Rickmansworth (Church Street) station
Encyclopedia
Rickmansworth railway station was a London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) station in the Rickmansworth
area of west Hertfordshire
. It should not be confused with the current Rickmansworth
on the Metropolitan Line
of the London Underground
and the London to Aylesbury Line
of Chiltern Railways
which is a short distance to the north west of the site of Rickmansworth (Church Street) railway station.
and was opened on 1 October 1862. The line ran from Watford Junction to Rickmansworth
with many small freight branches, the most notable of which ran to Croxley Green
.
The line became part of the London and North Western Railway in 1881 after it was easily bought due to its unsuccessful financial operation.
In 1923 it was converted to 4th rail electric trains, along with the Watford Junction to Croxley Green line and the local service from Watford Junction to London Euston. This passenger service continued until 1952, when the line was closed to passengers, many of the local passengers having been lost to intensive parallel bus services.
Rickmansworth (Church Street) railway station and the tracks leading to it continued to be used for goods services until 1967 when it was completely closed and the line cut back to one of the intermediate freight sidings. Today the track has been removed and the platforms and station buildings have been demolished. The site of Rickmansworth (Church Street) station is now occupied by a builder's merchant. The route of the line to Watford now forms the Ebury Way cycle path.
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...
(LNWR) station in the Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
area of west Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
. It should not be confused with the current Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth station
Rickmansworth is a London Underground and National Rail station in the town of Rickmansworth, in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire to the north-west of London...
on 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...
of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and the London to 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...
of 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...
which is a short distance to the north west of the site of Rickmansworth (Church Street) railway station.
History
The station was built as the terminus of the Watford and Rickmansworth RailwayWatford and Rickmansworth Railway
The Watford and Rickmansworth Railway Company was a short-lived company that ran services between Watford and Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, England...
and was opened on 1 October 1862. The line ran from Watford Junction to Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
with many small freight branches, the most notable of which ran to Croxley Green
Croxley Green railway station
Croxley Green is a disused railway station near Watford, outside London, UK. It is located between Watford and the village of Croxley Green to the west of Watford, at the end of a short branch line.-History:...
.
The line became part of the London and North Western Railway in 1881 after it was easily bought due to its unsuccessful financial operation.
In 1923 it was converted to 4th rail electric trains, along with the Watford Junction to Croxley Green line and the local service from Watford Junction to London Euston. This passenger service continued until 1952, when the line was closed to passengers, many of the local passengers having been lost to intensive parallel bus services.
Rickmansworth (Church Street) railway station and the tracks leading to it continued to be used for goods services until 1967 when it was completely closed and the line cut back to one of the intermediate freight sidings. Today the track has been removed and the platforms and station buildings have been demolished. The site of Rickmansworth (Church Street) station is now occupied by a builder's merchant. The route of the line to Watford now forms the Ebury Way cycle path.