Calvert railway station
Encyclopedia
Calvert was a railway station at Calvert, Buckinghamshire
on the former Great Central Main Line
between Manchester Piccadilly
and London Marylebone. The station was opened in 1899 and closed in 1964. The line through it remains open for freight, including waste to a landfill site.
's station at Quainton Road
4.5 miles (7.2 km) away. The station and line between Brackley
as far as Quainton Junction were constructed by Walter Scott & Co. of Newcastle upon Tyne
. Although the station was named Calvert, no such place existed at the time and the name was that of the local landowner, Sir Harry Verney
, who had been born a Calvert but changed his name upon succeeding to the Verney Baronetcy
.
At the time, Calvert was a very rural settlement with the few houses making up the village being situated close to the station and nearby brickworks
which was the largest employer in the area. In true Great Central style, the station had a single island platform
located below a road overbridge from the centre of which a staircase led down to the platform; the centre piers of the bridge were left hollow to provide lamp rooms. The design was chosen as it would allow the track to be quadrupled if ever required. About 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Calvert was Grendon Underwood Junction where "Calvert Cabin" signal box
controlled the line as it split into two: one line branching out towards Princes Risborough
, the other towards Amersham.
A connecting spur, brought into use on 14 September 1940, linked Calvert with the Oxford to Bletchley line
with the Great Central, allowing much of the freight which used the Verney Junction - Quainton Road section to be diverted over the Great Central. Calvert was to remain open a further 23 years before closing to passengers on 4 March 1963, the same day as nearby Quainton Road. Fast passenger trains continued to pass through the station until 1966 when the Great Central Main Line was closed.
A single track of the former Great Central alignment through Quainton Road to Calvert remains open as far as the disused Varsity Line
for occasional freight and DMU
maintenance workings. The line is being kept open as it also serves the waste transfer station at Calvert Landfill Site operated by the Waste Recycling Group
for the Department of the Environment
. Five container trains each day use the site: four from Brentford
(known as the "Calvert Binliner", and one from Bath and Bristol
(known as the "Avon Binliner"). The containers, each of which contains 14 tons of waste, are unloaded at the transfer station onto lorries awaiting alongside which then transport the waste to the landfill site. The site, dating from 1977 and now one of the largest in the country, stretches to 106 hectares and partly reuses the clay pits dug out by Calvert Brickworks which closed in 1991.
The reopening of Calvert station has been mooted by Buckinghamshire County Council who are partners in the East West Rail Consortium
which is seeking to re-connect Oxford
, Bedford
, Milton Keynes
and Aylesbury
by reinstating passenger services on disused or freight-only routes, including the Varsity Line and part of the Great Central. This has moved one step closer with the authorisation of Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
on the London to Aylesbury Line
. The possibility of extending services north to Quainton, Calvert, Bletchley
and Oxford
has been discussed.
In a separate move Calvert is on the alignment of the proposed High Speed 2
Rail Link announced on 11 March 2010 by Lord Adonis on behalf of the DfT. The line would provisionally pass through the site of the disused station.
Calvert, Buckinghamshire
Calvert is a village in Buckinghamshire, England, near the village of Steeple Claydon.Originally named after a wealthy local family, the village was founded as a hamlet in the Victorian era to house workers for the brick works that were constructed in the area. The works have since been closed and...
on the former Great Central Main Line
Great Central Main Line
The Great Central Main Line , also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway , is a former railway line which opened in 1899 linking Sheffield with Marylebone Station in London via Nottingham and Leicester.The GCML was the last main line railway built in...
between Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
and London Marylebone. The station was opened in 1899 and closed in 1964. The line through it remains open for freight, including waste to a landfill site.
History
Calvert was the last station on the Great Central's London Extension before it reached the MetropolitanMetropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
's station at Quainton Road
Quainton Road railway station
Quainton Road railway station was opened in 1868 in undeveloped countryside near Quainton, Buckinghamshire, from London. Built by the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway, it was the result of pressure from the 3rd Duke of Buckingham to route the railway near his home at Wotton House and to open a...
4.5 miles (7.2 km) away. The station and line between Brackley
Brackley Central railway station
Brackley Central was a railway station on the former Great Central Main Line which ran from Manchester Piccadilly to London Marylebone, the last main line to be built from the north of England to London.- History :...
as far as Quainton Junction were constructed by Walter Scott & Co. of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. Although the station was named Calvert, no such place existed at the time and the name was that of the local landowner, Sir Harry Verney
Sir Harry Verney, 2nd Baronet
Sir Harry Verney, 2nd Baronet PC, DL, JP was an English soldier and Liberal politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1832 and 1885.-Background and education:...
, who had been born a Calvert but changed his name upon succeeding to the Verney Baronetcy
Verney Baronets
thumb|300px|Claydon HouseThere have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Verney, one in the Baronetage of England and two in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. Two of the creations are extant as of 2007.- Overview :...
.
At the time, Calvert was a very rural settlement with the few houses making up the village being situated close to the station and nearby brickworks
Brickworks
A brickworks also known as a brick factory, is a factory for the manufacturing of bricks, from clay or shale. Usually a brickworks is located on a clay bedrock often with a quarry for clay on site....
which was the largest employer in the area. In true Great Central style, the station had a single island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
located below a road overbridge from the centre of which a staircase led down to the platform; the centre piers of the bridge were left hollow to provide lamp rooms. The design was chosen as it would allow the track to be quadrupled if ever required. About 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Calvert was Grendon Underwood Junction where "Calvert Cabin" signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
controlled the line as it split into two: one line branching out towards Princes Risborough
Princes Risborough railway station
Princes Risborough station is a railway station on the Chiltern Main Line that serves the town of Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire, England...
, the other towards Amersham.
A connecting spur, brought into use on 14 September 1940, linked Calvert with the Oxford to Bletchley line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
with the Great Central, allowing much of the freight which used the Verney Junction - Quainton Road section to be diverted over the Great Central. Calvert was to remain open a further 23 years before closing to passengers on 4 March 1963, the same day as nearby Quainton Road. Fast passenger trains continued to pass through the station until 1966 when the Great Central Main Line was closed.
Routes
Present and future
The station platform remains in a dilapidated state, although the station buildings have long since been demolished. The stationmaster's house stands nearby.A single track of the former Great Central alignment through Quainton Road to Calvert remains open as far as the disused Varsity Line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
for occasional freight and DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
maintenance workings. The line is being kept open as it also serves the waste transfer station at Calvert Landfill Site operated by the Waste Recycling Group
Waste Recycling Group
Waste Recycling Group is a major British waste management company.WRG was owned by Guy Hands' investment company Terra Firma Capital Partners until September 2006, when it was sold to Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas, S.A.The company offers services in Landfill Disposal, Energy Recovery,...
for the Department of the Environment
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom...
. Five container trains each day use the site: four from Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
(known as the "Calvert Binliner", and one from Bath and Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
(known as the "Avon Binliner"). The containers, each of which contains 14 tons of waste, are unloaded at the transfer station onto lorries awaiting alongside which then transport the waste to the landfill site. The site, dating from 1977 and now one of the largest in the country, stretches to 106 hectares and partly reuses the clay pits dug out by Calvert Brickworks which closed in 1991.
The reopening of Calvert station has been mooted by Buckinghamshire County Council who are partners in the East West Rail Consortium
East West Rail Consortium
East West Rail Link is a proposed new rail route in England to provide a fast outer orbital railway to the north of London, linking the Great Western Main Line, Oxford, Bicester, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich for both passenger and freight traffic...
which is seeking to re-connect Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, 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...
, Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
and Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
by reinstating passenger services on disused or freight-only routes, including the Varsity Line and part of the Great Central. This has moved one step closer with the authorisation of Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station
Aylesbury Vale Parkway railway station is a railway station serving villages to the northwest of Aylesbury. It will also serve the Berryfields and Weedon Hill housing developments to the north of the town when these are completed. The station is served by Chiltern Railways and opened on 14 December...
on the London to Aylesbury Line
London to Aylesbury Line
The London to Aylesbury Line is the main railway line between London and Aylesbury, going via the Chiltern Hills; it is operated by Chiltern Railways. The line includes the only route where National Rail trains use track that is utilized by London Underground services...
. The possibility of extending services north to Quainton, Calvert, Bletchley
Bletchley railway station
Bletchley is a railway station that serves the southern districts of Milton Keynes , and the north-eastern parts of the Buckinghamshire district of Aylesbury Vale....
and Oxford
Oxford railway station
Oxford railway station is a mainline railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. It is about west of the city centre, northwest of Frideswide Square and the eastern end of Botley Road, and on the line linking with . It is also on the line for trains between and Hereford via...
has been discussed.
In a separate move Calvert is on the alignment of the proposed High Speed 2
High Speed 2
High Speed 2 is a proposed high-speed railway between London and the Midlands, the North of England, and potentially at a later stage the central belt of Scotland. The project is being developed by High Speed Two Ltd, a company established by the British government...
Rail Link announced on 11 March 2010 by Lord Adonis on behalf of the DfT. The line would provisionally pass through the site of the disused station.