Ampthill railway station
Ampthill railway station was built over a mile from the historic market town of Ampthill in the English county of Bedfordshire by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St. Pancras.
Ampthill | |
|---|---|
 Ampthill Station remains, with a Down goods passing in 1960 | |
| Location | Ampthill, Central Bedfordshire England |
| Grid reference | TL022371 |
| Platforms | 2 |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Original company | Midland Railway |
| Post-grouping | London Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways |
| Key dates | |
| 15 July 1868 | Opened |
| 4 May 1959 | Closed |
History
Opened by the Midland Railway, it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. After passing on to the London Midland Region of British Railways upon nationalisation in 1948, it was then closed by the British Transport Commission.
At the time it was built there were no coaching connections by road, so for a number of years the station was particularly beneficial in providing an outlet for the trade in straw hats, Ampthill's speciality being the "Narrow Improved" version.[1] The station closed in 1959 and the inhabitants were advised to use the "excellent alternative bus service."
About half a mile north of the station is Ampthill Tunnel, increased to two bores when the line was upgraded to four tracks in 1891.[2]
| Preceding station | Historical railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford Midland Line and station open |
Midland Railway Midland Main Line |
Flitwick Line and station open | ||
Present and future
Trains on the Midland Main Line, electrified through the former station, still pass the site.
The area in which Ampthill station was situated is still visible today due to the widening of tracks where the now long gone platforms used to be.
The Bedfordshire Railway & Transport Association is campaigning for the reopening of a station at Ampthill.[3]
References
- Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books
- Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books
- Ampthill Station. Archived 13 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
Sources
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
- Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.