Dunstable North railway station
Encyclopedia
Dunstable North was a railway station on the London and North Western Railway
's branch line from Leighton Buzzard
which served Dunstable
in Bedfordshire
from 1848 to 1967. Originally the terminus of the London and North Western Railway
's branch line from Leighton Buzzard
, Dunstable became the point where the line met with the Great Northern
's branch line from Luton
in 1858. The station became the hub of a number of sidings
connecting a variety of concerns to the line, including Waterlows
, Bedfordshire County Council
, Associated Portland Cement, Dunstable gasworks
and a coal yard operated by the Great Northern. Against a background of falling passenger numbers and declining freight returns, the station closed to passengers in 1965 and to goods in 1967. Connections were retained with the cement works and coal yard, which became an oil depot, until 1988 and the line eventually closed in 1991. The site of the station is now occupied by the offices of South Bedfordshire
District Council. A section of the former line to the west of the site has become part of route 6 of the National Cycle Network
.
with the London and Birmingham
's main line
. The proposals were devised by George
and Robert Stephenson
. The line opened for freight on 29 May 1848 and to passengers on 1 June. A station was opened beside the A5 Watling Street
. It was constructed almost on the level with the road to allow a connection to be made with the Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway which opened a line between Dunstable and Luton
in May 1858. The crossing of Watling Street would require the road to be raised by 3 in 8 in (1.12 m) and a level crossing
to be constructed, but Parliament refused consent for the works. A solution was found whereby the original Dunstable station would be reconstructed at a higher level to allow the road to be crossed by a bridge, whilst also lowering the road level to allow sufficient clearance. This was accepted and a new station opened in January 1866. The delay in opening the new station was caused by protracted negotiations between the two railway companies as to who would bear the costs of construction. In the event, it was the London and North Western Railway
, which had absorbed the Dunstable & London & Birmingham Railway.
The new Dunstable station had two platforms and a bay
; the Down platform was used by trains (the extension from Luton to Hatfield
was completed in 1860), the bay was used for Leighton services and the Up platform was, it is believed, used as a run-round loop. The site of the original Dunstable station became the goods yard This yard saw large quantities of coal and fertiliser traffic, in addition to general traffic. To the south of the yard lay the town's gasworks
which were served by sidings
, whilst to the west was a signal box
which controlled access to the yard as well as the level crossing over Brewer's Hill Road. A rail-served Bedfordshire County Council
depot was situated on the other side of the level crossing immediately to the north of the running lines. Other sidings served Waterlow's
printing works, the Great Northern
coal yard from 1871, and the Associated Portland Cement works at Houghton Regis
from 1925. Due to subsidence
a new 50-lever signal box replaced the LNWR one from 16 August 1958; it was only to have a short life as closure came just over a decade later on 23 March 1969. At this time the station was still lit by gas lamps.
Passenger traffic over the Dunstable branch in its later years was not great except on market days, and Dunstable North, as it became after 1950, was closed to passengers in 1965 and to goods in 1967. The line to Leighton Buzzard closed from 1 January 1966, with tracklifting at Dunstable beginning in 1968. The former Great Northern coal yard became an oil storage depot in October 1968 which, together with the cement works, was served by between one and three trains daily. The section of line across the A5 bridge was closed in 1969 as it had cracked and the costs of replacement were not justified by the line's remaining traffic. The remaining sidings were disconnected and the signal box closed and demolished. A new loop line
was laid between Waterlow's siding and the cement works to provide a run-around. From 1971 the coal for the cement works was shifted to road and the rail connection was limited to the distribution of cement products. Cement and oil traffic continued until 1988 and closure of the line was authorised from 16 December 1991.
District Council. What remains of the line to the west has become part of the 3.5 km (2.2 mi) Sewell
greenaway
from French's Avenue to just short of . The route is part of National Cycle Network
route 6 and includes a bridge over the A505.
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...
's branch line from Leighton Buzzard
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....
which served Dunstable
Dunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
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....
from 1848 to 1967. Originally the terminus 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...
's branch line from Leighton Buzzard
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....
, Dunstable became the point where the line met with 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....
's branch line from Luton
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....
in 1858. The station became the hub of a number of sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
connecting a variety of concerns to the line, including Waterlows
Waterlow and Sons
The Waterlow and Sons Limited was a major worldwide engraver of currency, postage stamps, stocks and bond certificates established in 1897, in England.-Portuguese Bank Note Crisis:...
, Bedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Bedfordshire in England. It was established in 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 2009. The county council was based in Bedford. It was replaced with three unitary authorities: Bedford Borough Council, Central...
, Associated Portland Cement, Dunstable gasworks
Gasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
and a coal yard operated by the Great Northern. Against a background of falling passenger numbers and declining freight returns, the station closed to passengers in 1965 and to goods in 1967. Connections were retained with the cement works and coal yard, which became an oil depot, until 1988 and the line eventually closed in 1991. The site of the station is now occupied by the offices of South Bedfordshire
South Bedfordshire
South Bedfordshire was, from 1974 to 2009, a non-metropolitan district of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. Its main towns were Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard.-Creation:...
District Council. A section of the former line to the west of the site has become part of route 6 of the National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
.
History
The passing of the Dunstable & London & Birmingham Railway Act on 30 June 1845 authorised the construction of a short branch line from to connect DunstableDunstable
Dunstable is a market town and civil parish located in Bedfordshire, England. It lies on the eastward tail spurs of the Chiltern Hills, 30 miles north of London. These geographical features form several steep chalk escarpments most noticeable when approaching Dunstable from the north.-Etymology:In...
with the London and Birmingham
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 ....
's main line
West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...
. The proposals were devised by George
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...
and Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
. The line opened for freight on 29 May 1848 and to passengers on 1 June. A station was opened beside the A5 Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
. It was constructed almost on the level with the road to allow a connection to be made with the Luton, Dunstable and Welwyn Junction Railway which opened a line between Dunstable and Luton
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....
in May 1858. The crossing of Watling Street would require the road to be raised by 3 in 8 in (1.12 m) and a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
to be constructed, but Parliament refused consent for the works. A solution was found whereby the original Dunstable station would be reconstructed at a higher level to allow the road to be crossed by a bridge, whilst also lowering the road level to allow sufficient clearance. This was accepted and a new station opened in January 1866. The delay in opening the new station was caused by protracted negotiations between the two railway companies as to who would bear the costs of construction. In the event, it was 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...
, which had absorbed the Dunstable & London & Birmingham Railway.
The new Dunstable station had two platforms and a bay
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
; the Down platform was used by trains (the extension from Luton to Hatfield
Hatfield, Hertfordshire
Hatfield is a town and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield. It has a population of 29,616, and is of Saxon origin. Hatfield House, the home of the Marquess of Salisbury, is the nucleus of the old town...
was completed in 1860), the bay was used for Leighton services and the Up platform was, it is believed, used as a run-round loop. The site of the original Dunstable station became the goods yard This yard saw large quantities of coal and fertiliser traffic, in addition to general traffic. To the south of the yard lay the town's gasworks
Gasworks
A gasworks or gas house is a factory for the manufacture of gas. The use of natural gas has made many redundant in the developed world, however they are often still used for storage.- Early gasworks :...
which were served by sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
, whilst to the west was a signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
which controlled access to the yard as well as the level crossing over Brewer's Hill Road. A rail-served Bedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council
Bedfordshire County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Bedfordshire in England. It was established in 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 2009. The county council was based in Bedford. It was replaced with three unitary authorities: Bedford Borough Council, Central...
depot was situated on the other side of the level crossing immediately to the north of the running lines. Other sidings served Waterlow's
Waterlow and Sons
The Waterlow and Sons Limited was a major worldwide engraver of currency, postage stamps, stocks and bond certificates established in 1897, in England.-Portuguese Bank Note Crisis:...
printing works, 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....
coal yard from 1871, and the Associated Portland Cement works at Houghton Regis
Houghton Regis
Houghton Regis is a town and civil parish sandwiched between the major towns of Luton to the east and Dunstable to the west. The parish includes the ancient hamlets of Bidwell, Thorn and Sewell...
from 1925. Due to subsidence
Subsidence
Subsidence is the motion of a surface as it shifts downward relative to a datum such as sea-level. The opposite of subsidence is uplift, which results in an increase in elevation...
a new 50-lever signal box replaced the LNWR one from 16 August 1958; it was only to have a short life as closure came just over a decade later on 23 March 1969. At this time the station was still lit by gas lamps.
Passenger traffic over the Dunstable branch in its later years was not great except on market days, and Dunstable North, as it became after 1950, was closed to passengers in 1965 and to goods in 1967. The line to Leighton Buzzard closed from 1 January 1966, with tracklifting at Dunstable beginning in 1968. The former Great Northern coal yard became an oil storage depot in October 1968 which, together with the cement works, was served by between one and three trains daily. The section of line across the A5 bridge was closed in 1969 as it had cracked and the costs of replacement were not justified by the line's remaining traffic. The remaining sidings were disconnected and the signal box closed and demolished. A new loop line
Balloon loop
A balloon loop or turning loop allows a rail vehicle or train to reverse direction without having to shunt or even stop. Balloon loops can be useful for passenger trains and unit freight trains, such as coal trains....
was laid between Waterlow's siding and the cement works to provide a run-around. From 1971 the coal for the cement works was shifted to road and the rail connection was limited to the distribution of cement products. Cement and oil traffic continued until 1988 and closure of the line was authorised from 16 December 1991.
Present day
The station has been demolished and is now the site of the offices of South BedfordshireSouth Bedfordshire
South Bedfordshire was, from 1974 to 2009, a non-metropolitan district of Bedfordshire, in the East of England. Its main towns were Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard.-Creation:...
District Council. What remains of the line to the west has become part of the 3.5 km (2.2 mi) Sewell
Sewell, Bedfordshire
Sewell is a hamlet located in the Central Bedfordshire district of Bedfordshire, England.Sewell is a small rural settlement, though it is located near to the town of Dunstable . The settlement forms part of the Houghton Regis civil parish....
greenaway
Greenway (landscape)
A greenway is a long, narrow piece of land, often used for recreation and pedestrian and bicycle user traffic, and sometimes for streetcar, light rail or retail uses.- Terminology :...
from French's Avenue to just short of . The route is part of National Cycle Network
National Cycle Network
The National Cycle Network is a network of cycle routes in the United Kingdom.The National Cycle Network was created by the charity Sustrans , and aided by a £42.5 million National Lottery grant. In 2005 it was used for over 230 million trips.Many routes hope to minimise contact with motor...
route 6 and includes a bridge over the A505.