Luton Bute Street railway station
Encyclopedia
Luton Bute Street railway station was the first to be built in Luton
. It was opened by the Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway Company
in 1858, which was an extension of the Welwyn and Hertford Railway. The track to Welwyn was completed in 1860 and taken over by the Great Northern
the following year.
It was valuable to Luton people not only for passengers but also for facilitating the London market for the town's trade in plaited straw goods. The station, and the line to Welwyn, closed in 1965.
Following closure to passengers in 1965, the station buildings were quickly demolished despite the line remaining open for freight until 1989/1990. The site of the station was later used as a car park for Luton train station. The site is currently undertaking extensive redevelopment as work progresses on the building of the Luton Dunstable guided busway scheme.
Throughout the years, various local pressure groups have been supportive of reopening the station as part of a viable branch line between Dunstable and Luton. In the mid 1990's, there was a debate about reopening it with either the operation of Diesel Class 158's or electric Class 319's.
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....
. It was opened by the Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway Company
Dunstable Branch Lines
The Dunstable Branch Lines were railway branch lines 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....
in 1858, which was an extension of the Welwyn and Hertford Railway. The track to Welwyn was completed in 1860 and taken over by the Great Northern
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....
the following year.
It was valuable to Luton people not only for passengers but also for facilitating the London market for the town's trade in plaited straw goods. The station, and the line to Welwyn, closed in 1965.
Following closure to passengers in 1965, the station buildings were quickly demolished despite the line remaining open for freight until 1989/1990. The site of the station was later used as a car park for Luton train station. The site is currently undertaking extensive redevelopment as work progresses on the building of the Luton Dunstable guided busway scheme.
Throughout the years, various local pressure groups have been supportive of reopening the station as part of a viable branch line between Dunstable and Luton. In the mid 1990's, there was a debate about reopening it with either the operation of Diesel Class 158's or electric Class 319's.