Stevenage railway station
Encyclopedia
Stevenage railway station serves the town of Stevenage
in Hertfordshire
, England
. The station is 27¼ miles (43 km) north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line
. Stevenage is managed and served by First Capital Connect
. It is also served by the East Coast Main Line Company, as well as First Hull Trains.
The present station dates from 1973, replacing the previous station, which was half a mile to the north, and further away from the centre of the new town
.
, despite the apparent hostility towards the railway being built there at that time due to the inevitable decline it would cause to local coach businesses, which all ended shortly after the station was opened. In 1946, Stevenage was the first community selected to become a "New Town" as part of the governments "New Town Act", which resulted in a new town centre at the heart of the new town. In 1973, the railway station was relocated half a mile south, within a short walking distance of the new town centre.
and the East Coast Main Line Company, however, in practice, tickets for either train operator, as well as tickets for First Hull Trains can be purchased at both vendors. It is only possible to collect advance purchase tickets from the East Coast office. Similarly, both companies have their own separate ticket machines (1 x East Coast, 6 x First Capital Connect); there is a East Coast FastTrack machine available for picking up East Coast tickets and 6 Touch-Screen First Capital Connect machines for purchasing tickets on the day. There are gents, ladies and disabled toilets at street level (but not on the platforms), and restricted lift access from the station to both the stations platforms.
The station also has automatic ticket barriers, which were installed by First Capital Connect
shortly after taking over the route, as a revenue protection exercise and to improve security at the station. There is a newsagent, a snack bar, coffee bar, and a dry-cleaner's at street level and two coffee bars at platform level, with one per platform.
Both platform have indoor waiting rooms that were recently refurbished as part of a wider scheme by First Capital Connect
to refurbish and add waiting rooms across the Great Northern Route
, and there is also outdoor seating along the length of the platforms.
The station is a short walk on a walkway from Stevenage Bus Station, and is opposite a leisure complex that includes the Gordon Craig Theatre.
from London King's Cross to Peterborough
and Cambridge
. It is also served by trains between London and Letchworth via Hertford North
; these trains use Moorgate station
in London on weekdays (except late evenings) and King's Cross at other times.
Timetables for First Capital Connect services that serve the station can be found here.
or Newcastle
, but there are also services to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The East Coast timetables that include Stevenage services can be found here.
Timetables for First Hull Trains services can be found here.
Stevenage
Stevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, 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...
. The station is 27¼ miles (43 km) north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
. Stevenage is managed and served by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
. It is also served by the East Coast Main Line Company, as well as First Hull Trains.
The present station dates from 1973, replacing the previous station, which was half a mile to the north, and further away from the centre of the new town
New town
A new town is a specific type of a planned community, or planned city, that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed in a previously undeveloped area. This contrasts with settlements that evolve in a more ad hoc fashion. Land use conflicts are uncommon in new...
.
History
The original Stevenage railway station was built in 1850 by the Great Northern RailwayGreat 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....
, despite the apparent hostility towards the railway being built there at that time due to the inevitable decline it would cause to local coach businesses, which all ended shortly after the station was opened. In 1946, Stevenage was the first community selected to become a "New Town" as part of the governments "New Town Act", which resulted in a new town centre at the heart of the new town. In 1973, the railway station was relocated half a mile south, within a short walking distance of the new town centre.
Facilities
The station has two separate ticket offices operated by both First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
and the East Coast Main Line Company, however, in practice, tickets for either train operator, as well as tickets for First Hull Trains can be purchased at both vendors. It is only possible to collect advance purchase tickets from the East Coast office. Similarly, both companies have their own separate ticket machines (1 x East Coast, 6 x First Capital Connect); there is a East Coast FastTrack machine available for picking up East Coast tickets and 6 Touch-Screen First Capital Connect machines for purchasing tickets on the day. There are gents, ladies and disabled toilets at street level (but not on the platforms), and restricted lift access from the station to both the stations platforms.
The station also has automatic ticket barriers, which were installed by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
shortly after taking over the route, as a revenue protection exercise and to improve security at the station. There is a newsagent, a snack bar, coffee bar, and a dry-cleaner's at street level and two coffee bars at platform level, with one per platform.
Both platform have indoor waiting rooms that were recently refurbished as part of a wider scheme by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
to refurbish and add waiting rooms across the Great Northern Route
Great Northern Route
The Great Northern Route is the name of the suburban rail services run on the southern end of Britain's East Coast Main Line and associated branches. Services operate to or from and in London...
, and there is also outdoor seating along the length of the platforms.
The station is a short walk on a walkway from Stevenage Bus Station, and is opposite a leisure complex that includes the Gordon Craig Theatre.
First Capital Connect services
Most of the trains serving Stevenage station are operated by First Capital Connect, lying on its Great Northern RouteGreat Northern Route
The Great Northern Route is the name of the suburban rail services run on the southern end of Britain's East Coast Main Line and associated branches. Services operate to or from and in London...
from London King's Cross to Peterborough
Peterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
and Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
. It is also served by trains between London and Letchworth via Hertford North
Hertford North railway station
Hertford North railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Hertford in Hertfordshire, England with the other being Hertford East railway station....
; these trains use Moorgate station
Moorgate station
Moorgate station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground station on Moorgate in the City of London; it provides National Rail services by First Capital Connect for Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth and also serves the Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan Lines and...
in London on weekdays (except late evenings) and King's Cross at other times.
Timetables for First Capital Connect services that serve the station can be found here.
East Coast services
Stevenage is also served by some of East Coast's trains on the East Coast Main Line. Typically, these are trains between London King's Cross and LeedsLeeds City railway station
Leeds railway station is the mainline railway station serving the city centre of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England...
or Newcastle
Newcastle Central station
Newcastle railway station , is the mainline station of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England and is a principal stop on the East Coast Main Line. It opened in 1850 and is a Grade I listed building...
, but there are also services to Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The East Coast timetables that include Stevenage services can be found here.
First Hull Trains services
First Hull Trains offer a limited service of 2 trains per weekday northbound and 3 trains per weekday southbound, except on bank holidays, when there are only two southbound and one northbound. There are four southbound services on Saturdays and Sundays, although they are "drop-down" only, and there are four northbound services on a Saturday, and five on a Sunday, which are all "Pick-Up" only. These services run between King's Cross and Hull.Timetables for First Hull Trains services can be found here.
Bus Services
Buses SB1, SB2, SB3, SB7, SB8, SB9, SB10, SB15, SB16, SB40, SB50, 22, 55, 80, 100, 101, 102, 301, 384, 625, 635, 700, and 797 all stop at the station. The station is also only a short walk from the town's main bus station, which is served by a number of other bus services.Ticket Office Opening Times & Station Staffing Hours
Below are the current opening and staffing times for Stevenage, .| First Capital Connect Ticket Office Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day | Opens | Closes |
| Monday to Thursday | 06:15 | 20:30 |
| Friday | 06:15 | 21:45 |
| Saturday | 06:30 | 21:30 |
| Sunday | 08:00 | 20:15 |
| Station Staffing Hours | |
|---|---|
| Day | Times |
| Monday to Sunday | 24 Hours |