Bishop's Stortford railway station
Encyclopedia
Bishop's Stortford railway station serves the town of Bishop's Stortford
in Hertfordshire
, England
. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia; this includes the 2 or 3tph Stansted Express
service.
.
In 1843 the train from London to Bishop's Stortford was timetabled to run at 36 miles an hour, excusive of stops - the fastest booked run on any English railway at the time.
Bishop's Stortford was also a junction station for the cross-country route to Dunmow
and Braintree
, which opened to passengers on February 22, 1869 and closed on March 3, 1952. The line continued in use for freight trains and occasional excursions, closing in stages with the final section to Easton Lodge
closing on February 17, 1972.
On Sundays this is reduced to:
. One terminates at Ely
, the rest continue to King's Lynn
. On Saturdays a single morning train continues to Ely
. At all other times it is necessary to change at Cambridge for onward travel to Ely
using services provided by Cross Country Trains, East Midlands Trains
or First Capital Connect
, the last of these three TOCs also serving King's Lynn
.
The station has two entrances. One from Station Road where there is ticket hall, waiting room and Real Time information. The other entrance is for direct access to Platforms 2 and 3. Ticket barriers have been installed at the station to prevent fare evasion.
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town and civil parish in the district of East Hertfordshire in the county of Hertfordshire in England. It is situated just west of the M11 motorway, on the county boundary with Essex and is the closest large town to London Stansted Airport and part of the...
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, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia; this includes the 2 or 3tph Stansted Express
Stansted Express
Stansted Express is a sub-brand of National Express East Anglia. It is the direct train service linking central London to Stansted Airport, one of London's major air hubs...
service.
History
The station was opened by the Northern and Eastern railway as a temporary terminus on May 16, 1842, and became a through station on July 30, 1845 when the line was extended through to NorwichNorwich railway station
Norwich is a railway station serving the city of Norwich in the English county of Norfolk. The station is the northern terminus of the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street. It is also the terminus of railway lines from Ely, Sheringham, Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.-History:At one...
.
In 1843 the train from London to Bishop's Stortford was timetabled to run at 36 miles an hour, excusive of stops - the fastest booked run on any English railway at the time.
Bishop's Stortford was also a junction station for the cross-country route to Dunmow
Great Dunmow
Great Dunmow is an ancient market town in the Uttlesford district of Essex, England in which the great Shannon Gray, also known as Hazzah Potter, lives...
and Braintree
Braintree railway station
Braintree railway station is owned by Network Rail and managed by train operating company National Express East Anglia. Most trains run direct to London Liverpool Street, joining the Great Eastern Main Line at Witham...
, which opened to passengers on February 22, 1869 and closed on March 3, 1952. The line continued in use for freight trains and occasional excursions, closing in stages with the final section to Easton Lodge
Easton Lodge railway station
Easton Lodge railway station was a station located to the west of Great Dunmow, Essex, near Easton Lodge. It closed in 1952, with the line being used for freight until it was closed in 1974.Former Services-External links:*...
closing on February 17, 1972.
Services
The typical off-peak service is (two or three more trains are added for peak times):- 4 trains per hour (tph) to London Liverpool StreetLiverpool Street stationLiverpool Street railway station, also known as London Liverpool Street or simply Liverpool Street, is both a central London railway terminus and a connected London Underground station in the north-eastern corner of the City of London, England...
, of which:- 2 call at Tottenham HaleTottenham Hale stationTottenham Hale, is a National Rail and London Underground Victoria Line station in Tottenham, north London. It is on Hale Road near the Tottenham Hale one-way gyratory system...
to set down only - 1 calls at SawbridgeworthSawbridgeworth railway stationSawbridgeworth railway station serves the town of Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire, England. Formerly, part of the station was in Essex and it is still immediately adjacent to the boundary with Lower Sheering, in the Epping Forest District...
, Harlow TownHarlow Town railway stationHarlow Town railway station serves the town of Harlow in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia.-History:...
, BroxbourneBroxbourne railway stationBroxbourne railway station, opened in 1840, serves Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, England. It is on the West Anglia Main Line, and train services are provided by National Express East Anglia, who also manage the station.-History:...
, CheshuntCheshunt railway stationCheshunt railway station serves the town of Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, England. It is on the West Anglia Main Line and the Lea Valley Lines, and train services are provided by National Express East Anglia....
and Tottenham Hale - 1 calls at Sawbridgeworth, Harlow MillHarlow Mill railway stationHarlow Mill railway station serves the town of Harlow in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia.-History:...
, Harlow Town, RoydonRoydon railway stationRoydon railway station serves the village of Roydon in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia....
, Broxbourne, Cheshunt and Tottenham Hale
- 2 call at Tottenham Hale
- 1 tph to StratfordStratford stationStratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
, calling at Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Mill, Harlow Town, Roydon, Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Enfield LockEnfield Lock railway stationEnfield Lock railway station is in the London Borough of Enfield in north east London, and is in Travelcard Zone 6, on the Tottenham Hale branch of the Lea Valley Lines, on the West Anglian Railway...
, Northumberland ParkNorthumberland Park railway stationNorthumberland Park railway station is located in Northumberland Park, London, United Kingdom. The stations and all trains servicing it are operated by National Express East Anglia.-Overview:...
and Tottenham Hale - 3 tph to Stansted AirportStansted Airport railway stationStansted Airport railway station serves London Stansted Airport in Essex, England.It is situated at the end of a short branch from the West Anglia Main Line. The branch was constructed at a cost of £44 million and opened in 1991, to coincide with the completion of the airport's new terminal building...
, of which:- 2 run non stop
- 1 calls at Stansted MountfitchetStansted Mountfitchet railway stationStansted Mountfitchet railway station serves the village of Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia....
- 2 tph to CambridgeCambridge railway stationCambridge 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...
, of which:- 1 calls at Audley EndAudley End railway stationAudley End railway station serves the small village of Wendens Ambo and the nearby town of Saffron Walden. The station is named after the manor of Audley End in Essex. There was formerly a platform at the east end of the station for a branch line to Saffron Walden, though this was closed in 1964...
and WhittlesfordWhittlesford railway stationWhittlesford Parkway railway station serves the nearby village of Whittlesford in Cambridgeshire, England. It is also near to the villages of Sawston and Duxford and the Imperial War Museum Duxford... - 1 calls at Stansted MountfitchetStansted Mountfitchet railway stationStansted Mountfitchet railway station serves the village of Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia....
, ElsenhamElsenham railway stationElsenham railway station serves the village of Elsenham in Essex, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East Anglia...
, Newport (Essex)Newport (Essex) railway stationNewport railway station serves the village of Newport in Essex, England. To the North of the Victorian station is the little known Audley End Viaduct...
, Audley End, Great ChesterfordGreat Chesterford railway stationGreat Chesterford railway station serves the village of Great Chesterford in Essex.-External links:...
, Whittlesford Parkway and ShelfordShelford railway stationShelford railway station serves the villages of Great Shelford, Little Shelford and Stapleford in Cambridgeshire, England.-Service Patterns:A train leaves hourly in each direction...
.
- 1 calls at Audley End
On Sundays this is reduced to:
- 3 tph to London, of which:
- 2 call at Tottenham Hale only
- 1 call at Sawbridgeworth, Harlow Town, Broxbourne, Cheshunt and Tottenham Hale
- 1 tph to Stratford, calling at stations as above until Cheshunt, then at Waltham CrossWaltham Cross railway stationWaltham Cross railway station, opened in 1840, is a railway station that serves Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire, England. It is also the closest railway station to Waltham Abbey, Essex, England...
, Enfield Lock, BrimsdownBrimsdown railway stationBrimsdown railway station is in the London Borough of Enfield in north east London. The station is in Travelcard Zone 5, on the Tottenham Hale branch of the Lea Valley Lines, 17 km north of London Liverpool Street...
, Ponders EndPonders End railway stationPonders End railway station is in the London Borough of Enfield in north east London at Ponders End, and is in Travelcard Zone 5, on the Tottenham Hale branch of the Lea Valley Lines, north of London Liverpool Street. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by National Express East...
and Tottenham Hale - 2 tph to Stansted Airport, of which:
- 1 runs non stop
- 1 calls at Stansted Mountfitchet
- 2 tph to Cambridge, of which:
- 1 calls at Audley End and Whittlesford
- 1 calls at Stansted Mountfitchet, Elsenham, Newport (Essex), Audley End, Great Chesterford, Whittlesford and Shelford
Other Services
On Mondays to Fridays four trains per day during and around the evening peak are extended beyond 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...
. One terminates at Ely
Ely railway station
Ely railway station serves the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. The station lies on the Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
, the rest continue to King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
. On Saturdays a single morning train continues to Ely
Ely railway station
Ely railway station serves the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. The station lies on the Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
. At all other times it is necessary to change at Cambridge for onward travel to Ely
Ely railway station
Ely railway station serves the city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England. The station lies on the Fen Line from Cambridge to King's Lynn, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
using services provided by Cross Country Trains, 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...
or 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...
, the last of these three TOCs also serving King's Lynn
King's Lynn railway station
King's Lynn railway station serves the town of King's Lynn in Norfolk. The station is the terminus of the Fen Line from Cambridge, which is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
.
The station today
The station has 3 platforms. Platform 1 is for services towards Stansted Airport and Cambridge. Platform 2 is used for services to London Liverpool Street and London Stratford. Platform 3 is not used as much as the other two, it is normally used for some trains that terminate at Bishops Stortford rather than going on to Stansted Airport. However before it was used for Slow trains to London Liverpool Street and therefore platform 2 was used for fast trains (Stansted Express).The station has two entrances. One from Station Road where there is ticket hall, waiting room and Real Time information. The other entrance is for direct access to Platforms 2 and 3. Ticket barriers have been installed at the station to prevent fare evasion.