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Midland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
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Midland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
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Varsity LineThe 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...
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Bedford St JohnsBedford St Johns is the smaller of two railway stations that serve the town of Bedford in Bedfordshire. It is on the Marston Vale line from Bletchley to Bedford Midland.The station is unstaffed, and is operated by London Midland....
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Marston Vale LineThe Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
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Midland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
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Bedford railway station is the main railway station in the town of
BedfordBedford is the county town of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. It is a large town and the administrative centre for the wider Borough of Bedford. According to the former Bedfordshire County Council's estimates, the town had a population of 79,190 in mid 2005, with 19,720 in the adjacent town...
in
BedfordshireBedfordshire 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....
,
EnglandEngland 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...
. It is located on the
Midland Main LineThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
from London St Pancras to the
East MidlandsThe East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...
. It is also the terminus of the
Marston Vale lineThe Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
from
BletchleyBletchley is a constituent town of Milton Keynes, England. It is part of the Borough of Milton Keynes unitary authority, in the ceremonial county of Buckinghamshire. It is situated in the south-west of Milton Keynes but still retains a distinctive identity...
through
Bedford St. JohnsBedford St Johns is the smaller of two railway stations that serve the town of Bedford in Bedfordshire. It is on the Marston Vale line from Bletchley to Bedford Midland.The station is unstaffed, and is operated by London Midland....
. The station is also known as
Bedford Midland, and is situated to the west of the town centre. It is used by a substantial number of commuters to
LondonLondon 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...
.
Through-fares are available from Bedford to Paris, Brussels and other destinations in France and Belgium.
History
The previous Bedford Midland station was built by the
Midland RailwayThe 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....
in 1859 originally on its line to join the
Great NorthernThe 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
HitchinHitchin is a town in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 30,360.-History:Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce people mentioned in a 7th century document, the Tribal Hidage. The tribal name is Brittonic rather than Old English and derives from *siccā, meaning...
. It was situated on land known as "Freemen's Common" approximately 200 yards (182.9 m) south of the current station on Ashburnham Road.
The
LNWRThe 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...
also had a station on its line (now closed) between Bletchley and
CambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. The Midland crossed it on the level but there was a serious collision when an LNWR train passed a red signal. Curiously, it transpired at the enquiry that that both drivers were named John Perkins. Following this accident, the Midland built a flyover in 1885.
The extension to
St. PancrasSt Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
was opened in 1868. The connection to Hitchin is long gone, but the line north of Bedford as far as Wigston Junction is still officially referred to as the Leicester to Hitchin line. At this time the station was substantially altered, with the replacement of a level crossing by the Queen's Park overbridge. In 1890 a curve was added to the west to allow expresses to bypass the station.
Serious damage occurred during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when a bomb destroyed the booking hall's glass ceiling. The current station was built to replace it and was opened by
Sir Peter ParkerSir Peter Parker KBE LVO was a British businessman, best known as chairman of the British Railways Board from 1976 to 1983.-Early life:...
(chairman of
BRBritish 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...
) on 9 October 1978. The site of the station moved about 100 metres (328.1 ft) north, and the slow lines were realigned to the West, closer to the fast lines, which were previously the old 1890's avoiding lines.
Although the intention was for what remained of the old awnings to be transferred to the
Midland Railway - ButterleyThe Midland Railway – Butterley is a heritage railway, formerly known until 2004 as the Midland Railway Centre, at Butterley, near Ripley in Derbyshire.-Overview:...
at
ButterleyButterley is a village in the English county of Derbyshire near to Ripley. It is the site of the Midland Railway - Butterley, as well as the old Butterley Brickworks.- Notable residents :...
in
DerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
it proved impossible to save them. Nothing remains of the original station buildings.
The track layout around Bedford station is set for significant changes in the coming years as Network Rail aims to make operations easier and faster. The majority of the work will be north of the station itself.
Services
The station is served by three operators but managed by First Capital Connect.
- East Midlands Trains
East Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
- 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...
- London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
East Midlands Trains
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
serve the station with their stopping service from London operated by modern
MeridianThe British Rail Class 222 is a diesel-electric multiple unit high-speed train capable of . Twenty-seven units have been built by Bombardier Transportation....
units. There is a half-hourly service to London St Pancras and to either Nottingham via
LeicesterLeicester railway station serves the City of Leicester in Leicestershire, England.As of late 2009 Leicester is a Penalty fare station, a valid ticket or Permit to travel must be shown when requested.-Background:...
or
CorbyCorby railway station, owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Trains , serves the town of Corby in Northamptonshire, England. The current station, opened on 23 February 2009, replaces an earlier one dating from 1879 and first closed in 1966 .Plans for the current station, built on a...
. The morning and evening peak periods see these services extended to {{stnlnk|Lincoln}} via
Newark and {{stnlnk|Melton Mowbray}} via Corby.
The weekend sees trains operating to {{stnlnk|York}} and in the summer months there are also weekend trains to {{stnlnk|Scarborough}}.
InterCity services from {{stnlnk|Leeds}}, {{stnlnk|Sheffield}} and {{stnlnk|Derby}} run through at high speed, but do not stop. Interchange with InterCity services can be made at Leicester and St Pancras.
First Capital Connect
First Capital ConnectFirst Capital Connect is a passenger train operating company in England that began operations on the National Rail network on 1 April 2006...
part of the FirstGroup company, operate regular services from Bedford to
BrightonBrighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
passing through St Albans and London St Pancras Domestic. Services from the station also call at two Airports;
Luton Airport Parkway| Luton Airport Parkway railway station is the railway station for London Luton Airport in Bedfordshire, England. The station opened in 1999 and is located south-east of Luton and west of the airport....
to the north and
Gatwick AirportGatwick Airport station is the railway station at London Gatwick Airport that provides a direct rail connection to London 43 km away. The station platforms are located directly below the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is adjacent to that terminal’s concourse...
to the South of London.
Services are operated by
Class 319The British Rail Class 319 dual-voltage electric multiple units were built by BREL York in two batches in 1987–88 and 1990. The trains were introduced for new north-south cross-London services from Bedford to Brighton, and since privatisation these services have been operated by Thameslink and...
. Additionally new
Class 377The Class 377 Electrostar is an electric multiple unit type built by Bombardier Transportation at their Derby Works, from 2001 to present. The Electrostar family, which also includes Classes 357, 375, 376, 378, and 379, is the most numerous type of EMU built in the post-privatisation period of...
electrical multiple units have been leased by Southern Trains while the
Thameslink ProgrammeThe 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...
’s brand new eight and 12-carriage trains are designed and manufactured for service in 2013-2015.
From March 2009 there are peak services to Kent operated jointly with
SoutheasternLondon & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
.
London Midland
London MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
operate local services from Bletchley to Bedford via the
Marston Vale LineThe Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
. Services are operated using
Class 153/3The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
diesel multiple unitA diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. This service only operates Monday - Saturdays.
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{{rail line two to one|previous1={{rws|Luton}}|previous2={{rws|Luton Airport Parkway}}|next={{rws|Wellingborough}}|route1=
East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
London to CorbyThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
|route2=East Midlands TrainsEast Midlands Trains is a British passenger train operating company. Based in Derby, it provides train services in the East Midlands, chiefly in the counties of Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire, and between the East Midlands and London...
London to NottinghamThe Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
|col={{EMT colour}}}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=Flitwick|toc=First Capital Connect|route=Thameslink}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=Bedford St Johns|toc=London Midland|route=Marston Vale Line|notemid=Mondays-Saturdays only}}
{{s-rail-next|title=Disused}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=|next=Cardington|toc=LMS|route=Bedford to Hitchin LineThe Bedford to Hitchin Line was a branch of the Midland Railway which served stations at Cardington, Southill, Shefford and Henlow in Bedfordshire, England. It opened in 1857, but was largely made redundant as a through-route to London by the extension of the Midland Main Line to St Pancras...
|status=Disused|note=|note2=Line and station closed}}
{{s-rail-national|previous=Turvey|next=|toc=LMS|route=Bedford to Northampton LineThe Bedford to Northampton Line was a branch of the Midland Railway which served stations in three counties: Northampton and Horton in Northamptonshire, Olney in Buckinghamshire and Turvey and Bedford in Bedfordshire, England...
|status=Disused|note=Line and station closed|note2=}}
{{s-rail-next|title=Historical}}
{{s-rail-national|next=Ampthill|previous=Oakley|county1=Bedford|toc=Midland Railway|route=Midland Main Line|status=Historical|note=Line open, station closed|note2=Line open, station closed}}
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Community Rail Partnership
Bedford, in common with other stations on the Marston ValeThe Marston Vale Line is the railway line from Bletchley to Bedford in England. It is one of two surviving passenger-carrying sections of the "Varsity Line" between Oxford and Cambridge....
line, is covered by the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership. The Partnership aims to increase use of the line by getting local people involved with their local line.
Facilities
Bedford station has the following facilities:
- 2 waiting rooms
- Cafe/newsagent/bar and coffee bar
- Telephones
- Post box
- ATM
- FastTicket machine
The Shere FASTticket system is a passenger-operated, self-service railway ticket issuing system, developed by the Guildford-based company Shere Ltd and first introduced on a trial basis in Britain in 1996, shortly after privatisation...
- Toilets
- Car park with 614 spaces
Bedford station is fully wheelchair-accessible. The station has the PlusBusPLUSBUS is an add-on ticket, which can be purchased with rail tickets in Great Britain. It allows unlimited travel on participating bus operators' services in the whole urban area of rail-served towns and cities.-History:...
scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together at a saving. Ticket barriersA turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
are in operation at the station.
Redevelopment
Plans were being promoted by Network RailNetwork Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
and Bedford Borough Council for the redevelopment of the station quarter.
Platform 1A will be extended through the existing building to accommodate 12-car trains; presently it is only long enough to handle four-car trains and is a terminating bay.
Therefore a new station building would be erected on the site of the former Victorian station, which was closed and bulldozed in 1978 when the current buildings opened. This area is now a council pay and display car park with an empty retail unit. An outline planning application for the work was submitted in April 2010, with the project complete by the end of 2011, and is under consideration by Beford Borough Council. By the end of February 2011, the former retail outlet had been demolished and the site stands empty looking through to the passing trains at the station.
The scheme would be part of an overall plan to regenerate Bedford town centre.
External links
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{{Railway stations in Bedfordshire}}
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