Wellingborough railway station
Encyclopedia
Wellingborough railway station is located the market town of Wellingborough
in Northamptonshire
, England
. It lies on the Midland Main Line
, it is 104 kilometres (64.6 mi) from London St. Pancras. East Midlands Trains
(EMT) operate the station and run most of its services using Meridian
trains.
The station is the closest to the towns and large villages of Higham Ferrers
, Irchester
, Irthlingborough
, Rushden
and Wollaston
although there is no direct link to any of the destinations from the station apart from Irthlingborough.
With Northamptonshire's history in the shoe industry, the film Kinky Boots
filmed in the county and featured Wellingborough station but branded it as Northampton. In late 2009 Wellingborough was made a Penalty fare
station by East Midlands Trains, which means valid ticket or Permit to travel
must be shown when requested.
in 1857 on its extension from to and . At the time the station was known as Wellingborough Midland Road to distinguish from one built by the LNWR
in 1866 at for the Northampton and Peterborough Railway
which closed in 1966. A curve linked the two stations from west to north.
The buildings, designed by C. A. Driver, still exist, though in altered form. Much of this occurred when the branch to was built in 1894, when the up main platform was substantially altered, removing the original canopies.
Wellingborough also had a large locomotive depot
with two roundhouses, the first built 1868, the second in 1872. One of the buildings still exist next to the main station building. On 2 September 1898, the station was the scene of a serious rail accident
when a trolley ran off the platform in front of a Manchester
express train. The crew and six passengers were killed and sixty-five injured.
British Rail
removed the fourth track between Kettering and Sharnbrook Junction in the 1980s for cost cutting reasons making platform 4 unused. The platform still does exist, overgrown and no link to the rest of the station. A building is left derelict on it and there are proposals for the platform to be reopened.
There were originally five platforms at Wellingborough station - Platforms 1 & 2 still exist as they were, platform 3 was the bay platform for Northampton trains, which ceased on 4th. May 1964. The bay is still there, but fenced off from platform 2. In 1964 Platform 4 (the then down slow platform) was re-numbered platform 3. Platform 5 was taken out of use when the Rushden and Higham Ferrers services ceased in 1959.
and there is now a preservation movement to reopen this route (see Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway).
The station has the PlusBus
scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together at a saving.
From Bedford to Kettering the Midland Main Line
is unusual for being a three-tracked main line. Other instances of this occurring are on the Cross City Line in Birmingham
. Before rationalisation this formation was part of the longest continuous four-track layout in the UK, extending from London St. Pancras to Glendon Junction (north of Kettering) and with rail freight and passenger demands rising this could again be reinstated.
East Midlands Trains launched a new timetable in December 2008, with one train less running during the morning peak period, and four less during the evening peak. Some journey times have increased, with the quickest train now taking 47 minutes at peak times.
trains. In the morning and evening services are extended to Lincoln
via Newark and via . At weekends the station has trains stopping here operating to and from . In the summer months these are extended to in North Yorkshire
.
Faster East Midlands Trains (EMT) services to/from Sheffield and run through at high speed, but do not stop outside peak hours. Interchange with faster services can be made at .
As part of the Department for Transport
access for all programme, Network Rail
have announced to extend the station platforms and improve access by provideing lifts, which would replace the flat barrow crossing at end of the platforms. In August 2010 the local council gave planning permission for Network Rail to build lifts and to fit new internal toilets one of the disused buildings in the station.
As Wellingborough is part of the North Northamptonshire growth area, a major housing development is due to take place and provide 3,000 new homes on the east side of the station. Along with this another housing development is planned north of the town meaning that the importance of the station will rise. Currently (2010) Network Rail
and Borough Council of Wellingborough
plan to have platform 4 back into use and for a new station building to be built for the 'Stanton Cross' development which is due to be completed in 2021.
Car parking
The new 'South' car park has been built as a replacement for the 'North' car park which is still open. The replacement was built because of the Wellingborough East (Stanton Cross) development, as a new road bridge would start were the 'North' car park is situated and then go over the railway.
Thameslink
When the existing franchise is re-examined, it is hoped by Network Rail
and First Capital Connect
that the Thameslink expansion programme
will have increased capacity at Bedford and Luton. There is a suggestion that East Midlands Trains services passing through Northamptonshire will go non-stop between Wellingborough and London St Pancras. To replace the route, a cross-country "shuttle" service using existing line will be added, running from either Luton or Bedford, stopping at Wellingborough and/or Kettering, through to Corby or possibly further.
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
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,...
, 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...
. It lies on 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...
, it is 104 kilometres (64.6 mi) from London St. Pancras. East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
(EMT) operate the station and run most of its services using Meridian
British Rail Class 222
The British Rail Class 222 is a diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed train capable of . Twenty-seven units have been built by Bombardier Transportation....
trains.
The station is the closest to the towns and large villages of Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers
Higham Ferrers is a market town in the Nene Valley in East Northamptonshire, England, close to the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire borders. It forms a single urban area with Rushden to the south and has an estimated population of 6,086...
, Irchester
Irchester
Irchester is a civil parish and village in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It is about 2 miles south-east of the town of Wellingborough and 2 miles south-west of Rushden, and equidistant from London, south, and Birmingham, to the north-west...
, Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough
Irthlingborough , originally called Artleborough, is a small town on the River Nene in Northamptonshire, England with a population of 6,179 people according to the 2001 census. It is the smallest town in England to have possessed a league association football team, Rushden & Diamonds. The parish...
, Rushden
Rushden
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the county of Northamptonshire, England.The parish of Rushden covers an area of some and is part of the district of East Northamptonshire. The population of Rushden was estimated at around 28,368, making it the fifth largest town in the county...
and Wollaston
Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Wollaston is a large village in the borough of Wellingborough. in Eastern Northamptonshire, England. The name is derived from the Saxon "Wulfaf's Town" - named after a Saxon chief of that name.-Wollaston Today:...
although there is no direct link to any of the destinations from the station apart from Irthlingborough.
With Northamptonshire's history in the shoe industry, the film Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots (film)
Kinky Boots is a 2005 comedy film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, about a traditional Northampton shoemaker, based in Earls Barton, who turns to producing fetishism footwear in order to save the failing family business and the jobs of his workers...
filmed in the county and featured Wellingborough station but branded it as Northampton. In late 2009 Wellingborough was made a Penalty fare
Penalty fare
On the United Kingdom's public transport systems, a penalty fare is a special fare charged at a higher than normal price because the purchaser did not comply with the normal ticket purchasing rules...
station by East Midlands Trains, which means valid ticket or Permit to travel
Permit to travel
In the ticketing system of the British rail network, a Permit to Travel provisionally allows passengers to travel on a train when they have not purchased a ticket in advance and the ticket office of the station they are travelling from is closed, without incurring a penalty fare.Since a large...
must be shown when requested.
History
Wellingborough (Midland Road) was built by the Midland RailwayMidland 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....
in 1857 on its extension from to and . At the time the station was known as Wellingborough Midland Road to distinguish from one built 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...
in 1866 at for the Northampton and Peterborough Railway
Northampton and Peterborough Railway
The 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:...
which closed in 1966. A curve linked the two stations from west to north.
The buildings, designed by C. A. Driver, still exist, though in altered form. Much of this occurred when the branch to was built in 1894, when the up main platform was substantially altered, removing the original canopies.
Wellingborough also had a large locomotive depot
MPD
-In chemistry:* 2-Methyl-2,4-pentanediol* m-Phenylenediamine* Methylphenidate-In electronics:* Medium PRF doppler radar used e.g...
with two roundhouses, the first built 1868, the second in 1872. One of the buildings still exist next to the main station building. On 2 September 1898, the station was the scene of a serious rail accident
Wellingborough rail accident
On 2 September 1898 at Wellingborough railway station a postman brought a mailcart to the station with mail which he was to see onto a train due at 20:22. The mail should then have been brought to the down platform through a passageway between the station yard and the platform...
when a trolley ran off the platform in front of a Manchester
Manchester Central railway station
Manchester Central railway station is a former railway station in Manchester City Centre, England. One of Manchester's main railway terminals between 1880 and 1969, it now houses an exhibition and conference centre named Manchester Central.-History:...
express train. The crew and six passengers were killed and sixty-five injured.
British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
removed the fourth track between Kettering and Sharnbrook Junction in the 1980s for cost cutting reasons making platform 4 unused. The platform still does exist, overgrown and no link to the rest of the station. A building is left derelict on it and there are proposals for the platform to be reopened.
There were originally five platforms at Wellingborough station - Platforms 1 & 2 still exist as they were, platform 3 was the bay platform for Northampton trains, which ceased on 4th. May 1964. The bay is still there, but fenced off from platform 2. In 1964 Platform 4 (the then down slow platform) was re-numbered platform 3. Platform 5 was taken out of use when the Rushden and Higham Ferrers services ceased in 1959.
General information
Wellingborough has three platforms: two are regularly used, one occasionally, and another platform face with no trackwork. The station was formerly the junction for a branch to Higham FerrersHigham Ferrers railway station
See also Irthlingborough Northampton and Peterborough Railway station.Higham Ferrers is a former railway station on a Midland Railway branch line from Wellingborough. It served the market town of Higham Ferrers....
and there is now a preservation movement to reopen this route (see Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway).
The station has the PlusBus
PLUSBUS
PLUSBUS is an add-on ticket, which can be purchased with rail tickets in Great Britain. It allows unlimited travel on participating bus operators' services in the whole urban area of rail-served towns and cities.-History:...
scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together at a saving.
From Bedford to Kettering 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...
is unusual for being a three-tracked main line. Other instances of this occurring are on the Cross City Line in 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...
. Before rationalisation this formation was part of the longest continuous four-track layout in the UK, extending from London St. Pancras to Glendon Junction (north of Kettering) and with rail freight and passenger demands rising this could again be reinstated.
East Midlands Trains launched a new timetable in December 2008, with one train less running during the morning peak period, and four less during the evening peak. Some journey times have increased, with the quickest train now taking 47 minutes at peak times.
Services
There is a half-hourly service to London St. Pancras and an hourly service via . Also there is an hourly service, both operated by modern Meridian (Class 222)British Rail Class 222
The British Rail Class 222 is a diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed train capable of . Twenty-seven units have been built by Bombardier Transportation....
trains. In the morning and evening services are extended to Lincoln
Lincoln Central railway station
Lincoln Central railway station serves the city of Lincoln in Lincolnshire, England. The station is operated by East Midlands Trains, who provide services along with Northern Rail and East Coast....
via Newark and via . At weekends the station has trains stopping here operating to and from . In the summer months these are extended to in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
.
- 2tph to London St PancrasSt Pancras railway stationSt Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
via Bedford, Luton/Luton Airport Parkway - 1tph to via Kettering
- 1tph to via Kettering, , , and .
Faster East Midlands Trains (EMT) services to/from Sheffield and run through at high speed, but do not stop outside peak hours. Interchange with faster services can be made at .
Travel times
Travel times from Wellingborough to London, Corby, Melton Mowbray, Nottingham & Lincoln (from May 2009) All services operated by East Midlands Trains.- 51-5 mins to London St Pancras InternationalSt Pancras railway stationSt Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
- 35 mins to
- 35 mins to
- 13 mins to
- 7 mins to
- 16 mins to 1
- 39 mins to Afternoon peak only
- 54 mins to Afternoon peak only
- 17 mins to
- 34 mins to
- 46 mins to
- 58 mins to
- 1h 5 mins to
- 2 hours to Afternoon peak only
- Some services to Corby can take longer
Future
Station improvementsAs part of the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
access for all programme, 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...
have announced to extend the station platforms and improve access by provideing lifts, which would replace the flat barrow crossing at end of the platforms. In August 2010 the local council gave planning permission for Network Rail to build lifts and to fit new internal toilets one of the disused buildings in the station.
As Wellingborough is part of the North Northamptonshire growth area, a major housing development is due to take place and provide 3,000 new homes on the east side of the station. Along with this another housing development is planned north of the town meaning that the importance of the station will rise. Currently (2010) 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...
and Borough Council of Wellingborough
Wellingborough (borough)
Wellingborough is a Non-metropolitan district and borough in Northamptonshire, England. It is named after Wellingborough, its main town, but also includes surrounding rural areas....
plan to have platform 4 back into use and for a new station building to be built for the 'Stanton Cross' development which is due to be completed in 2021.
Car parking
The new 'South' car park has been built as a replacement for the 'North' car park which is still open. The replacement was built because of the Wellingborough East (Stanton Cross) development, as a new road bridge would start were the 'North' car park is situated and then go over the railway.
Thameslink
When the existing franchise is re-examined, it is hoped 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...
and 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...
that the Thameslink expansion programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
will have increased capacity at Bedford and Luton. There is a suggestion that East Midlands Trains services passing through Northamptonshire will go non-stop between Wellingborough and London St Pancras. To replace the route, a cross-country "shuttle" service using existing line will be added, running from either Luton or Bedford, stopping at Wellingborough and/or Kettering, through to Corby or possibly further.