Brackley Central railway station
Encyclopedia
Brackley Central was a railway station on the former Great Central Main Line
which ran from Manchester Piccadilly
to London Marylebone, the last main line to be built from the north of England to London.
town of Brackley
, and was the second station in the town, following the London and North Western Railway
's facility, which was known simply as Brackley
. The GCML was a victim of the Beeching Axe
as it was seen as a duplicate of the Midland Main Line
. As a result, the section between Aylesbury
and Rugby Central
, including Brackley Central station, was closed to all traffic on 5 September 1966. The former L&NW line had closed a few years earlier.
, and here it was the more common "cutting" type reached from a roadway (the A43), that crossed over the line. The cutting itself was substantial and typical of the line, involving the excavation of some 336,000 cubic yards (256,892 cubic metres) of material. The original intention was for the station entrance to be located on the bridge itself, as it was at numerous other stations on the line, but local concerns about traffic congestion forced a change in the layout, the entrance being relocated at the top of the cutting on the west side in a lay-by off the road, with a footbridge leading across to the platform (Hucknall Central
had a similar arrangement, only there the entrance was on the east side). Although the town of Brackley had a population of barely 2,500 at the time, it was considered a sufficiently large and important settlement for the station to be provided with a more extensive range of platform buildings and facilities beneath a longer awning, as at Woodford Halse
and Rugby Central
.
Additionally, Brackley was the originally preferred location for the locomotive depot and workshops that were ultimately sited at Woodford Halse - more local opposition forced the change.
to Northampton
, but never got the go-ahead; indeed, no Bill was ever presented to Parliament
. Nevertheless, the branch platform was commenced anyway, but never got beyond the stage shown. Its position is a puzzle also in that it appears to be located on the "wrong side" of the station, since Northampton-bound trains would have had to cross the main running lines in order to access the branch.
, was 255 yards (233 metres) in length, 62 feet (19 metres) high and started out with 22 blue brick arches each of 34 feet 3 inches (10.44 metres). However, due to movement of clay beds beneath the south end of the structure when it was almost complete, cracks were noticed in the southernmost two arches, and so these were replaced by two girder spans each of 35 feet (10.67 metres), while the third arch was filled with bricks to provide a massive buttress. Meanwhile, the third arch from the north end was walled up to provide extra bracing there.
.
, the rail operator between London
and Aylesbury
, has previously suggested that its long term ambition is to open up the GCML beyond Rugby
. This ambition is incorporated into Chiltern's franchise agreement
, which identifies the reopening of the GCML between Aylesbury (or in the event that the Varsity Line
is partially reopened) and Leicester
is a "secondary aspiration" of Chiltern's franchise. This would include a new parkway station
at Brackley and near the intersection
of the M1
and M6
motorways north of Rugby.
However, given that this is only an aspiration, reinstatement is unlikely to happen until after 2017. In January 2008, Secretary of State for Transport
Ruth Kelly
confirmed in a statement to the House of Commons that she had an "open mind" as to whether, during the second control period from 2014, "a disused rail line between London and Birmingham" should be reopened as a means of relieving the West Coast Main Line
, which was interpreted by rail commentators as referring to the GCML.
It must however be appreciated that the longer the wait in the line's revival the more decay could inevitably take place and costs of rebuilding will be forever rocketing skywards.
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...
which ran from Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
to London Marylebone, the last main line to be built from the north of England to London.
History
The station opened with the line on 15 March 1899 serving the NorthamptonshireNorthamptonshire
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,...
town of Brackley
Brackley
Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...
, and was the second station in the town, following the London and North Western Railway
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...
's facility, which was known simply as Brackley
Brackley railway station
- History :From 1899 until 1963, Brackley was served by two railway stations on different lines. Brackley Central - opened by the Great Central Railway - was the second, the Buckinghamshire Railway having already connected the town to the railway in 1850...
. The GCML was a victim of 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...
as it was seen as a duplicate of 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...
. As a result, the section between Aylesbury
Aylesbury railway station
Aylesbury railway station is a railway station in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England and is a major stop on the London to Aylesbury Line from Marylebone station via Amersham. It is 37.75 miles from Aylesbury Station to Marylebone Station...
and Rugby Central
Rugby Central Railway Station
Rugby Central was a railway station serving Rugby in Warwickshire on the former Great Central Main Line which opened in 1899 and closed in 1969....
, including Brackley Central station, was closed to all traffic on 5 September 1966. The former L&NW line had closed a few years earlier.
Layout
The station was a variation on the standard island platform design typical of the London ExtensionGreat 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...
, and here it was the more common "cutting" type reached from a roadway (the A43), that crossed over the line. The cutting itself was substantial and typical of the line, involving the excavation of some 336,000 cubic yards (256,892 cubic metres) of material. The original intention was for the station entrance to be located on the bridge itself, as it was at numerous other stations on the line, but local concerns about traffic congestion forced a change in the layout, the entrance being relocated at the top of the cutting on the west side in a lay-by off the road, with a footbridge leading across to the platform (Hucknall Central
Hucknall Central railway station
Hucknall Central railway station was a station in Hucknall on the Great Central Railway's main line from Manchester to London.-Construction:Hucknall Central was of the larger 'town' variety of stations on the Great Central main line, with access to the island platform being via a footbridge from...
had a similar arrangement, only there the entrance was on the east side). Although the town of Brackley had a population of barely 2,500 at the time, it was considered a sufficiently large and important settlement for the station to be provided with a more extensive range of platform buildings and facilities beneath a longer awning, as at Woodford Halse
Woodford Halse railway station
Woodford Halse railway station stood on the Great Central Railway main line, the last main line to be built from the north of England to London. The station opened with the line on 15 March 1899 under the name Woodford and Hinton and served the adjacent villages of Woodford Halse to the east and...
and Rugby Central
Rugby Central Railway Station
Rugby Central was a railway station serving Rugby in Warwickshire on the former Great Central Main Line which opened in 1899 and closed in 1969....
.
Additionally, Brackley was the originally preferred location for the locomotive depot and workshops that were ultimately sited at Woodford Halse - more local opposition forced the change.
The proposed Northampton branch - fact or myth?
The early photograph of the station (dated 1906) is interesting in that it shows, on the right hand (west) side, a third platform under construction. The story is somewhat shrouded in myth but according to legend the Great Central had visions of building a branch line from Brackley via TowcesterTowcester
Towcester , the Roman town of Lactodorum, is a small town in south Northamptonshire, England.-Etymology:Towcester comes from the Old English Tófe-ceaster. Tófe refers to the River Tove; Bosworth and Toller compare it to the "Scandinavian proper names" Tófi and Tófa...
to Northampton
Northampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, but never got the go-ahead; indeed, no Bill was ever presented to Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
. Nevertheless, the branch platform was commenced anyway, but never got beyond the stage shown. Its position is a puzzle also in that it appears to be located on the "wrong side" of the station, since Northampton-bound trains would have had to cross the main running lines in order to access the branch.
Brackley Viaduct
A little way to the south the ground level fell away rapidly so that the line found itself on a high embankment leading to Brackley Viaduct. This impressive structure, which spanned the Ouse ValleyRiver 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...
, was 255 yards (233 metres) in length, 62 feet (19 metres) high and started out with 22 blue brick arches each of 34 feet 3 inches (10.44 metres). However, due to movement of clay beds beneath the south end of the structure when it was almost complete, cracks were noticed in the southernmost two arches, and so these were replaced by two girder spans each of 35 feet (10.67 metres), while the third arch was filled with bricks to provide a massive buttress. Meanwhile, the third arch from the north end was walled up to provide extra bracing there.
Today
Today the entrance building at road level still stands and is occupied by a tyre company. Down in the cutting the platform and its buildings have gone, replaced by a range of industrial units. Improvements to the A43 following the line's closure meant that the bridge carrying the road over the line was demolished and the cutting partially filled in at that point. To the south, the viaduct was demolished in sections in the spring and summer of 1978, the rubble being reused as hardcore beneath new roads in Milton KeynesMilton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
.
Future
Chiltern RailwaysChiltern 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...
, the rail operator between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Aylesbury
Aylesbury
Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire in South East England. However the town also falls into a geographical region known as the South Midlands an area that ecompasses the north of the South East, and the southern extremities of the East Midlands...
, has previously suggested that its long term ambition is to open up the GCML beyond Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
. This ambition is incorporated into Chiltern's franchise agreement
Franchise agreement
A Franchise Agreement is a legal, binding contract between a franchisor and franchisee, enforced in the United States at the State level.Prior to a franchisee signing a contract, the US Federal Trade Commission regulates information disclosures under the authority of The Franchise Rule...
, which identifies the reopening of the GCML between Aylesbury (or in the event that the Varsity 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...
is partially reopened) and Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
is a "secondary aspiration" of Chiltern's franchise. This would include a new parkway station
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
at Brackley and near the intersection
Intersection (road)
An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
of the M1
M1 motorway
The M1 is a north–south motorway in England primarily connecting London to Leeds, where it joins the A1 near Aberford. While the M1 is considered to be the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the United Kingdom, the first road to be built to motorway standard in the country was the...
and M6
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
motorways north of Rugby.
However, given that this is only an aspiration, reinstatement is unlikely to happen until after 2017. In January 2008, Secretary of State for Transport
Secretary of State for Transport
The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Kelly
Ruth Maria Kelly is a British Labour Party politician of Irish descent who was the Member of Parliament for Bolton West from 1997 until she stood down in 2010...
confirmed in a statement to the House of Commons that she had an "open mind" as to whether, during the second control period from 2014, "a disused rail line between London and Birmingham" should be reopened as a means of relieving the West Coast Main Line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
, which was interpreted by rail commentators as referring to the GCML.
It must however be appreciated that the longer the wait in the line's revival the more decay could inevitably take place and costs of rebuilding will be forever rocketing skywards.
Routes
External links
- GCR Timetables: 1957: includes scans of the original