Rugby railway station
Encyclopedia
Rugby railway station serves the town of Rugby
in Warwickshire
, England. It opened during the Victorian era
, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west. Since the closure of the station
on the now-abandoned Great Central Railway
route through the town, it is Rugby's only station.
Situated on the West Coast Main Line
(WCML) connecting London to Birmingham
and the North West
, the present station, managed by Virgin Trains
, is located roughly half a mile north of Rugby town centre. On the WCML as a whole, it is located 82 miles north of London Euston
, and 319 miles (513.4 km) south of .
. There are regular services to London, Birmingham and Crewe with limited direct services to/from North West
, Glasgow
, Manchester
, Liverpool
and Holyhead
, the latter destinations are in the morning and evening peaks.
Local services from London / Northampton to Coventry and Birmingham / Crewe (via Trent Valley Line, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent) are provided by London Midland
. In December 2005 Silverlink
and Central Trains
(the previous franchise holders) jointly introduced an infrequent semi-fast Euston
/ to / Liverpool
service via the Trent Valley Line
as a precursor to the revamped hourly services introduced in December 2008. This service is now also operated by London Midland.
The station gets one Virgin West Coast train to/from London
per hour, usually a Birmingham New Street service, with a few additional trains, mainly during the peaks.
Since the timetable change of December 2008, Rugby's status as an important node on the Intercity Main line network has ended. Although the station is operated by Virgin Trains, the main user of the station is London Midland, which has significantly more services stopping at Rugby than Virgin Trains, most of which pass through without stopping.
(WCML). To the east of the station, the original London and Birmingham Railway
(L&BR) line (opened 1838) which runs directly to London, is joined at a grade separated junction by the Northampton loop line (opened 1881) which runs to Northampton
before rejoining the line to London.
To the west of the station the WCML diverges again between the original London and Birmingham line, now referred to as the Birmingham Loop, which runs westwards to Coventry
and Birmingham, and the Trent Valley line
(opened 1847) which diverges at a flyover
junction northwestwards towards Stafford
and the North West
of England and Scotland
.
. At one time railway lines diverged from Rugby station in seven different directions. The closed lines were:
when the London and Birmingham Railway
was constructed. The original station was located on the western side of where the railway crossed Newbold Road (the Rugby to Leicester
tollpike road now the A426
) because at the time this was the only road north from Rugby.
in 1840, a new station was built at the site of the junction, which opened on 4 July 1840; it was 905 metres (989.7 yd) to the east of the original station, and 140 m (153.1 yd) to the west of the present station. A new road, Railway Terrace had to be built to link it to the town centre, because at the time it was located in open countryside..
This second station was effectively managed by two companies - the London and North Western Railway
and the Midland Railway
- and for this reason grew up in a haphazard fashion. It was at first no more than a temporary wooden structure, but was gradually rebuilt into a more permanent structure over the following decade. This station consisted of platforms at each side of the track with one bay platform
. The platforms were rather low and passengers complained of having to perform an "acrobatic feat" to board trains.
The station was at the centre of a busy junction and often saw chaotic scenes. It featured, only lightly disguised, in Charles Dickens
's story Mugby Junction
.
(the Northampton loop
) was built, the old station was deemed by the LNWR
to be no-longer satisfactory, and in 1882, £70,000 was allocated to replace it with the current station which opened on 5 July 1885
. Another £30,000 was allocated to build a hotel, although this was never built.
The Midland Railway
retained the part of the older station which it had managed, however. One platform of the old station, separate from the new station, continued to be used by local trains on the Midland Railway's branch to Leicester until March 8, 1930. No trace of this now remains, however, as it was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the postal sorting office.
When constructed the station consisted of one large island platform
with bay platform
s at the each end for terminating local services. In the 2000s the station was extensively reconstructed (see below). The original Victorian island platform and building has been retained but the bay platforms at the western end were removed. However a new platform has been added on the south side, normally used for northbound services. In addition to these, a new island platform numbered 5 and 6 is located on the north side of the station, normally used for southbound services. The main island platforms are accessed from a tunnel at road level and a ramp leading to the platforms.
When constructed the station had a large steel and glass roof which consisted of two spans of 117 ft (35.6m) which covered the station platforms and the tracks on each side. Originally the sides of the station had glass side screens but these were later removed. The roof lasted more than 100 years until the structure became unstable and was replaced in the early 2000s with a modern 'gull wing' roof over the platforms.
The station had one of the longest platforms of any British railway station, at 421 metres (1,381.2 ft), but the two main island platforms were both shortened as part of the 2007–08 station upgrade. The platform was long enough to allow two trains to call at it at the same time time. This unusual feature was enabled by 'scissor junctions' halfway along the platforms. The scissor junctions were X-shaped junctions which allowed one train to pass another one already in the platform, and call into the same platform ahead of it, and allowed the train to the rear to pull out of the station, effectively doubling the capacity of the platform. The scissor junctions remained in use until the railway was electrified in the 1960s.
In 1899 a second station, , was opened in Rugby. To distinguish it from the other station, the present station became known as Rugby Midland. Rugby Central closed in 1969, and Rugby Midland reverted to being called just Rugby in 1970.
The station came under the management of the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) (1885–1923), and then the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(LMS) (1923–1948), and then the nationalised British Railways (1948–1997). It is now owned by Network Rail
.
As a part of the West Coast Main Line modernisation programme, major track restructuring work was carried out to allow higher speed running through Rugby; three new platforms were added, along with a new ticket office and entrance. Work began in September 2006 and was completed late in 2008.
It was at one time thought that remodelling of the track layout would entail complete demolition of the present station, but the final plans involved retention of the existing island platform and buildings. The track upgrades allow non-stopping trains to run through Rugby Junction at 125 mph, thus eliminating another bottleneck from the WCML.
The platform on the south side of the station opened for use on 29 May 2007 and as a result all of the platforms were renumbered. This platform became Platform 1, the former Platform 1 became Platform 2 and 2 became 4. The additional platforms on the north side of the station are numbered Platforms 5 and 6 and they opened on 27 August 2008. Platform 8 became Platform 3. The platforms originally numbered 3, 6 and 7 were removed.
Another distinctive feature of the local railway landscape also vanished at this time - the 'bird cage' bridge. This being a 'heavy' girder bridge of two substantial spans over the West Coast Main Line
to the east (up side) of the station. This was the means by which the Great Central Railway
crossed the London & North Western Railway competing line.
gantries in Britain. Situated to the south of the station and erected in 1895, it spanned three tracks and carried forty-four semaphore arms. Every arm was duplicated due to sighting difficulties that resulted from the Great Central Railway's 'Birdcage' bridge crossing the WCML behind the gantry's location. The gantry acquired the nickname of "the Rugby Bedstead" on account of its appearance.
In 1939, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
resignalled the Rugby area with colour light signals, although the mechanical signal box
es were retained. The famous signal gantry became redundant, following which it was divided up into smaller pieces to form a number of smaller structures for re-use elsewhere.
SGE was awarded a contract to resignal the Rugby area in preparation for electrification. Rugby Power Signal Box (PSB) opened in 1964. It is located east of the station, on the south (Down) side of the railway. The whole station area, together with part of the WCML stretching as far south as Castlethorpe
, was controlled from this new box. It was equipped with an 'NX' (entrance-exit) panel. In 1991, Rugby PSB took over control of the Northampton
area using Solid State Interlocking
(SSI). Since the gradual commissioning of Rugby SCC, the PSB at Rugby only retains the Northampton Loop Line (south of Hillmorton Junction to Hunsbury Hill Tunnel
via Long Buckby and Northampton station).
Rugby Signalling Control Centre (SCC), located north-west of the station, opened in 2004. Initially, its area of control was limited to a portion of the WCML between Kings Langley
and Linslade Tunnel. The current area of control, as of 2009, is Kings Langley, Hertfordshire to Armitage
in Staffordshire. Area of control also includes small portions of branch lines around Nuneaton; these include the Coventry-Nuneaton (from Three Spires to Nuneaton) and part of the Arley/Hinckley lines (Arley Tunnel to Padge Hall). At present Rugby SCC does not control Bletchley station, control of which is retained by Bletchley PSB, or the Northampton line, control of which is still undertaken by Rugby PSB.
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England. It opened during the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
, in 1885, replacing earlier stations situated a little further west. Since the closure of the station
Rugby Central Railway Station
Rugby Central was a railway station serving Rugby in Warwickshire on the former Great Central Main Line which opened in 1899 and closed in 1969....
on the now-abandoned Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
route through the town, it is Rugby's only station.
Situated 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...
(WCML) connecting London to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
and the North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
, the present station, managed 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...
, is located roughly half a mile north of Rugby town centre. On the WCML as a whole, it is located 82 miles north of London Euston
Euston 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 319 miles (513.4 km) south of .
Current services
Main line train services into Rugby are operated by Virgin TrainsVirgin 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...
. There are regular services to London, Birmingham and Crewe with limited direct services to/from North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, the latter destinations are in the morning and evening peaks.
Local services from London / Northampton to Coventry and Birmingham / Crewe (via Trent Valley Line, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent) are provided 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....
. In December 2005 Silverlink
Silverlink
Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes in North London and from London to Northampton...
and Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
(the previous franchise holders) jointly introduced an infrequent semi-fast Euston
Euston 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...
/ to / Liverpool
Liverpool Lime Street railway station
Liverpool Lime Street is a railway station serving the city centre of Liverpool, England. The station lies on a branch of the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, and on the Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network...
service via the Trent Valley Line
Trent Valley line
The Trent Valley Line is a railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line.The line was electrified on 25 kV AC system during the 1960s, in the wake of the 1955 British Rail modernisation plan....
as a precursor to the revamped hourly services introduced in December 2008. This service is now also operated by London Midland.
The station gets one Virgin West Coast train to/from London
Euston 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...
per hour, usually a Birmingham New Street service, with a few additional trains, mainly during the peaks.
Since the timetable change of December 2008, Rugby's status as an important node on the Intercity Main line network has ended. Although the station is operated by Virgin Trains, the main user of the station is London Midland, which has significantly more services stopping at Rugby than Virgin Trains, most of which pass through without stopping.
West Coast Main Line
Rugby station is located between two important junctions of the West Coast Main LineWest 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...
(WCML). To the east of the station, the original London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
(L&BR) line (opened 1838) which runs directly to London, is joined at a grade separated junction by the Northampton loop line (opened 1881) which runs to Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
before rejoining the line to London.
To the west of the station the WCML diverges again between the original London and Birmingham line, now referred to as the Birmingham Loop, which runs westwards to Coventry
Coventry railway station
Coventry railway station is situated about 250 yards to the south of junction 6 of the inner ring road in the city of Coventry, West Midlands, England...
and Birmingham, and the Trent Valley line
Trent Valley line
The Trent Valley Line is a railway line between Rugby and Stafford in England, forming part of the West Coast Main Line.The line was electrified on 25 kV AC system during the 1960s, in the wake of the 1955 British Rail modernisation plan....
(opened 1847) which diverges at a flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
junction northwestwards towards Stafford
Stafford railway station
Stafford railway station is an important main line interchange station in the United Kingdom. It serves the county town of Stafford.The present station built in 1962 is a good example of the Brutalist style of architecture - the beauty of the building was perceived to be its very functionality and...
and the North West
North West England
North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...
of England and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Closed Lines
Until the 1960s Rugby station served several other railway lines, which were closed mostly as part of the Beeching AxeBeeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
. At one time railway lines diverged from Rugby station in seven different directions. The closed lines were:
- The Midland Counties RailwayMidland Counties RailwayThe 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...
(later Midland RailwayMidland RailwayThe 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....
) line to and the East MidlandsEast MidlandsThe East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
which opened in 1840. In the mid-19th century this was an important main line, as the junction at Rugby provided the Midland Railway with its only link to London. Nearly all rail traffic between London and the north passed through Rugby, making it one of the most important railway junctions in the country. Increasing congestion at Rugby meant that Midland Railway opened its own routeMidland Main LineThe 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...
from Leicester to London in the late 1860s. The Leicester to Rugby line lost its earlier importance, and became little more than a country branch lineBranch lineA branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
, it continued to operate as such for nearly a century until it was closed on 30 December 1961. - The Rugby and Stamford Railway which was a secondary cross-country line owned by the London and North Western RailwayLondon and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
which ran from Rugby to PeterboroughPeterborough East railway stationPeterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
via . The line was opened on 29 April 1850. It originally ran to StamfordStamford railway stationStamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England. The station is west of Peterborough on the Syston and Peterborough Railway, the line is now part of the much bigger Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their...
where it joined the Midland Railway's Syston and Peterborough RailwaySyston and Peterborough RailwayThe Syston and Peterborough Railway was an early railway in England opened between 1845 and 1848 to form a branch from the Midland Counties Railway at Syston just north of Leicester to Peterborough.-Origins:...
. But later on, in order to gain a more direct route, the LNWR gained permission to build a line from SeatonSeaton railway stationOther stations with this name have included Seaton in Cumbria , Seaton in Durham , Seaton Delaval in Northumberland , in Devon and Seaton Park in Adelaide, Australia....
to the Northampton and Peterborough RailwayNorthampton and Peterborough RailwayThe Northampton and Peterborough Railway was an early railway promoted by the London and Birmingham Railway to run from a junction at Blisworth to Northampton and Peterborough.-Origin:...
near WansfordWansford railway stationWansford railway station is the headquarters of the Nene Valley Railway. The current station building was opened in 1995 and contains a ticket office, shop, cafe and toilets. The locomotive sheds are located at this station. Also at the station there is a picnic area and children's playground...
, part of which survives as the Nene Valley RailwayNene Valley RailwayThe Nene Valley Railway is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is currently seven and a half miles in length...
. Traffic was never heavy, and Doctor BeechingRichard BeechingRichard Beeching, Baron Beeching , commonly known as Doctor Beeching, was chairman of British Railways and a physicist and engineer...
viewed it as an unnecessary duplication of the Birmingham to Peterborough LineBirmingham to Peterborough LineThe Birmingham to Peterborough Line is a cross-country railway line in the United Kingdom, linking Birmingham to Peterborough, via Nuneaton and Leicester....
and it was closed on 6 June 1966. - The Rugby to Leamington Line which was a country branch line to Leamington Spa which was opened on 1 March 1851. Local passenger services were withdrawn in 1959, and the line closed as a through route in 1966.
First station (1838-40)
The first railway station to be built in Rugby was a wooden temporary structure located around half a mile to the west of the present station. It opened on 9 April 18381838 in rail transport
- January events :* January 1 - The United States government contracts with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to carry mail; the B&O is the first railroad to be awarded such a contract in the U.S....
when the London and Birmingham Railway
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
was constructed. The original station was located on the western side of where the railway crossed Newbold Road (the Rugby to 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...
tollpike road now the A426
A426 road
The A426 road is a road in England which runs from the city of Leicester to the market town of Southam in Warwickshire via the towns of Lutterworth and Rugby.-History:...
) because at the time this was the only road north from Rugby.
Second station (1840-1885)
The first station lasted only a few years. When a junction was made with 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...
in 1840, a new station was built at the site of the junction, which opened on 4 July 1840; it was 905 metres (989.7 yd) to the east of the original station, and 140 m (153.1 yd) to the west of the present station. A new road, Railway Terrace had to be built to link it to the town centre, because at the time it was located in open countryside..
This second station was effectively managed by two companies - the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
and 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....
- and for this reason grew up in a haphazard fashion. It was at first no more than a temporary wooden structure, but was gradually rebuilt into a more permanent structure over the following decade. This station consisted of platforms at each side of the track with one bay platform
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
. The platforms were rather low and passengers complained of having to perform an "acrobatic feat" to board trains.
The station was at the centre of a busy junction and often saw chaotic scenes. It featured, only lightly disguised, in Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's story Mugby Junction
Mugby Junction
Mugby Junction was a set of short stories by Charles Dickens written in 1866. It was first published in a Christmas edition of the magazine All The Year Round....
.
The present station (1885-)
The second station lasted until the 1880s, when a new line from Rugby to NorthamptonNorthampton
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...
(the Northampton loop
Northampton loop
The Northampton loop is a railway line serving the town of Northampton. It is a branch of the West Coast Main Line, deviating from the faster direct main line which runs to the west....
) was built, the old station was deemed by the LNWR
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
to be no-longer satisfactory, and in 1882, £70,000 was allocated to replace it with the current station which opened on 5 July 1885
1885 in rail transport
-February events:* February 12 - The Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield Railway is incorporated in Missouri.* February 17 - The Southern Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad are combined under a single holding company, the Southern Pacific Company....
. Another £30,000 was allocated to build a hotel, although this was never built.
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....
retained the part of the older station which it had managed, however. One platform of the old station, separate from the new station, continued to be used by local trains on the Midland Railway's branch to Leicester until March 8, 1930. No trace of this now remains, however, as it was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the postal sorting office.
When constructed the station consisted of one large 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...
with bay platform
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
s at the each end for terminating local services. In the 2000s the station was extensively reconstructed (see below). The original Victorian island platform and building has been retained but the bay platforms at the western end were removed. However a new platform has been added on the south side, normally used for northbound services. In addition to these, a new island platform numbered 5 and 6 is located on the north side of the station, normally used for southbound services. The main island platforms are accessed from a tunnel at road level and a ramp leading to the platforms.
When constructed the station had a large steel and glass roof which consisted of two spans of 117 ft (35.6m) which covered the station platforms and the tracks on each side. Originally the sides of the station had glass side screens but these were later removed. The roof lasted more than 100 years until the structure became unstable and was replaced in the early 2000s with a modern 'gull wing' roof over the platforms.
The station had one of the longest platforms of any British railway station, at 421 metres (1,381.2 ft), but the two main island platforms were both shortened as part of the 2007–08 station upgrade. The platform was long enough to allow two trains to call at it at the same time time. This unusual feature was enabled by 'scissor junctions' halfway along the platforms. The scissor junctions were X-shaped junctions which allowed one train to pass another one already in the platform, and call into the same platform ahead of it, and allowed the train to the rear to pull out of the station, effectively doubling the capacity of the platform. The scissor junctions remained in use until the railway was electrified in the 1960s.
In 1899 a second station, , was opened in Rugby. To distinguish it from the other station, the present station became known as Rugby Midland. Rugby Central closed in 1969, and Rugby Midland reverted to being called just Rugby in 1970.
The station came under the management of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR) (1885–1923), and then the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(LMS) (1923–1948), and then the nationalised British Railways (1948–1997). It is now owned by Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
.
2006/2008 upgrade
It was at one time thought that remodelling of the track layout would entail complete demolition of the present station, but the final plans involved retention of the existing island platform and buildings. The track upgrades allow non-stopping trains to run through Rugby Junction at 125 mph, thus eliminating another bottleneck from the WCML.
The platform on the south side of the station opened for use on 29 May 2007 and as a result all of the platforms were renumbered. This platform became Platform 1, the former Platform 1 became Platform 2 and 2 became 4. The additional platforms on the north side of the station are numbered Platforms 5 and 6 and they opened on 27 August 2008. Platform 8 became Platform 3. The platforms originally numbered 3, 6 and 7 were removed.
Another distinctive feature of the local railway landscape also vanished at this time - the 'bird cage' bridge. This being a 'heavy' girder bridge of two substantial spans over 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...
to the east (up side) of the station. This was the means by which the Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
crossed the London & North Western Railway competing line.
Signalling
Rugby once had the largest concentration of mechanical signalling in the world and was home to one of the most impressive signalRailway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...
gantries in Britain. Situated to the south of the station and erected in 1895, it spanned three tracks and carried forty-four semaphore arms. Every arm was duplicated due to sighting difficulties that resulted from the Great Central Railway's 'Birdcage' bridge crossing the WCML behind the gantry's location. The gantry acquired the nickname of "the Rugby Bedstead" on account of its appearance.
In 1939, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
resignalled the Rugby area with colour light signals, although the mechanical 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...
es were retained. The famous signal gantry became redundant, following which it was divided up into smaller pieces to form a number of smaller structures for re-use elsewhere.
SGE was awarded a contract to resignal the Rugby area in preparation for electrification. Rugby Power Signal Box (PSB) opened in 1964. It is located east of the station, on the south (Down) side of the railway. The whole station area, together with part of the WCML stretching as far south as Castlethorpe
Castlethorpe
Castlethorpe is a village and civil parish with a population of about 1000 in the Borough of Milton Keynes , England. It is about north-east of Stony Stratford, north-west of Newport Pagnell and north of Central Milton Keynes...
, was controlled from this new box. It was equipped with an 'NX' (entrance-exit) panel. In 1991, Rugby PSB took over control of the Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
area using Solid State Interlocking
Solid State Interlocking
Solid State Interlocking is the brand name of the first generation processor-based interlocking developed in the 1980s by British Rail's Research Division, GEC-General Signal and Westinghouse Signals Ltd in the UK.- Interlocking hardware :...
(SSI). Since the gradual commissioning of Rugby SCC, the PSB at Rugby only retains the Northampton Loop Line (south of Hillmorton Junction to Hunsbury Hill Tunnel
Hunsbury Hill Tunnel
Hunsbury Hill Tunnel is a railway tunnel on the Northampton Loop Line of the West Coast Main Line. The tunnel runs in a straight line from the Briar Hill district of the town of Northampton, England about north by east to the West Hunsbury district south south of the town. The tunnel has a single...
via Long Buckby and Northampton station).
Rugby Signalling Control Centre (SCC), located north-west of the station, opened in 2004. Initially, its area of control was limited to a portion of the WCML between Kings Langley
Kings Langley railway station
Kings Langley railway station is just under the M25 motorway at Junction 20. It serves the village of Kings Langley, and the nearby villages of Abbots Langley and Hunton Bridge. The station is 34 km north west of London Euston on the West Coast Main Line...
and Linslade Tunnel. The current area of control, as of 2009, is Kings Langley, Hertfordshire to Armitage
Armitage
Armitage is a village in Staffordshire, England on the south side of the Trent and Mersey Canal between Lichfield and Rugeley. Together with the adjacent village of Handsacre, it forms the parish of Armitage with Handsacre.-Village Amenities:...
in Staffordshire. Area of control also includes small portions of branch lines around Nuneaton; these include the Coventry-Nuneaton (from Three Spires to Nuneaton) and part of the Arley/Hinckley lines (Arley Tunnel to Padge Hall). At present Rugby SCC does not control Bletchley station, control of which is retained by Bletchley PSB, or the Northampton line, control of which is still undertaken by Rugby PSB.
Services
External links
- Rugby Station at warwickshirerailways.com
- Pendolino Cab Footage - A Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin 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...
PendolinoPendolinoPendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
heading northbound (towards the Trent Valley). - Pendolino Cab Footage - A Virgin TrainsVirgin TrainsVirgin 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...
PendolinoPendolinoPendolino is an Italian family of tilting trains used in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Russian Federation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, Switzerland, China and shortly in Romania and Poland...
heading southbound (towards London). - Rugby Station Twitter Feed - The latest information from the announcer at Rugby.