Sandy railway station
Encyclopedia
Sandy Railway Station serves the town of Sandy
in Bedfordshire
, England
. The station is 44 miles (70.8 km) north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line
. Sandy is managed and served by First Capital Connect
.
Sandy station was originally built in 1850 for the Great Northern Railway; the London and North Western Railway opened an adjacent station in 1862. The stations were later merged into one, which has since undergone many changes.
The present station has two large platforms and 4 main rail lines, a pair of "up and down" slow lines used by stopping services and a pair of "up and down" fast lines used by high speed services passing through. A fifth line extends off the "up" slow line which links into the remaining sidings and original bay platforms. There is also a sixth line off the "down" slow line that links to a siding besides Platform 1.
The stations platforms are about to be lengthened so that they can cope with 12 car trains, which will serve the station following the completion of the Thameslink Programme
.
(GNR) - that from to a junction with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
at Grimsby
- opened on 1 March 1848, but the southern section of the main line, between and , was not opened until August 1850. Sandy was one of the original stations, opening with the line on 7 August 1850.
The Sandy and Potton Railway was opened for goods traffic on 23 June 1857, and to passengers on 9 November 1857. It was later purchased by the Bedford and Cambridge Railway (B&CR), which closed the line in January 1862 for reconstruction. The line reopened on 7 July 1862, including a new station at Sandy separate from, but adjacent to, the GNR station. The B&CR was absorbed by the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR) in 1865. The eastern section of the Bedford-Cambridge route (sometimes known as the Varsity Line
) closed on 1 January 1968, and with it, the ex-LNWR platforms at Sandy.
The two stations were physically adjacent, and shared an island platform. In 1917 the LNWR station was placed under the management of the GNR, and then shared the booking facilities. After the closure of the Varsity Line, the station was considerably rebuilt in the early 1970s to give a 4-track layout throughout, and platforms on the slow lines only.
The station has two modern Touch Screen ticket machines located in front of the booking office, and there are cycle storage facilities to the south of it. The station also has help points throughout, which were installed by First Capital Connect
.
. There is an hourly service in each direction on Sundays.
First Capital Connect Timetables for Sandy can be seen and downloaded here.
Sandy, Bedfordshire
Sandy is a small market town and civil parish in Bedfordshire, England. It is between Cambridge and Bedford, and on the A1 road from London to Edinburgh. The area is dominated by a range of hills known as the Sand Hills. The River Ivel runs through Sandy. The dedication of the Anglican church is to...
in Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire
Bedfordshire is a ceremonial county of historic origin in England that forms part of the East of England region.It borders Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Northamptonshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the west and Hertfordshire to the south-east....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station is 44 miles (70.8 km) north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
. Sandy is managed and served by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
.
Sandy station was originally built in 1850 for the Great Northern Railway; the London and North Western Railway opened an adjacent station in 1862. The stations were later merged into one, which has since undergone many changes.
The present station has two large platforms and 4 main rail lines, a pair of "up and down" slow lines used by stopping services and a pair of "up and down" fast lines used by high speed services passing through. A fifth line extends off the "up" slow line which links into the remaining sidings and original bay platforms. There is also a sixth line off the "down" slow line that links to a siding besides Platform 1.
The stations platforms are about to be lengthened so that they can cope with 12 car trains, which will serve the station following the completion of the Thameslink Programme
Thameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
.
History
The first section of the Great Northern RailwayGreat 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....
(GNR) - that from to a junction with the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway
The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway was formed by amalgamation in 1847. The MS&LR changed its name to the Great Central Railway in 1897 in anticipation of the opening in 1899 of its London Extension.-Origin:...
at Grimsby
Grimsby Town railway station
Grimsby Town railway station serves the town of Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire, England. It is currently operated by First TransPennine Express, and is also served by Northern Rail and East Midlands Trains...
- opened on 1 March 1848, but the southern section of the main line, between and , was not opened until August 1850. Sandy was one of the original stations, opening with the line on 7 August 1850.
The Sandy and Potton Railway was opened for goods traffic on 23 June 1857, and to passengers on 9 November 1857. It was later purchased by the Bedford and Cambridge Railway (B&CR), which closed the line in January 1862 for reconstruction. The line reopened on 7 July 1862, including a new station at Sandy separate from, but adjacent to, the GNR station. The B&CR was absorbed by 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...
(LNWR) in 1865. The eastern section of the Bedford-Cambridge route (sometimes known as the Varsity Line
Varsity Line
The Varsity Line is an informal name for the railway route that formerly linked the English university cities of Oxford and Cambridge, operated successively by the London and North Western Railway, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, and British Railways...
) closed on 1 January 1968, and with it, the ex-LNWR platforms at Sandy.
The two stations were physically adjacent, and shared an island platform. In 1917 the LNWR station was placed under the management of the GNR, and then shared the booking facilities. After the closure of the Varsity Line, the station was considerably rebuilt in the early 1970s to give a 4-track layout throughout, and platforms on the slow lines only.
Facilities
Sandy station has a small cafe inside of the booking office on Platform 2. There is a large sheltered area with seating on Platform 1, and a smaller one on Platform 2.The station has two modern Touch Screen ticket machines located in front of the booking office, and there are cycle storage facilities to the south of it. The station also has help points throughout, which were installed by First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect
First Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
.
Services
The station is served by a half-hourly service southbound to London Kings Cross and northbound to PeterboroughPeterborough railway station
Peterborough railway station serves the city of Peterborough, England. It is located approximately north of London Kings Cross on the East Coast Main Line...
. There is an hourly service in each direction on Sundays.
First Capital Connect Timetables for Sandy can be seen and downloaded here.
Ticket Office Opening Times & Station Staffing Hours
Below are the current opening and staffing times for Sandy, as of 2010.| Ticket Office Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day | Opens | Closes |
| Monday to Friday | 06:00 | 12:25 |
| Saturday | 06:45 | 13:10 |
| Sunday | - | - |
| Station Staffing Hours | ||
|---|---|---|
| Day | From | Until |
| Monday to Friday | 05:45 | 12:45 |
| Saturday | 06:30 | 13:30 |
| Sunday | - | - |