Northampton and Peterborough Railway
Encyclopedia
The Northampton and Peterborough Railway was an early railway promoted by the London and Birmingham Railway
to run from a junction at Blisworth
to Northampton
and Peterborough
.
and Birmingham
. One proposed by John Rennie
would go via Oxford
and Banbury
. The other proposed by Francis Giles
would go via Bletchley, Rugby
and Coventry
.
In 1830 the two decided to amalgamate, adopting Rennie's plan which, as a canal builder, he had laid out following fairly level country. George Stephenson
was asked to plan the line and he passed it to his son Robert who carried out a further survey favouring a route very similar to that proposed by Giles, much to the annoyance of Rennie.
While there was a certain amount of opposition from landowners, the people of Northampton in were much in favour of the line. However, in the end, it bypassed the town, following higher ground to the west, through Blisworth
and Weedon
. At that time it was normal for new lines to bypass the larger towns because of inherent complication and the cost of land. On the other hand, in those days, the time taken to travel to the station was not seen as a handicap, given that the total journey would be much quicker than anything that had been known before. In addition, a rail link to Weedon Barracks was seen as strategically importanrt..
The London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1838 and, four years later, a delegation from Northampton approached the directors with a proposal to build a branch which would run through to Peterborough, which at that time also had no railway although a number of schemes were being proposed.
which was progressing to Cambridge and Peterborough. However the Northampton and Peterborough Railway Act received the Royal Assent in 1843.
Once again the engineer was Robert Stephenson. The line would be relatively easy to build, following the valley of the River Nene
to Peterborough, with only a small tunnel to the west of Wansford. Stations would be provided wherever the line crossed a turnpike
where there would be level crossings. Most of the line was raised on embankments because of the likelihood of flooding. In spite of this it occurred from time to time. In 1852 for instance several bridges were swept away and the line was closed for a week.
The line opened from Blisworth to Northampton in May, 1845 and then throughout in June, the 47 miles having taken only a year to build. The station at Blisworth was rebuilt next to the junction, and Northampton people at last had their train service to London. In 1846 the line, along with the London and Birmingham, became part of the London and North Western Railway
.
Although the infrastructure of the line had been built for double track, only a single track was laid from Northampton to Peterborough, with a passing loop at Thrapston. This single line working was facilitated by the installation of electric telegraph. However it became clear that the traffic would be such that doubling would be required very quickly and this was completed by September 1846. Two stations were unusual to say the least. One, Ringstead and Addington
was approached on foot from one direction by means of stepping stones. Another, Ditchford
was said to be the location of famous treacle mines
.
There were five trains each way on weekdays and Saturdays, with two on Sunday, and extra services between Northampton and Blisworth. Initially the goods was traffic was cattle and coal but later iron ore became important.
In 1857 the Midland Railway
built a line from Wigston
to meet the GNR
at Hitchin
via Wellingborough. It built a spur to the LNWR station for goods. In 1861 the LNWR began running trains from Wichnor near Burton on Trent and the Midland then began running trains between Wellingborough and Northampton. The Midland built a small station in 1866 near the LNWR's (the latter becoming Northampton Bridge Street in 1876). This little station closed in 1872 when the Midland built its main line from Bedford and opened a new station at St John Street.
In 1881, the LNWR opened the Northampton Loop Line which placed the town on a through service superseding Blisworth.
At grouping
in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The use of level crossings had reduced the costs of building the line, but it greatly increased operating expenses and it became be a major reason for the line being closed to passengers by British Rail
in 1964. Some passenger trains still ran from the boarding school at Oundle
until 1972 when the line closed completely.
The Northampton and Peterborough Railway closed in 1964, followed 2 years later by the closure of Peterborough East station and the passenger services to Rugby (the line between Rugby and Nassington remained open until the line was finally closed with the track remained in situ, until part of it was eventually reopened as the Nene Valley Railway
heritage line). The remaining village stations including Helpston
and Ketton & Collyweston
on the Syston and Peterborough Railway ceased in the same year, although line remains open with through passenger services.
London and Birmingham Railway
The London and Birmingham Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom from 1833 to 1846, when it became part of the London and North Western Railway ....
to run from a junction at Blisworth
Blisworth railway station
Blisworth railway station was opened by the London and Birmingham Railway in Blisworth, Northamptonshire in 1838.-History:The station was opened on 17 September 1838. In 1845 the L&BR opened their Northampton and Peterborough Railway a line which connected Peterborough and Northampton from a...
to Northampton
Northampton railway station
Northampton railway station is a railway station serving the large town of Northampton and other parts of Northamptonshire in England. Other parts of South Northamptonshire are better served by Kings Sutton, Banbury and Milton Keynes Central stations....
and Peterborough
Peterborough East railway station
Peterborough East was a railway station in Peterborough, England. It was opened on 2 June 1845 and closed to passenger traffic on 6 June 1966. Located on Station Road just off Town Bridge, only the engine sheds and one platform remain extant today...
.
Origin
There had been two original schemes for lines between LondonLondon
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 Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. One proposed by John Rennie
John Rennie
-People:* John Rennie the Elder , engineer * Sir John Rennie the Younger , engineer * John Rennie , naval architect...
would go via Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
. The other proposed by Francis Giles
Francis Giles
Francis Giles was a canal engineer and surveyor who worked under John Rennie and later became a railway engineer-Works and appointments:...
would go via Bletchley, 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...
and Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
.
In 1830 the two decided to amalgamate, adopting Rennie's plan which, as a canal builder, he had laid out following fairly level country. George Stephenson
George Stephenson
George Stephenson was an English civil engineer and mechanical engineer who built the first public railway line in the world to use steam locomotives...
was asked to plan the line and he passed it to his son Robert who carried out a further survey favouring a route very similar to that proposed by Giles, much to the annoyance of Rennie.
While there was a certain amount of opposition from landowners, the people of Northampton in were much in favour of the line. However, in the end, it bypassed the town, following higher ground to the west, through Blisworth
Blisworth
Blisworth is a village and civil parish in the South Northamptonshire district of Northamptonshire, England. The West Coast Main Line, from London Euston to Manchester and Scotland, runs alongside the village partly hidden and partly on an embankment...
and Weedon
Weedon Bec
Weedon Bec , usually just called "Weedon", is a large village and parish in the district of Daventry, Northamptonshire, England. It lies close to the source of the River Nene.-Geography:...
. At that time it was normal for new lines to bypass the larger towns because of inherent complication and the cost of land. On the other hand, in those days, the time taken to travel to the station was not seen as a handicap, given that the total journey would be much quicker than anything that had been known before. In addition, a rail link to Weedon Barracks was seen as strategically importanrt..
The London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1838 and, four years later, a delegation from Northampton approached the directors with a proposal to build a branch which would run through to Peterborough, which at that time also had no railway although a number of schemes were being proposed.
The Peterborough line
The Bill for the line's construction met considerable opposition from those who favoured the Northern and Eastern RailwayNorthern and Eastern Railway
The Northern & Eastern Railway operated one of the two main lines which eventually became the Great Eastern Railway: the other being the Eastern Counties Railway....
which was progressing to Cambridge and Peterborough. However the Northampton and Peterborough Railway Act received the Royal Assent in 1843.
Once again the engineer was Robert Stephenson. The line would be relatively easy to build, following the valley of the River Nene
River Nene
The River Nene is a river in the east of England that rises from three sources in the county of Northamptonshire. The tidal river forms the border between Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for about . It is the tenth longest river in the United Kingdom, and is navigable for from Northampton to The...
to Peterborough, with only a small tunnel to the west of Wansford. Stations would be provided wherever the line crossed a turnpike
Turnpike trust
Turnpike trusts in the United Kingdom were bodies set up by individual Acts of Parliament, with powers to collect road tolls for maintaining the principal highways in Britain from the 17th but especially during the 18th and 19th centuries...
where there would be level crossings. Most of the line was raised on embankments because of the likelihood of flooding. In spite of this it occurred from time to time. In 1852 for instance several bridges were swept away and the line was closed for a week.
The line opened from Blisworth to Northampton in May, 1845 and then throughout in June, the 47 miles having taken only a year to build. The station at Blisworth was rebuilt next to the junction, and Northampton people at last had their train service to London. In 1846 the line, along with the London and Birmingham, became part of 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...
.
Although the infrastructure of the line had been built for double track, only a single track was laid from Northampton to Peterborough, with a passing loop at Thrapston. This single line working was facilitated by the installation of electric telegraph. However it became clear that the traffic would be such that doubling would be required very quickly and this was completed by September 1846. Two stations were unusual to say the least. One, Ringstead and Addington
Ringstead and Addington railway station
Ringstead and Addington railway station was a railway station serving Great and Little Addington and Ringstead in Northamptonshire on on the former Northampton and Peterborough Railway which connected Peterborough and Northampton.....
was approached on foot from one direction by means of stepping stones. Another, Ditchford
Ditchford railway station
Ditchford railway station is a former railway station on Ditchford Road, Northamptonshire on the former Northampton and Peterborough Railway line which connected Peterborough and Northampton.In 1846 the line, along with the London and Birmingham, became part of the London and North Western...
was said to be the location of famous treacle mines
Treacle mining
Treacle mining is the fictitious mining of treacle in a raw form similar to coal. The subject purports to be serious but is an attempt to test credulity. Thick black treacle makes the deception plausible...
.
There were five trains each way on weekdays and Saturdays, with two on Sunday, and extra services between Northampton and Blisworth. Initially the goods was traffic was cattle and coal but later iron ore became important.
In 1857 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....
built a line from Wigston
South Wigston railway station
South Wigston railway station is a railway station serving the suburb of South Wigston, Leicester, England. The station is on the Birmingham to Peterborough Line about south of . South Wigston station is owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains Train Operating Company...
to meet the GNR
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 Hitchin
Hitchin railway station
Hitchin Railway Station serves the town of Hitchin in Hertfordshire. It is located approximately north east of the town centre and north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line....
via Wellingborough. It built a spur to the LNWR station for goods. In 1861 the LNWR began running trains from Wichnor near Burton on Trent and the Midland then began running trains between Wellingborough and Northampton. The Midland built a small station in 1866 near the LNWR's (the latter becoming Northampton Bridge Street in 1876). This little station closed in 1872 when the Midland built its main line from Bedford and opened a new station at St John Street.
In 1881, the LNWR opened the Northampton Loop Line which placed the town on a through service superseding Blisworth.
At grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
in 1923 it became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway. The use of level crossings had reduced the costs of building the line, but it greatly increased operating expenses and it became be a major reason for the line being closed to passengers 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...
in 1964. Some passenger trains still ran from the boarding school at Oundle
Oundle railway station
Oundle railway station is a former railway station in Oundle, Northamptonshire on the former Northampton and Peterborough Railway line which connected Peterborough and Northampton. In 1846 the line, along with the London and Birmingham, became part of the London and North Western Railway...
until 1972 when the line closed completely.
The Northampton and Peterborough Railway closed in 1964, followed 2 years later by the closure of Peterborough East station and the passenger services to Rugby (the line between Rugby and Nassington remained open until the line was finally closed with the track remained in situ, until part of it was eventually reopened as the Nene Valley Railway
Nene Valley Railway
The Nene Valley Railway is a preserved railway in Cambridgeshire, England, running between Peterborough Nene Valley and Yarwell Junction. The line is currently seven and a half miles in length...
heritage line). The remaining village stations including Helpston
Helpston railway station
Helpston railway station was a station in Helpston, Cambridgeshire on the Midland Railway's Syston and Peterborough Railway. It was closed in 1966. The Great Northern Railway main line runs adjacent to the Midland Railway at this point, but the Great Northern never had a station in Helpston...
and Ketton & Collyweston
Ketton and Collyweston railway station
Ketton and Collyweston railway station is a former station serving the villages of Ketton, Geeston, Aldgate and Collyweston, Rutland. It is located in Geeston adjacent to a level crossing on the Ketton to Collyweston road. It is under half a mile from Ketton but over a mile from Collyweston...
on the Syston and Peterborough Railway ceased in the same year, although line remains open with through passenger services.