Dunstable Branch Lines
Encyclopedia
The Dunstable Branch Lines were railway branch line
s that joined the English
town of Dunstable
to the main lines at Leighton Buzzard
and Welwyn
. The two lines were under separate ownership, and they joined just east of the Dunstable North station.
The London and North Western Railway
built the line from Leighton Buzzard station to Dunstable. This opened in 1848.
The Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway planned a connecting line from the Great Northern Railway
at Welwyn. The line between Dunstable and Luton
opened in 1858. The company then amalgamated with the Hertford and Welwyn Junction Railway to form the Hertford, Luton and Dunstable Railway. The track to Welwyn was completed in 1860 and the line was taken over by the Great Northern in the following year. It became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
from 1923 until British Railways was formed in 1948.
Passenger services were withdrawn in 1965 under the Beeching axe
, and the track between Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard was removed. The line between Dunstable and the Midland Main Line
at Luton remained open for freight until 1990. Dunstable is now one of the largest towns in the South East without a railway connection.
.
. It served the town of Dunstable until closure in 1965. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train
" by Flanders and Swann
. The station was on Station Road.
It was valuable to Luton people not only for passengers but also facilitating the London market for the town's trade in plaited straw goods. The station closed in 1965.
It served Luton Hoo
house and the village of New Mill End
. It was close to the Midland Railway
station of Chiltern Green
and the GNR and Midland lines took a parallel course from Luton.
The station building and platform still exist, sited next to a sewage
works.
, the other station which remains open being Harpenden Central. Originally named Harpenden, the East suffix was added in 1950 to distinguish it from the Midland Railway
station.
The line was single track with a crossing loop.
The station opened in 1860 and closed in 1965. Since closure it has been demolished and housing has been built both on the site of the station and on the line in the immediate area.
.
. It opened as Ayott St Peters on 2 July 1877, and was named Ayott from 1 April 1878 until October 1878.
The station was destroyed by fire in 1948 and never rebuilt. It closed on 26 July 1948.
). From 1 September 1860 trains ran on to Hatfield
, and the temporary platforms were closed. The present station was opened in 1926.
and River Ouzel
. Between Leighton Buzzard and Stanbridgeford, it was used to build part of the A505
Leighton-Linslade Southern Bypass. National Cycle Route 6 follows the line between Stanbridgeford and Dunstable, including Sewell Cutting (51.8943°N 0.5508°W) which is managed as a nature reserve by the local Wildlife Trust
.
The line between Dunstable and Luton has never been legally decommissioned and the track is still largely in place, having being severed for a short distance at the Luton end, but the line is presently earmarked for the Luton to Dunstable Busway. The Lea Valley Walk
follows the line between Luton Hoo and Harpenden. East of Wheathampstead
, heading towards Welwyn Garden City
, the trackbed was converted to a path called the Ayot Greenway
.
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
s that joined the English
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...
town of Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
to the main lines at Leighton Buzzard
Leighton Buzzard
-Lower schools:*Beaudesert Lower School - Apennine Way*Clipstone Brook Lower School - Brooklands Drive*Greenleas Lower School - Derwent Road*Dovery Down Lower School - Heath Road*Heathwood Lower School - Heath Road*Leedon Lower School - Highfield Road...
and Welwyn
Welwyn
Welwyn is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. The parish also includes the villages of Digswell and Oaklands. It is sometimes called Old Welwyn to distinguish it from the newer settlement of Welwyn Garden City, about a mile to the south.-History:Situated in the valley of the...
. The two lines were under separate ownership, and they joined just east of the Dunstable North station.
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...
built the line from Leighton Buzzard station to Dunstable. This opened in 1848.
The Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway planned a connecting line from the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
at Welwyn. The line between Dunstable and Luton
Luton
Luton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
opened in 1858. The company then amalgamated with the Hertford and Welwyn Junction Railway to form the Hertford, Luton and Dunstable Railway. The track to Welwyn was completed in 1860 and the line was taken over by the Great Northern in the following year. It became part of the London and North Eastern Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...
from 1923 until British Railways was formed in 1948.
Passenger services were withdrawn in 1965 under 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...
, and the track between Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard was removed. The line between Dunstable and 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...
at Luton remained open for freight until 1990. Dunstable is now one of the largest towns in the South East without a railway connection.
Stanbridgeford
Stanbridgeford railway station (51°53′50.00"N 0°35′29.00"W) was close to the village of StanbridgeStanbridge, Bedfordshire
Stanbridge is a village and civil parish in Bedfordshire which lies east of Leighton Buzzard. It also borders the Bedfordshire villages of Hockliffe, Eggington, Tilsworth, Totternhoe and Billington...
.
Dunstable North
Dunstable North railway station was originally the terminus of the line from Leighton Buzzard.Dunstable Town
Dunstable Town railway station (51.8866°N 0.5106°W) (originally Dunstable Church Street) was the terminus station on the spur off the Great Northern Railway from HatfieldHatfield railway station
Hatfield railway station serves the town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. The station is managed by First Capital Connect.It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line.- History :...
. It served the town of Dunstable until closure in 1965. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train
Slow Train
"Slow Train" is a song by the British duo Flanders and Swann, written in 1963.It laments the loss of British stations and railway lines in that era, due to the Beeching cuts, and also the passing of a way of life, with the advent of motorways etc....
" by Flanders and Swann
Flanders and Swann
The British duo Flanders and Swann were the actor and singer Michael Flanders and the composer, pianist and linguist Donald Swann , who collaborated in writing and performing comic songs....
. The station was on Station Road.
Luton Bute Street
Luton Bute Street railway station (51.88173°N 0.41372°W) was the first to be built in Luton. It was opened in 1858.It was valuable to Luton people not only for passengers but also facilitating the London market for the town's trade in plaited straw goods. The station closed in 1965.
Luton Hoo
Luton Hoo railway station (51°50′57"N 0°22′32.7"W) was opened in 1860 and originally called New Mill End. The name changed to Luton Hoo in 1891 and the station closed in 1965.It served Luton Hoo
Luton Hoo
Luton Hoo straddles the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire borders between the towns of Harpenden and Luton. The unusual name "Hoo" is a Saxon word meaning the spur of a hill, and is more commonly associated with East Anglia.- Early History :...
house and the village of New Mill End
New Mill End
New Mill End is a hamlet located in Bedfordshire, England, close to county border with Hertfordshire.New Mill End was the location of Chiltern Green railway station which opened in 1868. The station closed in 1952, however the station buildings survive to this day as a private home....
. It was close to the Midland Railway
Midland 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....
station of Chiltern Green
Chiltern Green railway station
Chiltern Green railway station was built by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St. Pancras.The station was located in New Mill End but took its name from the small hamlet of Chiltern Green about a mile away. Adjacent to it was the GNR station of Luton Hoo also located in New Mill End...
and the GNR and Midland lines took a parallel course from Luton.
The station building and platform still exist, sited next to a sewage
Sewage treatment
Sewage treatment, or domestic wastewater treatment, is the process of removing contaminants from wastewater and household sewage, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants...
works.
Harpenden East
Harpenden East (51°49′18.5"N 0°20′26.4"W) was one of two stations serving the town of HarpendenHarpenden
Harpenden is a town in Hertfordshire, England.The town's total population is just under 30,000.-Geography and administration:There are two civil parishes: Harpenden and Harpenden Rural....
, the other station which remains open being Harpenden Central. Originally named Harpenden, the East suffix was added in 1950 to distinguish it from the Midland Railway
Midland 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....
station.
The line was single track with a crossing loop.
The station opened in 1860 and closed in 1965. Since closure it has been demolished and housing has been built both on the site of the station and on the line in the immediate area.
Wheathampstead
Wheathampstead railway station (51.81531°N 0.29202°W) served WheathampsteadWheathampstead
Wheathampstead is a village and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, England. It is north of St Albans and in the Hitchin and Harpenden parliamentary constituency....
.
Ayot
Ayot railway station (51.81503°N 0.22935°W) served the village of Ayot St PeterAyot St Peter
Ayot St Peter is a village and civil parish in the Welwyn Hatfield district of Hertfordshire, England, about two miles north-west of Welwyn Garden City. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 166. The village is near Ayot St Lawrence....
. It opened as Ayott St Peters on 2 July 1877, and was named Ayott from 1 April 1878 until October 1878.
The station was destroyed by fire in 1948 and never rebuilt. It closed on 26 July 1948.
Welwyn Junction
Trains initially ran to temporary wooden platforms at Welwyn (on the site of the present Welwyn Garden City railway stationWelwyn Garden City railway station
Welwyn Garden City railway station serves the town of Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire, England. The station is approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line. Welwyn Garden City station is managed and served by First Capital Connect.-History:A station named Welwyn...
). From 1 September 1860 trains ran on to Hatfield
Hatfield railway station
Hatfield railway station serves the town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. The station is managed by First Capital Connect.It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line.- History :...
, and the temporary platforms were closed. The present station was opened in 1926.
Passenger services
The last passenger train, packed with enthusiasts, was hauled by Brush Type 2 D5589 on 24 April 1965.Freight services
A goods service serving the Bedford Trucks factory in Dunstable continued until well into the 1980s.Subsequent use of the line
Within Leighton Buzzard, the line is now used as a footpath and cycleway which crosses the Grand Union CanalGrand Union Canal
The Grand Union Canal in England is part of the British canal system. Its main line connects London and Birmingham, stretching for 137 miles with 166 locks...
and River Ouzel
River Ouzel
The River Ouzel , also known as the River Lovat, is a river in England, and a tributary of the River Great Ouse. It rises in the Chiltern Hills and flows 20 miles north to join the Ouse at Newport Pagnell....
. Between Leighton Buzzard and Stanbridgeford, it was used to build part of the A505
A505 road
The A505 is an A-class road in the United Kingdom. It follows part of the route of the Icknield Way and the corresponding Icknield Way Path.-Bedfordshire:...
Leighton-Linslade Southern Bypass. National Cycle Route 6 follows the line between Stanbridgeford and Dunstable, including Sewell Cutting (51.8943°N 0.5508°W) which is managed as a nature reserve by the local Wildlife Trust
Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Peterborough is a wildlife trust covering the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the City of Peterborough in England....
.
The line between Dunstable and Luton has never been legally decommissioned and the track is still largely in place, having being severed for a short distance at the Luton end, but the line is presently earmarked for the Luton to Dunstable Busway. The Lea Valley Walk
Lea Valley Walk
The Lea Valley Walk is a long-distance path located between Leagrave, the source of the River Lea near Luton, and the Thames, at Limehouse Basin, Limehouse, east London. From its source much of the walk is rural. At Hertford the path follows the towpath of the River Lee Navigation, and it becomes...
follows the line between Luton Hoo and Harpenden. East of Wheathampstead
Wheathampstead
Wheathampstead is a village and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, England. It is north of St Albans and in the Hitchin and Harpenden parliamentary constituency....
, heading towards Welwyn Garden City
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...
, the trackbed was converted to a path called the 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...
.
Further reading
- B. Simpson, The Dunstable Branch: Leighton Buzzard – Dunstable – Luton, Lamplight, 1998, ISBN 1-89924603-7.
- G. S. Woodward, The Hatfield, Luton & Dunstable Railway (and on to Leighton Buzzard), Oakwood Library of Railway History, 1977, ISBN 0-85361-218-8. Second edition authored by S. Woodward and G. Woodward, 1994, ISBN 0-85361-458-X.
- S. Woodward and G. Woodward, Branch Lines to Dunstable, Middleton, 2008, ISBN 978-1-906008-27-7.
External links
- Greenleas Rail History CLUTCH Club, Dunstable Branch
- Lost Lines, Hatfield–Dunstable–Leighton Buzzard (photos taken between 1989 and 2007)
- J. F. Williams, Memories of Dunstable North Station 1942–1965
- Dunstable Gazette, Picture the Past, Dunstable Bygones (photos of Church Street Station and the bridge over High Street North)
- Disused Stations, Luton Bute Street
- Disused Stations, Luton Hoo
- Disused Stations, Harpenden East
- Disused Stations, Wheathampstead
- Luton Council, Luton Dunstable Busway