Watford North railway station
Encyclopedia
Watford North railway station serves the North Watford
area of Watford
in Hertfordshire
, England
. It is the first station on the Abbey Line 1.2 km (¾ of a mile) north east of Watford Junction. Originally opened in October 1910 as 'Callowland', the station was built to serve a developing residential and industrial area which still thrives today. The service is known locally as the Abbey Flyer, and the line has its own user's group, known as Abfly, which campaigns to maintain and improve the line, which is very popular with local residents.
The railway is the quickest way to get between Watford
and St Albans
, taking only 16 minutes.
trains to Govia
London Midland
trains. Possible changes on the line include new means of buying tickets, and the restoration of a passing loop at Bricket Wood
, which would facilitate a 30-minute train service.
Plans were announced in October 2009 for the Abbey Line to be converted to light rail
operation by 2011. Under the proposals, the line and stations would be leased to Hertfordshire County Council
who would run a tram-train
service from Watford Junction to . Longer-term proposals envisage the extension of the light rail
service into St Albans city centre, possibly as far as St Albans City railway station.
North Watford
North Watford is an area in Watford, Hertfordshire.- Location :North Watford is situated between Central Watford and Garston. It links Watford to the M1 and M25 via the A41...
area of Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
in 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...
, 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...
. It is the first station on the Abbey Line 1.2 km (¾ of a mile) north east of Watford Junction. Originally opened in October 1910 as 'Callowland', the station was built to serve a developing residential and industrial area which still thrives today. The service is known locally as the Abbey Flyer, and the line has its own user's group, known as Abfly, which campaigns to maintain and improve the line, which is very popular with local residents.
Service
Currently there is a 45-minute service in either direction Monday to Saturday, hourly on Sundays.The railway is the quickest way to get between Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
and St Albans
St Albans
St Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
, taking only 16 minutes.
Future
In November 2007 responsibility for this branch line, including Watford North station, passed from SilverlinkSilverlink
Silverlink Train Services Ltd was a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operated routes in North London and from London to Northampton...
trains to Govia
Govia
Govia is a transport company based in the United Kingdom. A joint venture between Go-Ahead and Keolis SA it is a key operator of commuter services in London, the South East and on the West Coast Main Line...
London Midland
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....
trains. Possible changes on the line include new means of buying tickets, and the restoration of a passing loop at Bricket Wood
Bricket Wood railway station
Bricket Wood railway station serves the village of Bricket Wood in Hertfordshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland. It is on the Abbey Line 5 km east of Watford Junction.-History:...
, which would facilitate a 30-minute train service.
Plans were announced in October 2009 for the Abbey Line to be converted to light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
operation by 2011. Under the proposals, the line and stations would be leased to Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England, the United Kingdom. It currently consists of 77 councillors, and is controlled by the Conservative Party, which has 55 councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, versus 3 Labour...
who would run a tram-train
Tram-train
A tram-train is a light-rail public transport system where trams run both on an urban tramway network and on main-line railways to combine the tram's flexibility and availability and the train's greater speed...
service from Watford Junction to . Longer-term proposals envisage the extension of the light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
service into St Albans city centre, possibly as far as St Albans City railway station.
External links
- http://www.abfly.org.uk/