Milton Keynes Central railway station
Encyclopedia
Milton Keynes Central railway station serves Central Milton Keynes
and the surrounding area of Milton Keynes
, Buckinghamshire. The station is located on the West Coast Main Line
between the stations of Bletchley
and Wolverton
, both of which are also within Milton Keynes. The station is served by Virgin Trains
inter-city services and by London Midland
local services. Also, Southern provide services to South Croydon
via West London.
This station is one of the five stations serving Milton Keynes. The others are (north Milton Keynes), (south Milton Keynes), (also south Milton Keynes) and (south-east Milton Keynes). In addition, Woburn Sands railway station
is just outside the Milton Keynes boundary and serves the south-east of the Borough. Milton Keynes Central, which opened on 17 May 1982, is by far the busiest and most important of these, as well as being the largest in terms of platforms in use, having overtaken Bletchley when platforms 2A and 6 became operational.
and East Croydon
, whilst platform 5 is used mainly by the London Midland service to Crewe. Platform 2A is a four-car south-facing bay platform built for the extension of Marston Vale Line
services into Milton Keynes Central. To the north of the station the six lines reduce to four (two slow and two fast), whilst there is a mile of five-track running to the south before this also reduces back to four.
/ service via the WCML
to Milton Keynes Central. This new 4-car bay platform is indented into platform 1. The original platform 1 line was extended northwards from 'bay' to 'through' (becoming the up slow line), and platform 2 line is now a 'centre' terminating and reversing line, avoiding conflicting crossing movements. This work was completed on 29 December 2008. However, Marston Vale Line services to Bedford are not expected to start before 2012 at the earliest.
from and extend the service via Bletchley and the WCML to Milton Keynes Central. In April 2008, the Department for Transport responded to an e-petition for support on East West Rail by reiterating that they would encourage private funding.
as well as some routes by Stagecoach
and a number of independent operators. The frontage of the station has six bus stops, four for local services and two for long-distance services. Stagecoach
operate three major long-distance routes from here. Their 99 coach route runs to Luton Airport via Luton railway station
, providing a direct link between the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line
.. Their X5 coach route between Oxford
and Cambridge
stops here and their X4 interurban bus route to Northampton
and Peterborough
terminates here. Arriva operate routes 100 and 150 to Aylesbury
. For National Express coach services, see Milton Keynes Coachway
.
The station building is home to a shop and there are other shops and restaurants on the south side of the station square. There are a number of hotels on Midsummer Boulevard (which begins opposite the station and leads up into Central Milton Keynes
). Numerous bus services each hour traverse Midsummer Boulevard, connecting the station to Midsummer Place and Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre
. The Milton Keynes redway system
, a comprehensive network of cycle/pedestrian paths, connects to the station and its cycle parking facilities.
The station square itself is a favourite site for skateboarding
and freestyle BMX
and as a result the granite facings of the planting surrounds have suffered from the continuous bumping and grinding. This has lessened somewhat since the opening of a dedicated skateboarding park (Sk8 MK) close to the central bus station. At the end of June 2011, the Borough Council
announced that work would begin in August 2011 to restructure the lanes immediately in front of the station, giving turnback facilities to taxis (on the one hand) and minicabs and private cars (on the other), with two through routes for buses and coaches with associated shelters.
's services from to London and from to . All London-bound trains run to Euston, with some only stopping at and other with a more intermittent stopping pattern. The pattern is as follows (some peak hour and morning/evening services call also at , and ):
Northbound, London Midland's services operate to , and whilst the Crewe trains serve , , and . There are four departures per hour to London Euston on a weekday, and three departures per hour to the north.
Virgin Trains
stop many of their inter-city trains here, with three services an hour in each direction off-peak on weekdays. These are the services to , and . Additional services operate at other times to , , north Wales and other destinations.
Since 2009 Milton Keynes has also been served by Southern
, who provide an hourly service to , running via west London and connecting with services to . Across the three operators, six trains per hour head north and eight south from the station.
area.
Central Milton Keynes
Central Milton Keynes is the central business district of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and a civil parish in its own right.The district is approximately 2.5 km long by 1 km wide and occupies some of the highest land in Milton Keynes...
and the surrounding area of 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...
, Buckinghamshire. The station is located on the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
between the stations of 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 Wolverton
Wolverton railway station
Wolverton railway station serves northern Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, especially Stony Stratford, Wolverton and New Bradwell.The station is served by London Midland local services from Northampton to London on the West Coast Main Line. It is one of the five stations serving Milton Keynes...
, both of which are also within Milton Keynes. The station is served by Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
inter-city services and by London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
local services. Also, Southern provide services to South Croydon
South Croydon railway station
South Croydon railway station is in the London Borough of Croydon in south London, in Travelcard Zone 5. It is on the Brighton Line at its junction with the Oxted Line. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southern.-History:...
via West London.
This station is one of the five stations serving Milton Keynes. The others are (north Milton Keynes), (south Milton Keynes), (also south Milton Keynes) and (south-east Milton Keynes). In addition, Woburn Sands railway station
Woburn Sands railway station
Woburn Sands railway station serves the villages of Woburn Sands and Wavendon in the borough of Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, England. It is on the Marston Vale Line between Bedford and Bletchley...
is just outside the Milton Keynes boundary and serves the south-east of the Borough. Milton Keynes Central, which opened on 17 May 1982, is by far the busiest and most important of these, as well as being the largest in terms of platforms in use, having overtaken Bletchley when platforms 2A and 6 became operational.
Platforms and layout
Milton Keynes Central has a total of seven platforms. Platforms 1 and 3 are the south and northbound slow platforms, while 4 and 6 are the south and northbound fast platforms. Platforms 2 and 5 are reversible, being slow and fast respectively. Platform 2 is frequently used by terminating services from London EustonEuston railway station
Euston railway station, also known as London Euston, is a central London railway terminus in the London Borough of Camden. It is the sixth busiest rail terminal in London . It is one of 18 railway stations managed by Network Rail, and is the southern terminus of the West Coast Main Line...
and East Croydon
East Croydon station
East Croydon station is a railway station and tram stop in Croydon, 10.35 miles south of London Bridge in Travelcard Zone 5. It is the largest and busiest station in Croydon and the busiest in London outside Travelcard Zone 1 in terms of the number of passengers entering and exiting...
, whilst platform 5 is used mainly by the London Midland service to Crewe. Platform 2A is a four-car south-facing bay platform built for the extension of Marston Vale Line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
services into Milton Keynes Central. To the north of the station the six lines reduce to four (two slow and two fast), whilst there is a mile of five-track running to the south before this also reduces back to four.
2006–08 developments
In May 2006, the Department of Transport announced a plan to upgrade the station. The first phase added a down fast line platform 6, so that the existing platform 5 could be used for stopping express trains in either direction. The second phase provided an additional terminating bay platform (2A) for the Marston Vale LineMarston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
/ service via the WCML
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
to Milton Keynes Central. This new 4-car bay platform is indented into platform 1. The original platform 1 line was extended northwards from 'bay' to 'through' (becoming the up slow line), and platform 2 line is now a 'centre' terminating and reversing line, avoiding conflicting crossing movements. This work was completed on 29 December 2008. However, Marston Vale Line services to Bedford are not expected to start before 2012 at the earliest.
Future plans
More speculatively, a "very good operating and business case" has been made to Government to reopen the western section of the historic Varsity LineVarsity 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...
from and extend the service via Bletchley and the WCML to Milton Keynes Central. In April 2008, the Department for Transport responded to an e-petition for support on East West Rail by reiterating that they would encourage private funding.
Local facilities and interchange
The station is the terminus for many bus services and almost all intra-city buses stop there. These services are operated mostly by ArrivaArriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
as well as some routes by Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
and a number of independent operators. The frontage of the station has six bus stops, four for local services and two for long-distance services. Stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
operate three major long-distance routes from here. Their 99 coach route runs to Luton Airport via Luton railway station
Luton railway station
Luton railway station is located in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The station is near to the town centre, about three minutes' walk from the Arndale Shopping Centre. It is situated on the Midland Main Line and is operated by First Capital Connect.-History:...
, providing a direct link between the West Coast Main Line and 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...
.. Their X5 coach route between 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...
and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
stops here and their X4 interurban bus route to 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 Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
terminates here. Arriva operate routes 100 and 150 to 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...
. For National Express coach services, see Milton Keynes Coachway
Milton Keynes Coachway
The Milton Keynes Coachway is situated on the A509 road close to Junction 14 of the M1 Motorway on the eastern edge of Milton Keynes, north Buckinghamshire, England offering coach services to cities, towns and airports on the M1 corridor and on into Scotland, to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, the...
.
The station building is home to a shop and there are other shops and restaurants on the south side of the station square. There are a number of hotels on Midsummer Boulevard (which begins opposite the station and leads up into Central Milton Keynes
Central Milton Keynes
Central Milton Keynes is the central business district of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and a civil parish in its own right.The district is approximately 2.5 km long by 1 km wide and occupies some of the highest land in Milton Keynes...
). Numerous bus services each hour traverse Midsummer Boulevard, connecting the station to Midsummer Place and Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre
Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre
Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre is a regional shopping centre located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England which is about 50 miles north-west of London. It is managed in two separate parts, thecentre:mk and Midsummer Place...
. The Milton Keynes redway system
Milton Keynes redway system
The Milton Keynes redway system is a network of cycleways/paths for cyclists and pedestrians in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. It is generally surfaced with red tarmac, and criss-crosses most of the city....
, a comprehensive network of cycle/pedestrian paths, connects to the station and its cycle parking facilities.
The station square itself is a favourite site for skateboarding
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
and freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX
Freestyle BMX is a synonym for BMX stunt riding, a sport branch that hails from extreme sports. It consists of six disciplines: street, park, vert, trails, dirt and flatland .-History:...
and as a result the granite facings of the planting surrounds have suffered from the continuous bumping and grinding. This has lessened somewhat since the opening of a dedicated skateboarding park (Sk8 MK) close to the central bus station. At the end of June 2011, the Borough Council
Milton Keynes (borough)
The Borough of Milton Keynes is a unitary authority and borough in south central England, at the northern tip of the South East England Region. For ceremonial purposes, it is in the county of Buckinghamshire...
announced that work would begin in August 2011 to restructure the lanes immediately in front of the station, giving turnback facilities to taxis (on the one hand) and minicabs and private cars (on the other), with two through routes for buses and coaches with associated shelters.
Services
Milton Keynes Central is a principal stop on London MidlandLondon Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
's services from to London and from to . All London-bound trains run to Euston, with some only stopping at and other with a more intermittent stopping pattern. The pattern is as follows (some peak hour and morning/evening services call also at , and ):
- xx.04 Watford Junction and London Euston
- xx.21 , , , , Watford Junction and London Euston
- xx.41 Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard and London Euston
- xx.47 Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, , , Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction and London Euston
Northbound, London Midland's services operate to , and whilst the Crewe trains serve , , and . There are four departures per hour to London Euston on a weekday, and three departures per hour to the north.
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains
Virgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
stop many of their inter-city trains here, with three services an hour in each direction off-peak on weekdays. These are the services to , and . Additional services operate at other times to , , north Wales and other destinations.
Since 2009 Milton Keynes has also been served by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
, who provide an hourly service to , running via west London and connecting with services to . Across the three operators, six trains per hour head north and eight south from the station.
In film
The station and its plaza were used in the movie Superman IV as a substitute for the United Nations building. Other scenes were shot in the Central Milton KeynesCentral Milton Keynes
Central Milton Keynes is the central business district of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England and a civil parish in its own right.The district is approximately 2.5 km long by 1 km wide and occupies some of the highest land in Milton Keynes...
area.