Fenny Stratford railway station
Encyclopedia
Fenny Stratford is a railway station that serves the Fenny Stratford
area of Milton Keynes
, Buckinghamshire. It is on the Marston Vale Line
that links Bletchley
and Bedford.
This station is one of five serving Milton Keynes
. The others are , , and .
Bletchley — Bedford local services. Services are run with Class 153
single car diesel multiple unit
and 2-car class 150 unit.
that had been insisted upon by the 7th Duke of Bedford
for stations close to the Woburn Estate
. The buildings are Grade II listed. West of the station is Watling Street
which was raised by some 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) to allow the railway to pass beneath; immediately west of the bridge are points
connecting with a branch leading onto the freight-only Oxford line via the Bletchley flyover
. The passenger line and station are protected here by trap points, but they are sited such that any runaway train caught by it would subsequently crash into the bridge.
The station was originally built with staggered platforms, a wedge-shaped down platform being near the Simpson Road level crossing
to the east. The platforms were rebuilt in 1948 so that they faced each other in the conventional side platform
arrangement. One platform was taken out of service in the 1960s, as were a number of sidings
. Fenny Stratford was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1968, freight facilities having been withdrawn the previous year.
All that now remains is one platform and an area of wasteland east of the station before Simpson Road crossing which was controlled by a signal box
that was taken out of service in 2004. There was an accident here on 7 December 1925 at 8.43 pm when a bus crashed through the closed crossing gates and collided with the 6.30 pm train from to Bletchley. Six people in the bus, including the driver, were killed instantly, and four others were seriously injured. The train, however, was undamaged.
Partnership, which aims to increase use of the line by involving local people.
Fenny Stratford
Fenny Stratford is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire, England and in the Civil Parish of Bletchley and Fenny Stratford. Originally an independent town, it was included in the Milton Keynes "designated area" area in 1967...
area of Milton Keynes
Milton 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...
, Buckinghamshire. 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....
that links Bletchley
Bletchley, Milton Keynes
Bletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, England. It is part of the Borough of Milton Keynes unitary authority, in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes but still retains a distinctive identity...
and Bedford.
This station is one of five serving Milton Keynes
Milton 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...
. The others are , , and .
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....
Bletchley — Bedford local services. Services are run with Class 153
British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
single car 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:...
and 2-car class 150 unit.
History
Opened in 1846 by the Bedford Railway, Fenny Stratford station is just over 1 miles (1.6 km) from Bletchley station. The station buildings are in a half-timbered Gothic Revival styleGothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
that had been insisted upon by the 7th Duke of Bedford
Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford
Francis Russell, 7th Duke of Bedford KG, PC , styled Marquess of Tavistock from 1802 to 1839, was a British peer and Whig politician.-Background and education:...
for stations close to the Woburn Estate
Woburn Abbey
Woburn Abbey , near Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the seat of the Duke of Bedford and the location of the Woburn Safari Park.- Pre-20th century :...
. The buildings are Grade II listed. West of the station is Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
which was raised by some 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) to allow the railway to pass beneath; immediately west of the bridge are points
Railroad switch
A railroad switch, turnout or [set of] points is a mechanical installation enabling railway trains to be guided from one track to another at a railway junction....
connecting with a branch leading onto the freight-only Oxford line via the Bletchley flyover
Overpass
An overpass is a bridge, road, railway or similar structure that crosses over another road or railway...
. The passenger line and station are protected here by trap points, but they are sited such that any runaway train caught by it would subsequently crash into the bridge.
The station was originally built with staggered platforms, a wedge-shaped down platform being near the Simpson Road 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...
to the east. The platforms were rebuilt in 1948 so that they faced each other in the conventional side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
arrangement. One platform was taken out of service in the 1960s, as were a number of sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
. Fenny Stratford was reduced to an unstaffed halt in 1968, freight facilities having been withdrawn the previous year.
All that now remains is one platform and an area of wasteland east of the station before Simpson Road crossing which was controlled by a 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...
that was taken out of service in 2004. There was an accident here on 7 December 1925 at 8.43 pm when a bus crashed through the closed crossing gates and collided with the 6.30 pm train from to Bletchley. Six people in the bus, including the driver, were killed instantly, and four others were seriously injured. The train, however, was undamaged.
Marston Vale line
Fenny Stratford 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.