Banbury railway station
Encyclopedia
Banbury railway station serves the town of Banbury
in Oxfordshire
, England
. The station is currently operated by Chiltern Railways
, on the Chiltern Main Line
, and has four platforms in use.
(L&NWR) opened its Banbury Merton Street terminus. When meadows and a by the recently discussed race-course at Grimsbury were sold to the Great Western Railway
in about 1850, the owner also sold the other part of his land, north of the Middleton road to the Banbury Freehold Land Society, which was financially backed by Cobb's Bank, on which to build middle-class houses, but development was slow at the time and some plots were never built upon.
The station was going to be part of the GWR's Oxford and Rugby Railway, before the problems with changing gauges at prevented it. The 24 miles (38.6 km) single track extension from Oxford to Banbury did open, and at first Banbury was just a single platform through station (works were continuing to Birmingham) however the popularity of the line meant that the route was soon double tracked barely two years later, and the station was given an extra platform in an up and down configuration. In 1884 an extra up line was added, and by 1903 Banbury had the extra up line converted into up and down bays, along with an extra bay on the downside, and freight loops to cope with traffic from the Great Central Main Line
joining at Banbury Junction to the north. The inclusion of terminating bays and freight loops reflected Banbury's increasing strategic position in the national network. The Station was rebuilt into its present form in 1958.
Banbury was once a junction for the line to , however that closed in the 1960s. There was also another station very nearby at . Banbury Bridge Street station occupied one of the most strategic and important locations in the entire rail network in Britain. For example, the Aberdeen to Penzance Express used the branch of the GCR through Banbury as part of its journey and the "Ports to Ports Express" between the North-East (Newcastle upon Tyne
, etc.) and South Wales (Cardiff railway station
) used the Great Central Railway
branch line and the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
, and passed though Banbury as well as Newcastle — , Newcastle — , — Sleeper, Bournemouth — Birkenhead
/, etc. Most Cross Country Services in Britain passed through Banbury, which helped the station become just as, if not more, important than the London termini, and also helped the growth of the town and its cattle market.
The station was renamed Banbury General after nationalisation in 1948
to distinguish it from Merton Street station. The suffix was officially discontinued by 1974, but remained on tickets until the Edmondson
type ticket machines were replaced in the early 1980s.
The current railway station is on the site of the Great Western Railway line that opened to Banbury in 1850. The original station's overall roof survived until 1953, 5 years before a rebuild in 1958. The rebuilding of the station was delayed due to the Second World War
, and could have been based on the GWR's new station at Leamington Spa, which was finished just before war commenced.
In recent years passenger traffic at Banbury has grown rapidly. In the seven years 2003–10 the number of passengers using the station increased by 85%.
After the rebuilding of the station in 1956–58 there were six numbered platforms: these were formed into two islands, the western one having two through tracks and a single bay at its northern end, whilst the eastern island had a single through platform, but two bays, one at each end. The two islands were connected to each other, and to the station entrance hall, by a footbridge.
At that time, the three through platforms were numbered 1, 3 & 4 from west to east, whilst the three bays were 2, 5 & 6. All but one have been re-designated since — the present-day platform 2 was formerly platform 3, whilst the un-numbered bay at its northern end was originally platform 2; and present-day platforms 3 & 4 were formerly 4 & 6 respectively. Platform 5, at the northern end of the present platform 3, has lost both its track and its number.
The present station has four numbered platforms (one active bay not numbered), numbered 1 to 4 from west to east, and are split into two island platforms.
Platform 1 is a through platform used as a bay platform by First Great Western
's terminating local trains to Oxford and commuter trains beyond to Reading and Paddington, and by Chiltern Railways through and terminating services from the south — all terminating trains at this platform travel a short distance up the line before reversing back to the same platform and boarding outbound passengers, unless a train has since occupied the platform, which then means the train reverses to platform 3 to board passengers, It is also used as an emergency through platform if one of the others is out of use for any reason.
Platforms 2 and 3 are through platforms: platform 2 is for Chiltern services north to Leamington Spa, CrossCountry services to Birmingham New Street, Manchester, The North West and Scotland; platform 3 is for Chiltern services to London via Bicester and Cross Country services to Oxford, Reading and the South Coast.
There are also two terminal platforms: platform 4 is for terminating Chiltern services to and from London; An unnumbered bay platform (trains stopping here are classified as either or both Platforms 1 & 2, usually 1) is used by terminating Chiltern services to and from Birmingham and Stratford. Freight loops serve as main through lines for non-stopping freight trains. All passenger services passing Banbury stop at the station, and heritage trains stop here to fill up on water.
Many redundant loops and sidings surround the station: most of these were for goods services stopping at Banbury, which have all disappeared. Two goods loops survive to allow the stoppage of goods trains for the uninterrupted passage of passenger trains.
The station is also being considered for remodelling to improve 'operational flexibility' by Network Rail
Two new lower-quadrant semaphore signals were installed in late 2010 to allow passenger trains in platforms 1 & 2 to depart in the up direction. Their numbers are BS27 and BS33, and are controlled from Banbury South signal box.
It is also the northern terminus of First Great Western
's local services from via and operates Mondays to Saturdays only.
Banbury is also served by CrossCountry
services between and .
Voyager
forming the 1625 hrs service to caught fire while standing at platform 2 at Banbury. Passengers in both trains at the station and the station itself were evacuated. Fire crews arrived and the fire was extinguished.
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, 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 currently operated by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
, on the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
, and has four platforms in use.
History
Banbury Bridge Street station opened on 2 September 1850, some four months after the Buckinghamshire RailwayBuckinghamshire Railway
The Buckinghamshire Railway was a railway company in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England that constructed railway lines connecting Bletchley, Banbury and Oxford...
(L&NWR) opened its Banbury Merton Street terminus. When meadows and a by the recently discussed race-course at Grimsbury were sold to the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
in about 1850, the owner also sold the other part of his land, north of the Middleton road to the Banbury Freehold Land Society, which was financially backed by Cobb's Bank, on which to build middle-class houses, but development was slow at the time and some plots were never built upon.
The station was going to be part of the GWR's Oxford and Rugby Railway, before the problems with changing gauges at prevented it. The 24 miles (38.6 km) single track extension from Oxford to Banbury did open, and at first Banbury was just a single platform through station (works were continuing to Birmingham) however the popularity of the line meant that the route was soon double tracked barely two years later, and the station was given an extra platform in an up and down configuration. In 1884 an extra up line was added, and by 1903 Banbury had the extra up line converted into up and down bays, along with an extra bay on the downside, and freight loops to cope with traffic from the Great Central Main Line
Great Central Main Line
The Great Central Main Line , also known as the London Extension of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway , is a former railway line which opened in 1899 linking Sheffield with Marylebone Station in London via Nottingham and Leicester.The GCML was the last main line railway built in...
joining at Banbury Junction to the north. The inclusion of terminating bays and freight loops reflected Banbury's increasing strategic position in the national network. The Station was rebuilt into its present form in 1958.
Banbury was once a junction for the line to , however that closed in the 1960s. There was also another station very nearby at . Banbury Bridge Street station occupied one of the most strategic and important locations in the entire rail network in Britain. For example, the Aberdeen to Penzance Express used the branch of the GCR through Banbury as part of its journey and the "Ports to Ports Express" between the North-East (Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle railway 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...
, etc.) and South Wales (Cardiff railway station
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
) used 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...
branch line and the Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
, and passed though Banbury as well as Newcastle — , Newcastle — , — Sleeper, Bournemouth — Birkenhead
Birkenhead Woodside railway station
Birkenhead Woodside was a railway station at Woodside, in Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England.-Background:Birkenhead Woodside railway station was opened on 31 March 1878 to replace the increasingly inadequate passenger facilities provided at Birkenhead Monks Ferry station.It was built...
/, etc. Most Cross Country Services in Britain passed through Banbury, which helped the station become just as, if not more, important than the London termini, and also helped the growth of the town and its cattle market.
The station was renamed Banbury General after nationalisation in 1948
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...
to distinguish it from Merton Street station. The suffix was officially discontinued by 1974, but remained on tickets until the Edmondson
Edmondson railway ticket
The Edmondson railway ticket was a system for validating the payment of railway fares, and accounting for the revenue raised, introduced in the 1840s. It is named after its inventor, Thomas Edmondson, a trained cabinet maker, who became a station master on the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway in...
type ticket machines were replaced in the early 1980s.
The current railway station is on the site of the Great Western Railway line that opened to Banbury in 1850. The original station's overall roof survived until 1953, 5 years before a rebuild in 1958. The rebuilding of the station was delayed due to the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and could have been based on the GWR's new station at Leamington Spa, which was finished just before war commenced.
In recent years passenger traffic at Banbury has grown rapidly. In the seven years 2003–10 the number of passengers using the station increased by 85%.
Former services through Banbury
- "Ports to Ports" Middlesbrough/Hull/Sunderland — Cardiff/Newport///
- Bournemouth — Birkenhead
- Birkenhead — Dover via Reading
Layout
At that time, the three through platforms were numbered 1, 3 & 4 from west to east, whilst the three bays were 2, 5 & 6. All but one have been re-designated since — the present-day platform 2 was formerly platform 3, whilst the un-numbered bay at its northern end was originally platform 2; and present-day platforms 3 & 4 were formerly 4 & 6 respectively. Platform 5, at the northern end of the present platform 3, has lost both its track and its number.
The present station has four numbered platforms (one active bay not numbered), numbered 1 to 4 from west to east, and are split into two island platforms.
Platform 1 is a through platform used as a bay platform by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
's terminating local trains to Oxford and commuter trains beyond to Reading and Paddington, and by Chiltern Railways through and terminating services from the south — all terminating trains at this platform travel a short distance up the line before reversing back to the same platform and boarding outbound passengers, unless a train has since occupied the platform, which then means the train reverses to platform 3 to board passengers, It is also used as an emergency through platform if one of the others is out of use for any reason.
Platforms 2 and 3 are through platforms: platform 2 is for Chiltern services north to Leamington Spa, CrossCountry services to Birmingham New Street, Manchester, The North West and Scotland; platform 3 is for Chiltern services to London via Bicester and Cross Country services to Oxford, Reading and the South Coast.
There are also two terminal platforms: platform 4 is for terminating Chiltern services to and from London; An unnumbered bay platform (trains stopping here are classified as either or both Platforms 1 & 2, usually 1) is used by terminating Chiltern services to and from Birmingham and Stratford. Freight loops serve as main through lines for non-stopping freight trains. All passenger services passing Banbury stop at the station, and heritage trains stop here to fill up on water.
Many redundant loops and sidings surround the station: most of these were for goods services stopping at Banbury, which have all disappeared. Two goods loops survive to allow the stoppage of goods trains for the uninterrupted passage of passenger trains.
The station is also being considered for remodelling to improve 'operational flexibility' 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...
Two new lower-quadrant semaphore signals were installed in late 2010 to allow passenger trains in platforms 1 & 2 to depart in the up direction. Their numbers are BS27 and BS33, and are controlled from Banbury South signal box.
Services
Chiltern Railways provide most trains to Banbury, with trains between and , and , as well as trains from London terminating there.It is also the northern terminus of First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
's local services from via and operates Mondays to Saturdays only.
Banbury is also served by CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
services between and .
2008 train fire
On 14 March 2008 a CrossCountryCrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
Voyager
British Rail Class 220
The Class 220 Voyager are a class of diesel-electric high-speed multiple-unit trains built by Bombardier Transportation in 2000 and 2001....
forming the 1625 hrs service to caught fire while standing at platform 2 at Banbury. Passengers in both trains at the station and the station itself were evacuated. Fire crews arrived and the fire was extinguished.