Bedford to Northampton Line
Encyclopedia
The Bedford to Northampton Line was a branch of the Midland Railway
which served stations in three counties
: Northampton
and Horton
in Northamptonshire
, Olney in Buckinghamshire
and Turvey and Bedford
in Bedfordshire
, England. Opened in 1872, the intermediate stations closed to passengers in 1962, leaving a small section between Northampton and Piddington station
to remain open until 1981 for the purposes of the Ministry of Defence
establishment. The track remains down on another small section of the line between Northampton and Brackmills. The reopening of the line has been proposed by the Bedfordshire Railway & Transport Association.
s of Northampton
and Bedford
were linked in 1872 by a 21 miles (33.8 km) line constructed by the Bedford & Northampton Railway Company. This company was quickly absorbed by the Midland Railway
which constructed an imposing and centrally-located station at the line's northern terminus in Northampton. This was which was built in the grounds of a former priory
. St. John's station closed in 1939 and from then onwards services ran into . The other stations on the line - , and - were also imposing structures, although not always conveniently sited for the settlements they were supposed to serve. Piddington station was in fact closer to Horton
than Piddington. These stations were closed to passengers in 1962, but the line remained open to serve the Ministry of Defence
's store in Piddington, the Ministry itself administering the line from 1968 until 1981. The line had also been used to supply coal to Northampton Power Station
between Northampton and Brackmills till the power station closed in 1975. Most of the track on this section of the line had been lifted by 1986, but a small section between Northampton and the Brackmills Industrial Estate remains down to serve the rail plant manufacturer Geismar, the last customer for this line. The site at Brackmills, a yard at Claughton Road in railway use since 1888, was used until 1994 for the assembly and distribution of track panels, but became redundant with the advent of welded track.
was appointed by the Connex Group as part of their unsuccessful bid for the Thameslink
franchise. Capita carried out an engineering study into the possibility of reopening the Bedford to Northampton line, and concluded that the likely cost would be around £220m for a double-track line with a station at Olney. The cost was revised upwards to £275m in 2004. The Bedfordshire Railway and Transport Association called on the government
to include the reopening of the line as part of the West Coast Main Line modernisation. The proposal also has the support of Milton Keynes Council
and Northampton Borough Council
.
On a more limited basis proposals have been made for a park-and-ride shuttle service from Northampton town centre to a new station/car park at Brackmills.
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 in three counties
Ceremonial counties of England
The ceremonial counties are areas of England to which are appointed a Lord Lieutenant, and are defined by the government as counties and areas for the purposes of the Lieutenancies Act 1997 with reference to the metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties of England and Lieutenancies Act 1997...
: Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
and Horton
Horton, Northamptonshire
Horton is named from the Old English meaning "muddy farmstead" and lies in the English county of Northamptonshire. It was originally an estate village, serving the now demolished Horton House and it is close to its neighbouring village Hackleton...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
, Olney in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
and Turvey and Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
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. Opened in 1872, the intermediate stations closed to passengers in 1962, leaving a small section between Northampton and Piddington station
Piddington railway station
Piddington was a railway station on the former Bedford to Northampton Line. Despite its name, the station was located close to the village of Horton in Northamptonshire, approximately from the village of Piddington.- History :...
to remain open until 1981 for the purposes of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
establishment. The track remains down on another small section of the line between Northampton and Brackmills. The reopening of the line has been proposed by the Bedfordshire Railway & Transport Association.
History
The county townCounty town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
s of Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
and Bedford
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
were linked in 1872 by a 21 miles (33.8 km) line constructed by the Bedford & Northampton Railway Company. This company was quickly absorbed by the Midland Railway
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 constructed an imposing and centrally-located station at the line's northern terminus in Northampton. This was which was built in the grounds of a former priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
. St. John's station closed in 1939 and from then onwards services ran into . The other stations on the line - , and - were also imposing structures, although not always conveniently sited for the settlements they were supposed to serve. Piddington station was in fact closer to Horton
Horton, Northamptonshire
Horton is named from the Old English meaning "muddy farmstead" and lies in the English county of Northamptonshire. It was originally an estate village, serving the now demolished Horton House and it is close to its neighbouring village Hackleton...
than Piddington. These stations were closed to passengers in 1962, but the line remained open to serve the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
's store in Piddington, the Ministry itself administering the line from 1968 until 1981. The line had also been used to supply coal to Northampton Power Station
Northampton Power Station
Northampton Power Station was a electricity generating station in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, which began operation for the Northampton Electric Light and Power Company in the 1920s and generated power until closure in 1975.-Location:The plant was located on the south bank of the...
between Northampton and Brackmills till the power station closed in 1975. Most of the track on this section of the line had been lifted by 1986, but a small section between Northampton and the Brackmills Industrial Estate remains down to serve the rail plant manufacturer Geismar, the last customer for this line. The site at Brackmills, a yard at Claughton Road in railway use since 1888, was used until 1994 for the assembly and distribution of track panels, but became redundant with the advent of welded track.
Integrity of the route
The formation is generally intact throughout the route, although most of the underbridges have been removed.Calls for reopening
In 2000, Capita SymondsCapita Symonds
Capita Symonds is part of the Capita Group.Capita Symonds is a large UK multidisciplinary consultancy operating in the building design, civil engineering, environment, management and transport sectors....
was appointed by the Connex Group as part of their unsuccessful bid for the Thameslink
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
franchise. Capita carried out an engineering study into the possibility of reopening the Bedford to Northampton line, and concluded that the likely cost would be around £220m for a double-track line with a station at Olney. The cost was revised upwards to £275m in 2004. The Bedfordshire Railway and Transport Association called on the government
Blair Ministry
Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for three successive parliamentary terms from 1997-2007. His Cabinet was reshuffled for each new parliament as well as changed during the three periods.-Formation:...
to include the reopening of the line as part of the West Coast Main Line modernisation. The proposal also has the support of Milton Keynes Council
and Northampton Borough Council
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
.
On a more limited basis proposals have been made for a park-and-ride shuttle service from Northampton town centre to a new station/car park at Brackmills.