Bedford to Hitchin Line
Encyclopedia
The Bedford to Hitchin Line was a branch of the Midland Railway
which served stations at Cardington
, Southill
, Shefford
and Henlow
in Bedfordshire
, England
. It opened in 1857, but was largely made redundant as a through-route to London
by the extension of the Midland Main Line
to St Pancras
. The last passenger train ran in December 1961, yet goods services lingered on until 1969.
, the North Midland Railway
, and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
in 1844 created the Midland Railway which, having no route to London of its own, relied on the London & Birmingham Railway to feed traffic through to the capital. Delays in processing traffic led to a proposal in 1847 for a line connecting Leicester
with Hitchin
. Although authorisation for the line was obtained, the scheme was postponed until 1852 due to unfavourable economic conditions. Thomas Brassey
was principal contractor on the line which included the 882-yard Warden Tunnel
. The line was officially opened on 7 May 1857 and an initial service to Hitchin of four trains each way on weekdays, with freight services beginning some six months later. Through services to London were introduced from February 1858, once the Midland Railway had reached agreement with the Great Northern Railway
(GNR) for the use of its rails between Hitchin and King's Cross
.
at King's Cross, which prompted it to seek an alternative through route to London of its own. The result was the extension of the Midland Main Line from Bedford to St. Pancras, which had the effect of reducing the Bedford to Hitchin line to rural branch status. Having been built as a trunk route
, the line was little prepared to eke out an existence carrying passenger traffic between the rural communities along the route. Passenger services were subsequently reduced to a shuttle between Bedford and Hitchin, and the track was singled in 1911 except between Shefford and Southill.
Traffic briefly increased during the First and Second World Wars, with RAF camps being set up at Cardington
and Henlow
. However, competition from local bus services and by the 1950s, trains comprised one carriage only; not even the introduction of 3 railbuses
in 1958 could halt the decline. The last passenger train departed from Hitchin at 1900 on Saturday 30 December 1961, and goods services were withdrawn in 1969. Not long after closure to passengers, scenes from the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
were shot near Warden Tunnel, using an ex-Highland Railway
locomotive and set of coaches disguised as a train of France
's Chemin de Fer du Nord
.
, the tunnel remains in decent condition, although blocked off, and is now surrounded by a nature reserve
. The site of Henlow Camp station has been obliterated by redevelopment, and Shefford Industrial Park also covers part of the trackbed.
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
which served stations at Cardington
Cardington, Bedfordshire
Cardington is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Bedford in Bedfordshire, EnglandPart of the ancient hundred of Wixamtree, the settlement is best known in connection with the Cardington airship works founded by Short Brothers during World War I, which later became an RAF training station...
, Southill
Southill, Bedfordshire
Southill is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, about from Biggleswade.The principal residence, Southill Park, was formerly the home of the Viscounts Torrington, but was bought at the end of the 18th century by Samuel Whitbread....
, Shefford
Shefford, Bedfordshire
Shefford is a small town and civil parish located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 4,928, although this was estimated to have grown to 5,770 by 2007.-History:...
and Henlow
Henlow
Henlow is a village and civil parish in the district of Central Bedfordshire in Bedfordshire, England.RAF Henlow, is located nearby, but is in fact nearer to the village of Stondon...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It opened in 1857, but was largely made redundant as a through-route to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by the extension of the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
to St Pancras
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
. The last passenger train ran in December 1961, yet goods services lingered on until 1969.
Construction
The merger of the Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties Railway
The Midland Counties Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom which existed between 1832 and 1844, connecting Nottingham, Leicester and Derby with Rugby and thence, via the London and Birmingham Railway, to London. The MCR system connected with the North Midland Railway and the...
, the North Midland Railway
North Midland Railway
The North Midland Railway was a British railway company, which opened its line from Derby to Rotherham and Leeds in 1840.At Derby it connected with the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
, and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was a British railway company. From Birmingham it connected at Derby with the North Midland Railway and the Midland Counties Railway at what became known as the Tri Junct Station...
in 1844 created the Midland Railway which, having no route to London of its own, relied on the London & Birmingham Railway to feed traffic through to the capital. Delays in processing traffic led to a proposal in 1847 for a line connecting Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
with Hitchin
Hitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
. Although authorisation for the line was obtained, the scheme was postponed until 1852 due to unfavourable economic conditions. Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey
Thomas Brassey was an English civil engineering contractor and manufacturer of building materials who was responsible for building much of the world's railways in the 19th century. By 1847, he had built about one-third of the railways in Britain, and by time of his death in 1870 he had built one...
was principal contractor on the line which included the 882-yard Warden Tunnel
Old Warden Tunnel
The Old Warden Tunnel is an abandoned tunnel near the village of Old Warden in Bedfordshire.-History:The Tunnel was built as part of the Midland Railway connecting Bedford and Hitchin, and from there to London between 1853 and 1857. Contrary to popular belief the line lost its passenger services...
. The line was officially opened on 7 May 1857 and an initial service to Hitchin of four trains each way on weekdays, with freight services beginning some six months later. Through services to London were introduced from February 1858, once the Midland Railway had reached agreement with the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
(GNR) for the use of its rails between Hitchin and King's Cross
King's Cross railway station
King's Cross railway station, also known as London King's Cross, is a central London railway terminus opened in 1852. The station is on the northern edge of central London, at the junction of the A501 Euston Road and York Way, in the Kings Cross district and within the London Borough of Camden on...
.
Decline and closure
In 1862, the GNR formally evicted the Midland from the overcrowded sidingsRail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
at King's Cross, which prompted it to seek an alternative through route to London of its own. The result was the extension of the Midland Main Line from Bedford to St. Pancras, which had the effect of reducing the Bedford to Hitchin line to rural branch status. Having been built as a trunk route
Main line (railway)
The Mainline or Main line of a railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which branch lines, yards, sidings and spurs are connected....
, the line was little prepared to eke out an existence carrying passenger traffic between the rural communities along the route. Passenger services were subsequently reduced to a shuttle between Bedford and Hitchin, and the track was singled in 1911 except between Shefford and Southill.
Traffic briefly increased during the First and Second World Wars, with RAF camps being set up at Cardington
RAF Cardington
RAF Cardington started life as a private venture when Short Brothers bought land there to build airships for the Admiralty. They constructed a Airship hangar in 1915 to enable them to build two rigid airships, the R-31 and the R-32. Shorts also built a housing estate, opposite the site, which...
and Henlow
RAF Henlow
RAF Henlow is a Royal Air Force station in Bedfordshire, England, equidistant from Bedford, Luton and Stevenage. It houses the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine, the RAF Signals Museum and 616 Volunteer Gliding Squadron.- History :...
. However, competition from local bus services and by the 1950s, trains comprised one carriage only; not even the introduction of 3 railbuses
British Rail Railbuses
British Rail produced a variety of Railbuses as a means both of building new rolling stock cheaply, and to provide services on lightly used lines economically.-Terminology:...
in 1958 could halt the decline. The last passenger train departed from Hitchin at 1900 on Saturday 30 December 1961, and goods services were withdrawn in 1969. Not long after closure to passengers, scenes from the film Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines, Or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes is a 1965 British comedy film starring Stuart Whitman and directed and co-written by Ken Annakin...
were shot near Warden Tunnel, using an ex-Highland Railway
Highland Railway
The Highland Railway was one of the smaller British railways before the Railways Act 1921; it operated north of Perth railway station in Scotland and served the farthest north of Britain...
locomotive and set of coaches disguised as a train of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Chemin de Fer du Nord
Chemin de Fer du Nord
Chemin de Fer du Nord , often referred to simply as the Nord company, was a rail transport company created in September 1845, in Paris, France. It was owned by among others de Rothschild Frères of France, N M Rothschild & Sons of London, England, Hottinger, Laffitte and Blount...
.
The line today
The station building at Southill has been converted into a private residence, with the platform area, sidings and cattle pen now incorporated into the garden. At Old WardenOld Warden
Old Warden is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England, just west of the town of Biggleswade. It has a population of 275. The village grew up under the protection of the Cistercian Wardon or Warden Abbey nearby....
, the tunnel remains in decent condition, although blocked off, and is now surrounded by a nature reserve
Nature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
. The site of Henlow Camp station has been obliterated by redevelopment, and Shefford Industrial Park also covers part of the trackbed.