Welwyn Garden City railway station
Encyclopedia
Welwyn Garden City railway station serves the town of Welwyn Garden City
in Hertfordshire
, England
. The station is approximately 20 miles (32.2 km) north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line
. Welwyn Garden City station is managed and served by First Capital Connect
.
A halt named Welwyn Garden City Halt opened on 1 September 1920, shortly after the town was incorporated; this was on the now defunct Luton
/Dunstable
branch line, slightly further north than the present station. This line cuts west and north through Sherrardspark Wood
, and on towards via what is now Ayot Greenway
.
The present Welwyn Garden City station opened on 20 September 1926; Welwyn Garden City Halt was closed at the same time. Prior to this, services to Luton and the Hertford
line, which cut east through the town, were handled from nearby . The Hertford branch line was closed to rail passenger traffic in 1951 and to goods in 1966, whilst the Dunstable line fell victim to the Beeching Axe
in April 1965 (although goods traffic survived until 1971).
When the Howard Centre
shopping centre was opened in October 1990, the original ticketing hall was demolished. It is now inside of the Howard Centre with steps linking down to the original bridge and then platforms.
The line near the station has seen two serious train crashes
. One in 1935, and another in 1957.
during 2007, which saw new lighting be installed and new waiting rooms and toilets on each platform, using existing buildings. The refurbishments also saw the installation of Automatic Ticket Gates and two new platform shelters further along the platforms from the canopies. There is also a station buffet/bar located on Platforms 1 and 2.
The station has direct access to the Howard Centre
. The shopping centre also incorporates the station's ticket office on the first floor. There are 5 ticket machines; 3 standard touch screen machines, one "FAST-TICKET" machine and one "Credit/Debit Card Only" machine. There are also telephones and help-points throughout the station.
Towards the end of 2007 Welwyn Garden City was awarded "Secure Station" status, along with many other stations along the Great Northern route as part of a stations improvement programme by First Capital Connect
. As part of this award, many additional cameras were installed at the station.
and Peterborough
respectively. On Sundays there is an hourly service southbound to London and northbound to Cambridge.
Welwyn Garden City is a terminus for First Capital Connect's "London - Welwyn line" stopping service. Trains depart every 20 minutes to Moorgate in London weekdays and outside of these times every half hour to London Kings Cross. A rail flyover was constructed south of the station to allow the Moorgate trains to arrive and depart from Platform 4. There is also a limited stop service to London King's Cross at peak times, notably just after 7am where a train runs non-stop to Finsbury Park
and 8am where the next stop is Potters Bar
.
The station is also served by various buses operated by both Arriva
and Centrebus
.
to Peak Forest along occasional Rail tamper units and departmental wagon storage.
The carriage sidings, just north of the station currently, consist of 9 sidings with the 8-car 317/365's able to use only 5 of the sidings because if they used the other sidings, they would block the siding next to it.
Platforms 2 & 3 are in regular use for services to/from London Kings Cross, Peterborough and Cambridge, also used for terminating trains for the carriage sidings and where trains from the carriage sidings form into passenger service.
Platform 4 is used for services to/from Moorgate, also used for terminating trains for the carriage sidings and where trains from the carriage sidings form into passenger service.
Platform 1 is the reserve platform and is in regular use although not as much as Platform 4.
The West exit off the passenger footbridge leads into the Howard centre where the main station ticket office is located on the first floor while the East exit leads to the Broadwater industrial area.
Welwyn Garden City
-Economy:Ever since its inception as garden city, Welwyn Garden City has attracted a strong commercial base with several designated employment areas. Among the companies trading in the town are:*Air Link Systems*Baxter*British Lead Mills*Carl Zeiss...
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 approximately 20 miles (32.2 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...
. Welwyn Garden City station 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...
.
History
A station named Welwyn Junction was opened with the Hertford and Welwyn Junction Railway on 1 March 1858. This station ceased to be used for services on 1 September 1860.A halt named Welwyn Garden City Halt opened on 1 September 1920, shortly after the town was incorporated; this was on the now defunct Luton
Luton Bute Street railway station
Luton Bute Street railway station was the first to be built in Luton. It was opened by the Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway Company in 1858, which was an extension of the Welwyn and Hertford Railway...
/Dunstable
Dunstable Town railway station
Dunstable Town railway station was a station on the Great Northern Railway branch line from Hatfield. It served the town of Dunstable until the passenger service ceased in 1965 under the Beeching axe.-History:...
branch line, slightly further north than the present station. This line cuts west and north through Sherrardspark Wood
Sherrardspark Wood
Sherrardspark Wood is a 74.9 hectare biological and geological, site of Special Scientific Interest in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire...
, and on towards via what is now Ayot Greenway
Ayot Greenway
The Ayot Greenway is a rail trail which extends from Ayot St. Peter, just west of Welwyn Garden City and the A1 Motorway to Wheathampstead in Hertfordshire...
.
The present Welwyn Garden City station opened on 20 September 1926; Welwyn Garden City Halt was closed at the same time. Prior to this, services to Luton and the Hertford
Hertford Cowbridge railway station
Hertford Cowbridge railway station was a station on the Hertford and Welwyn Junction Railway, and was situated in Hertford, England.-History:The station was opened on 1 March 1858, originally being named Hertford Cowbridge...
line, which cut east through the town, were handled from nearby . The Hertford branch line was closed to rail passenger traffic in 1951 and to goods in 1966, whilst the Dunstable line fell victim to the Beeching Axe
Beeching 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...
in April 1965 (although goods traffic survived until 1971).
When the Howard Centre
Howard Centre
The Howard Centre is a shopping centre in Welwyn Garden City. It is named after Sir Ebenezer Howard, founder of the Garden City movement. It was built by Tarmac Construction and opened in October 1990. It provides...
shopping centre was opened in October 1990, the original ticketing hall was demolished. It is now inside of the Howard Centre with steps linking down to the original bridge and then platforms.
The line near the station has seen two serious train crashes
Welwyn Garden City rail crash
There were two rail crashes near Welwyn Garden City railway station in Hertfordshire, England. One in 1935 and another less serious accident in 1957.-1935 crash:The crash occurred on 15 June 1935...
. One in 1935, and another in 1957.
Facilities
Welwyn Garden City was refurbished by 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...
during 2007, which saw new lighting be installed and new waiting rooms and toilets on each platform, using existing buildings. The refurbishments also saw the installation of Automatic Ticket Gates and two new platform shelters further along the platforms from the canopies. There is also a station buffet/bar located on Platforms 1 and 2.
The station has direct access to the Howard Centre
Howard Centre
The Howard Centre is a shopping centre in Welwyn Garden City. It is named after Sir Ebenezer Howard, founder of the Garden City movement. It was built by Tarmac Construction and opened in October 1990. It provides...
. The shopping centre also incorporates the station's ticket office on the first floor. There are 5 ticket machines; 3 standard touch screen machines, one "FAST-TICKET" machine and one "Credit/Debit Card Only" machine. There are also telephones and help-points throughout the station.
Towards the end of 2007 Welwyn Garden City was awarded "Secure Station" status, along with many other stations along the Great Northern route as part of a stations improvement programme 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...
. As part of this award, many additional cameras were installed at the station.
Services
Monday to Saturdays, trains operate half-hourly on First Capital Connect's "London-Cambridge/Peterborough" line towards London Kings Cross and hourly towards CambridgeCambridge 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...
and 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...
respectively. On Sundays there is an hourly service southbound to London and northbound to Cambridge.
Welwyn Garden City is a terminus for First Capital Connect's "London - Welwyn line" stopping service. Trains depart every 20 minutes to Moorgate in London weekdays and outside of these times every half hour to London Kings Cross. A rail flyover was constructed south of the station to allow the Moorgate trains to arrive and depart from Platform 4. There is also a limited stop service to London King's Cross at peak times, notably just after 7am where a train runs non-stop to Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
and 8am where the next stop is Potters Bar
Potters Bar
Potters Bar is a town in the Hertsmere borough of Hertfordshire, England, located north of Central London. In 2001 it had a population of 21,618....
.
The station is also served by various buses operated by both Arriva
Arriva
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...
and Centrebus
Centrebus
Centrebus is a privately owned company that operate a number of services around Leicester and Leicestershire, Grantham, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, mainly in areas where Arriva has scaled down its bus operations. Centrebus also competes with Arriva on some routes in Leicester, Luton and Stevenage...
.
Ticket Office Opening Times & Station Staffing Hours
Below are the current opening and staffing times for Welwyn Garden City, as of 2010.| Ticket Office Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day | Opens | Closes |
| Monday to Friday | 06:00 | 20:00 |
| Saturday | 07:00 | 19:30 |
| Sunday | 07:30 | 19:00 |
| Station Staffing Hours | |
|---|---|
| Day | Times |
| Monday to Sunday | 24 Hours |
Station layout
The sidings at Welwyn Garden City consist of 6 bays, currently used for the twice-weekly reversal of empty gypsum wagons returning from HitchinHitchin
Hitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
to Peak Forest along occasional Rail tamper units and departmental wagon storage.
The carriage sidings, just north of the station currently, consist of 9 sidings with the 8-car 317/365's able to use only 5 of the sidings because if they used the other sidings, they would block the siding next to it.
Platforms 2 & 3 are in regular use for services to/from London Kings Cross, Peterborough and Cambridge, also used for terminating trains for the carriage sidings and where trains from the carriage sidings form into passenger service.
Platform 4 is used for services to/from Moorgate, also used for terminating trains for the carriage sidings and where trains from the carriage sidings form into passenger service.
Platform 1 is the reserve platform and is in regular use although not as much as Platform 4.
The West exit off the passenger footbridge leads into the Howard centre where the main station ticket office is located on the first floor while the East exit leads to the Broadwater industrial area.
Route
External links
- Timetable downloads for Welwyn Garden City at First Capital Connect