Bedford St Johns railway station
Encyclopedia
Bedford St Johns is the smaller of two railway stations that serve the town of Bedford
in Bedfordshire
. It is on the Marston Vale line
from Bletchley
to Bedford Midland.
The station is unstaffed, and is operated by London Midland
.
St Johns was Bedford's first station and handled traffic on the Oxford to Cambridge line
. Its role diminished following the closure of that line east of the station in 1968, leaving it with a truncated route to Bletchley. The station was moved from its original site in 1984, and is now just a blue-framed shelter on a bare single platform. However, proposals to reopen the Varsity Line may yet see St Johns rebuilt on its original site.
local services from Bletchley to Bedford. Services are operated using Class 150/1
diesel multiple unit
s.
Monday to Saturdays, there is generally an hourly service to Bletchley (westbound) and to Bedford Midland (eastbound) with no Sunday service. The current railway station consists of a single platform with a shelter.
Partnership, which aims to increase use of the line by involving local people.
. The goods yard was not built alongside the main buildings, but further west nearer the River Great Ouse
to receive the river traffic. A second connecting line to the goods yard created a triangle which diverted drainage to produce a pond which supplied the station and small two-road locomotive shed.
reached the town with a line from to . The route chosen by the Midland took it directly across the Bedford's line at a point near the Bletchley end of the triangle where a level crossing
was built. In March 1875, a Midland passenger train collided with the rear coaches of a Bedford service, killing one passenger and injuring four others. The subsequent enquiry identified a badly-positioned Bedford starter signal as a major cause of the accident. To remedy the problem a 29 lever signal box
was opened in 1877 to control new interlocked signals, and block signalling
was introduced throughout the Bedford line, which by now had been extended to Cambridge
.
ways regions without having to pass through London. The policy was however to change within a few years, leaving the Bletchley Flyover as a testament of the change of course. The first attempt to close the Oxford-Cambridge line came in 1959, but was unsuccessful in the face of local opposition. Hopes for the line thereafter rose when it did not figure in the Beeching Report, but it was nevertheless proposed for closure in 1964, with the Oxford — Bletchley and Bedford — Cambridge routes closing after the last day of service on 30 December 1967.
The Bletchley - Bedford route, now known as the Marston Vale Line, survived in a downgraded form as freight facilities were withdrawn and the stations became unstaffed halts. Bedford St Johns, by now deprived of its through services, came under the authority of an area manager based at Bedford Midland. By March 1971 the main station buildings and water tower at the station had been demolished, leaving it as little more than a terminus halt for a truncated line to Bletchley. A third attempt to close the line in 1972 was resisted by the Bedford Rail Users' Association.
In 1984, a new St Johns station was opened in the former freight yard, at the north end of the triangle, which enabled services to continue into Bedford Midland. The connection between the Marston Vale and Bedford Midland station runs over the route of the Midland's Hitchin line, which closed in 1964.
is seeking to reinstate the entire Oxford — Cambridge route, which would include rebuilding St Johns on its original site. The old station site, now covered by weeds and bushes, remains undeveloped.
Bedford
Bedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
. It is on the Marston Vale line
Marston Vale Line
The Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
from Bletchley
Bletchley railway station
Bletchley is a railway station that serves the southern districts of Milton Keynes , and the north-eastern parts of the Buckinghamshire district of Aylesbury Vale....
to Bedford Midland.
The station is unstaffed, and is operated 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....
.
St Johns was Bedford's first station and handled traffic on the Oxford to Cambridge line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
. Its role diminished following the closure of that line east of the station in 1968, leaving it with a truncated route to Bletchley. The station was moved from its original site in 1984, and is now just a blue-framed shelter on a bare single platform. However, proposals to reopen the Varsity Line may yet see St Johns rebuilt on its original site.
Services
The station is served by London MidlandLondon 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....
local services from Bletchley to Bedford. Services are operated using Class 150/1
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s.
Monday to Saturdays, there is generally an hourly service to Bletchley (westbound) and to Bedford Midland (eastbound) with no Sunday service. The current railway station consists of a single platform with a shelter.
Community Rail Partnership
Bedford St Johns station, in common with others on the Marston Vale Line, is covered by the Marston Vale Community RailCommunity rail
In the United Kingdom, a community rail line is a local railway which is specially supported by local organisations. This support is usually through a Community Rail Partnerships – comprising both the railway operator, local councils and other community organisations – or sometimes by...
Partnership, which aims to increase use of the line by involving local people.
Opening
Bedford St Johns was opened in November 1846 by the Bedford Railway as the eastern terminus of its line from Bletchley; it was the first line to reach the town. The station was on the west side of the A600 London Road (grid ref. TL052489), with the main station buildings on the south side of the line facing the public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. The goods yard was not built alongside the main buildings, but further west nearer the River Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
to receive the river traffic. A second connecting line to the goods yard created a triangle which diverted drainage to produce a pond which supplied the station and small two-road locomotive shed.
1875 Accident
A second station was opened in Bedford in 1857 when 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....
reached the town with a line from to . The route chosen by the Midland took it directly across the Bedford's line at a point near the Bletchley end of the triangle where a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
was built. In March 1875, a Midland passenger train collided with the rear coaches of a Bedford service, killing one passenger and injuring four others. The subsequent enquiry identified a badly-positioned Bedford starter signal as a major cause of the accident. To remedy the problem a 29 lever 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...
was opened in 1877 to control new interlocked signals, and block signalling
British absolute block signalling
The principle of the British absolute block system of railway signalling is to ensure the safe operation of a railway by allowing only one train to occupy a defined section of track at a time...
was introduced throughout the Bedford line, which by now had been extended to Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Decline and relocation
Although the Second World War saw the Oxford-Cambridge line handle unprecedented levels of traffic, it suffered from a lack of investment in the post-war years. The 1955 Modernisation Plan proposed improvements to the line, believing it could act as a strategic cross-country route capable of transferring freight across three British RailBritish 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...
ways regions without having to pass through London. The policy was however to change within a few years, leaving the Bletchley Flyover as a testament of the change of course. The first attempt to close the Oxford-Cambridge line came in 1959, but was unsuccessful in the face of local opposition. Hopes for the line thereafter rose when it did not figure in the Beeching Report, but it was nevertheless proposed for closure in 1964, with the Oxford — Bletchley and Bedford — Cambridge routes closing after the last day of service on 30 December 1967.
The Bletchley - Bedford route, now known as the Marston Vale Line, survived in a downgraded form as freight facilities were withdrawn and the stations became unstaffed halts. Bedford St Johns, by now deprived of its through services, came under the authority of an area manager based at Bedford Midland. By March 1971 the main station buildings and water tower at the station had been demolished, leaving it as little more than a terminus halt for a truncated line to Bletchley. A third attempt to close the line in 1972 was resisted by the Bedford Rail Users' Association.
In 1984, a new St Johns station was opened in the former freight yard, at the north end of the triangle, which enabled services to continue into Bedford Midland. The connection between the Marston Vale and Bedford Midland station runs over the route of the Midland's Hitchin line, which closed in 1964.
Future
The East West Rail ConsortiumEast West Rail Consortium
East West Rail Link is a proposed new rail route in England to provide a fast outer orbital railway to the north of London, linking the Great Western Main Line, Oxford, Bicester, Milton Keynes, Bedford, Cambridge, Ipswich and Norwich for both passenger and freight traffic...
is seeking to reinstate the entire Oxford — Cambridge route, which would include rebuilding St Johns on its original site. The old station site, now covered by weeds and bushes, remains undeveloped.