closure of the train passenger service between Eye and Mellis on 2nd February 1931.
The goods train traffic continued on until the 13th July 1964 serving Eye, Thorpe Abbotts and Horham airfields during the Second World War. Shutting down following the national review of railways by Dr Beeching.
