Great Missenden railway station
Encyclopedia
Great Missenden railway station serves the large village of Great Missenden
in Buckinghamshire
, as well as the villages of Prestwood
, Little Hampden and Little Missenden. The station lies on the London Marylebone-Aylesbury line
and is served by Chiltern Railways
trains. It is situated between Amersham and Wendover
stations.
Both station platforms have step-free access.
(MetR), when the railway was extended from Chalfont Road to Aylesbury Town
. The Great Central Railway
served the station from 1899, connecting the station to Leicester
, Nottingham
, and Sheffield
.
However, when the Metropolitan Line
(the successor of the MetR) was fully electrified in the late 1950s early 1960s, a decision was made to run only as far as Amersham; one stop short of Great Missenden. This meant that Great Missenden is now only served by Mainline services. In 1966, due to the Beeching Axe
, the line north of Aylesbury was closed and the station is now only served by local commuter services. Services were run by British Rail
(BR) until privatisation in 1996, when Chiltern Railways
took over the franchise.
During the modernisation of the Met in the 1950s, the down (Aylesbury) platform buildings were demolished. In 1989/90, the station was refurbished by BR's Network SouthEast
and during this time, the up (London) platform canopy was shortened slightly.
A Metropolitan Railway signalbox is still extant on the south end of the down platform. It ended service in 1984.
It has been known that many Prime Ministers
have used the line to travel to the station so they can reside at their weekend residence, Chequers
.
Journeys to Marylebone take approximately 45 minutes (35 minutes for express trains). Journeys to Aylesbury
take approximately 15 minutes.
The normal service pattern is as follows:
and an infrequent service to Chesham
(twice per week), run by Arriva Shires & Essex
.
Great Missenden
Great Missenden is a large village in the Misbourne Valley in the Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, England, situated between the towns of Amersham and Wendover. It closely adjoins the villages of Little Missenden and Prestwood. The narrow High Street is bypassed by the main A413 London to...
in Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, as well as the villages of Prestwood
Prestwood
Prestwood is a village in Buckinghamshire, England. It is located in the Chiltern Hills, about a mile west of Great Missenden, four miles north of High Wycombe.-Early history and creation of parish:...
, Little Hampden and Little Missenden. The station lies on the London Marylebone-Aylesbury line
London to Aylesbury Line
The London to Aylesbury Line is the main railway line between London and Aylesbury, going via the Chiltern Hills; it is operated by Chiltern Railways. The line includes the only route where National Rail trains use track that is utilized by London Underground services...
and is served by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern 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...
trains. It is situated between Amersham and Wendover
Wendover railway station
Wendover railway station serves the town of Wendover in Buckinghamshire, as well as the villages of Ellesborough and Wendover Dean, amongst others. The station lies on the London Marylebone-Aylesbury line and is served by Chiltern Railways trains...
stations.
Both station platforms have step-free access.
History
The station first opened on 1 September 1892, by the Metropolitan RailwayMetropolitan railway
Metropolitan Railway can refer to:* Metropolitan line, part of the London Underground* Metropolitan Railway, the first underground railway to be built in London...
(MetR), when the railway was extended from Chalfont Road to Aylesbury Town
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...
. The Great Central Railway
Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway was a railway company in England which came into being when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension . On 1 January 1923, it was grouped into the London and North Eastern...
served the station from 1899, connecting the station to 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...
, Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, and Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
.
However, when the Metropolitan Line
Metropolitan Line
The Metropolitan line is part of the London Underground. It is coloured in Transport for London's Corporate Magenta on the Tube map and in other branding. It was the first underground railway in the world, opening as the Metropolitan Railway on 10 January 1863...
(the successor of the MetR) was fully electrified in the late 1950s early 1960s, a decision was made to run only as far as Amersham; one stop short of Great Missenden. This meant that Great Missenden is now only served by Mainline services. In 1966, due to 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...
, the line north of Aylesbury was closed and the station is now only served by local commuter services. Services were run by British Rail
British 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...
(BR) until privatisation in 1996, when Chiltern Railways
Chiltern 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...
took over the franchise.
During the modernisation of the Met in the 1950s, the down (Aylesbury) platform buildings were demolished. In 1989/90, the station was refurbished by BR's Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
and during this time, the up (London) platform canopy was shortened slightly.
A Metropolitan Railway signalbox is still extant on the south end of the down platform. It ended service in 1984.
It has been known that many Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
have used the line to travel to the station so they can reside at their weekend residence, Chequers
Chequers
Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a country house near Ellesborough, to the south of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, at the foot of the Chiltern Hills...
.
Services
At peak times, there are up to 4 trains per hour towards London in the morning, and returning from London (towards Aylesbury) in the evening. Some of these are express services, which skip the stops shared with the Metropolitan Line nearer to London.Journeys to Marylebone take approximately 45 minutes (35 minutes for express trains). Journeys to 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...
take approximately 15 minutes.
The normal service pattern is as follows:
- 2 tph to Aylesbury
- 2 tph to London Marylebone
Station layout
| to London Marylebone | |
| to 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... |
|
Onward Connections
Buses operate from the station to High WycombeHigh Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
and an infrequent service to Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
(twice per week), run by Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex
Arriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
.
Trivia
- The station is used in television or film from time to time, as its typical South-East English decor and easily removable name signs mean it can be adapted without too much difficulty.
- An advert for the BBC's 'Great Britons' TV programme showed Mo MowlamMo MowlamMarjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
standing beneath the name sign asking "Why is Great Missenden Great?"