28:
1532:
1553:
1545:
1569:. The one train each way per night was electrically hauled between Euston and Northampton and by a Class 45 locomotive between Northampton and Glasgow. It did not call at Market Harborough. The line was closed to passenger traffic again on 1 May 1969 and reopened on 10 July 1972. The advertised passenger service was finally withdrawn on 26 August 1973, although the line continued to be used by freight trains, football specials and as a diversionary route.
794:
248:
179:
1047:
234:
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123:
870:
1222:
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612:
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1008:
941:
671:
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130:
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562:
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401:
292:
276:
343:
1034:
949:
891:
1575:
The line had several manual level crossings. Each of these required a mechanical signalbox to be maintained and staffed, leading to high fixed costs, which were only slightly reduced by staffing the boxes for only one or two shifts per day, according to traffic needs. Proposals to automate the level
1662:
between
Northampton and just south of Market Harborough is intact, however the former trackbed into Market Harborough station has been lost under housing development known as Britannia Walk and a number of other developments have been built on the alignment meaning any reopening of the line would
1556:
Class 20s 8137 and 8042 lead northbound coal empties past the site of
Spratton station on Sunday 1973-03-18. At this time, the line was normally open from 22:00 to 14:00, Mondays to Saturdays. On this occasion, Sunday opening was necessary to clear a traffic backlog after industrial action by rail
1420:
of March 1967, the line was shown as part of the passenger and freight network for development. At about the same time, the two road overbridges along the line were rebuilt in order to provide clearances for 25 kV 50 Hz electrification, which was to be carried through to
1404:
462 yards (422 m) on the Down line and 453 yards (414 m) on the Up line. The line was originally single-track and was later doubled; hence, each tunnel consists of two separate bores, one for each track. One bore of each tunnel is open as part of the
1580:. Although the line was considered useful by the operators as a diversionary route, the high costs and diminishing coal traffic led to its closure at a time when British Rail was under great pressure from government to close marginal lines.
1716:
57:
1445:. The closure of St. Pancras and the electrification between Northampton and Market Harborough did not take place, but the raised overbridges are still visible at Brampton and Brixworth station sites.
1726:
1583:
On 15 August 1981, the day before closure, a special train was chartered to run from
Northampton to Market Harborough and return. This was the last British Rail passenger train to run on the line.
1528:. As traffic built up, the Midland built a new line at a higher elevation, crossing the LNWR and then running parallel to a new joint station in the present position, which opened in 1885.
1572:
During the 1960s and 1970s, the staple traffic declined considerably, consisting principally of coal trains from the
Nottinghamshire coalfields to London and their northbound empties.
1565:
was closed in 1947; Pitsford & Brampton in 1950) but was re-opened to through traffic on 6 January 1969 in conjunction with the re-routing of sleeping car services away from
1453:
When the line opened, there were only three intermediate stations, at
Pitsford, Brixworth and Lamport. Further stations were opened, although almost all were closed by 1960.
50:
1788:
1561:
The line had a staggered history in its final years. It was first closed to advertised passenger traffic on 4 January 1960 along with all remaining intermediate stations (
1747:
1129:
1122:
1208:
43:
1793:
1457:
1157:
1433:(despite also being included as "for development" in the report) would be closed to passengers, with services between London and Leicester re-routed via
1798:
1783:
1813:
1808:
1803:
1468:
906:
1605:
and based itself in the old goods yard at
Pitsford and Brampton station. The track was lifted by British Rail and the trackbed was sold to
1493:
1462:
1262:
1042:
524:
1382:
1505:
1498:
381:
229:
1592:
1367:
1351:
31:
A Class 47 approaches the site of
Brixworth station hauling a FA Trophy Final football fan special from Wembley on 26 April 1975.
1721:
1606:
875:
1270:
1304:
1274:
152:
77:
1616:
The
Railway Society arranged to lease part of the trackbed from the County Council and began rebuilding the line as a
1434:
897:
869:
1703:
Midland Line
Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby
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983:
306:
144:
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1112:
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846:
681:
546:
27:
1717:"Paying passengers all aboard as trains run on Northampton-Market Harborough line for first time in 50 years"
1525:
1483:
729:
1346:. It opened on 16 February 1859 and finally closed on 16 August 1981. The former trackbed is used by the
1513:
314:
1531:
1390:
17:
1552:
1629:
1610:
1548:
25181 and 25106 lead an aggreate train towards
Northampton at Merry Tom Crossing, 06:50, 1975-06-13
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1406:
1347:
1544:
107:
1625:
1426:
1386:
1375:
373:
193:
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1018:
1763:
1517:
1397:
621:
451:
1401:
1777:
1438:
1046:
233:
1655:
1635:
On 30 March 2024, the Northampton & Lamport Railway opened a second station at
1413:
1339:
1371:
1748:
Government backs re-opening railway link from Northampton to Market Harborough
1659:
1639:
allowing trains to run between Pitsford and Brampton and Boughton stations.
1422:
1363:
36:
1643:
1562:
1658:
backed proposals to reopen the Northampton–Market Harborough line. The
1430:
1343:
1258:
1118:
625:
470:
455:
369:
302:
189:
140:
1551:
1543:
1530:
26:
1680:
1632:
was granted and the Grand Opening took place on 31 March 1996.
1601:
which had campaigned to keep the line open changed its name to
1576:
crossings were met with hostility by locals in the wake of the
1516:
line which opened in 1850. From 1857 it was shared by the
1683:. Northampton & Lamport Railway Preservation Society
1441:, along with the closure and demolition of London
1350:and part of the route has been re-opened as the
51:
8:
1370:(LNWR) proposed a new railway line between
1642:There are plans for a future extension to
85:
58:
44:
1789:Closed railway lines in the East Midlands
1624:due to the presence of a large number of
1425:. At the time, it was envisaged that the
1366:were discovered in Northamptonshire. The
1418:British Railways Network for Development
1672:
41:
569:
561:
283:
275:
1654:In October 2019, Transport Secretary
1609:for use as a "linear park" named the
350:
342:
18:Northampton to Market Harborough line
7:
1240:
948:
940:
178:
1794:Rail transport in Northamptonshire
1620:. The name was changed in 1992 to
1336:Northampton–Market Harborough line
1263:Northampton & Peterborough Rly
1247:
1221:
611:
441:
220:
25:
1715:Nicholls, Kevin (27 March 2024).
1622:Northampton & Lamport Railway
1599:Welland Valley Rail Revival Group
1593:Northampton & Lamport Railway
1352:Northampton & Lamport Railway
793:
670:
247:
122:
1799:Rail transport in Leicestershire
1784:London and North Western Railway
1751:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
1722:Northampton Chronicle & Echo
1368:London and North Western Railway
1292:
1246:
1239:
1220:
1199:
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219:
177:
170:
129:
128:
121:
94:
1663:need to be on a new alignment.
1607:Northamptonshire County Council
1520:on the "London Extension" from
1396:The line includes two tunnels:
1385:(nephew of the Railway Pioneer
1293:
1148:
1007:
919:
876:Northampton and Lamport Railway
358:
333:
95:
1814:1859 establishments in England
1429:between Market Harborough and
1400:, 322 yards (294 m); and
1060:
1000:
859:
651:
592:
496:
422:
171:
1:
1504:The original LNWR station at
1209:Northampton St. John's Street
1170:
1067:
971:
837:
815:
771:
742:
720:
698:
580:Kelmarsh to Arthingworth road
537:
515:
400:
291:
1809:Railway lines closed in 1981
1804:Railway lines opened in 1859
1465:– originally a minor station
1180:Bridge Street Level Crossing
1681:"NLR – History of the Line"
1458:Northampton (Bridge Street)
1435:Northampton railway station
1362:In 1851, large deposits of
1158:Northampton (Bridge Street)
1033:
890:
1830:
1590:
1393:, and was opened in 1859.
825:Spratton to Brixworth Road
307:Rugby and Stamford Railway
145:Rugby and Stamford Railway
1603:Northampton Steam Railway
1535:Brixworth Station in 1965
1381:The line was designed by
1301:
1286:
1255:
1233:
1229:
1214:
1207:
1185:
1178:
1163:
1156:
1141:
1108:
1086:
1075:
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1041:
1026:
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993:
979:
964:
957:
931:
927:
912:
905:
883:
867:
852:
845:
830:
823:
808:
803:Brixworth to Creaton Road
801:
786:
779:
764:
750:
735:
728:
713:
706:
691:
678:
663:
659:
644:
619:
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578:
552:
545:
530:
523:
508:
504:
489:
449:
434:
430:
415:
408:
393:
366:
326:
299:
259:
255:
240:
228:
213:
186:
164:
137:
115:
103:
88:
1705:London: Bloomsbury Books
1305:Bedford–Northampton line
1764:"Walkin' down the line"
1558:
1549:
1536:
410:Little Bowden Crossing
69:Market Harborough Line
32:
1555:
1547:
1534:
1469:Pitsford and Brampton
907:Pitsford and Brampton
30:
1701:Radford, B., (1983)
1494:Clipston and Oxendon
1463:Northampton (Castle)
1391:George Parker Bidder
1383:George R. Stephenson
1130:& Midland Jn Rly
1043:Northampton (Castle)
525:Clipston and Oxendon
1650:Potential reopening
1630:Light Railway Order
1611:Brampton Valley Way
1443:St. Pancras Station
1407:Brampton Valley Way
1348:Brampton Valley Way
1123:Stratford-upon-Avon
985: A5199
1626:diesel locomotives
1559:
1550:
1537:
981:Boughton Crossing
756: A508
708:Draughton Crossing
33:
1753:, 25 October 2019
1506:Market Harborough
1499:Market Harborough
1427:Midland Main Line
1387:George Stephenson
1376:Market Harborough
1332:
1331:
1328:
1327:
1280:
1279:
1135:
1134:
752:Lamport Crossing
683: A14
638:
637:
483:
482:
468:
467:
387:
386:
382:London St Pancras
374:Midland Main Line
320:
319:
230:Market Harborough
207:
206:
194:Midland Main Line
158:
157:
16:(Redirected from
1821:
1768:
1767:
1760:
1754:
1745:
1739:
1738:
1736:
1734:
1729:on 30 March 2024
1725:. Archived from
1712:
1706:
1699:
1693:
1692:
1690:
1688:
1677:
1618:heritage railway
1587:Heritage railway
1578:Hixon rail crash
1563:Spratton station
1296:
1295:
1259:
1250:
1249:
1243:
1242:
1224:
1223:
1202:
1201:
1195:
1194:
1173:
1172:
1151:
1150:
1119:
1103:
1102:
1096:
1095:
1079:Northampton loop
1070:
1069:
1063:
1062:
1049:
1036:
1035:
1019:Northampton loop
1010:
1009:
1003:
1002:
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757:
745:
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701:
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686:
684:
673:
672:
654:
653:
626:
622:Kelmarsh Tunnels
614:
613:
595:
594:
572:
571:
564:
563:
540:
539:
518:
517:
499:
498:
471:
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1829:
1828:
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1820:
1819:
1818:
1774:
1773:
1772:
1771:
1766:. 3 March 2020.
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1700:
1696:
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1674:
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1589:
1542:
1518:Midland Railway
1451:
1398:Kelmarsh Tunnel
1360:
1308:
1297:
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1203:
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519:
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452:Oxendon Tunnels
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1591:Main article:
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1502:
1501:
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1476:
1471:
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1402:Oxendon Tunnel
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1271:Wellingborough
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67:Northampton to
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48:
40:
24:
14:
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6:
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3:
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1439:London Euston
1436:
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1415:
1410:
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1731:. Retrieved
1727:the original
1720:
1710:
1702:
1697:
1685:. Retrieved
1675:
1656:Grant Shapps
1653:
1641:
1634:
1621:
1615:
1602:
1598:
1596:
1582:
1574:
1571:
1560:
1503:
1452:
1417:
1414:British Rail
1411:
1395:
1380:
1361:
1340:railway line
1338:is a closed
1335:
1333:
1303:
1275:Peterborough
1110:
1077:
1017:
874:
469: │
153:Peterborough
105:
34:
1567:St. Pancras
1508:was on its
1372:Northampton
629:322 yd
474:453 yd
459:462 yd
1778:Categories
1667:References
634:294 m
479:414 m
464:422 m
108:Nottingham
1687:5 January
1522:Leicester
1479:Brixworth
1423:Leicester
1364:ironstone
1113:Blisworth
781:Brixworth
202:Leicester
1733:30 March
1660:trackbed
1644:Spratton
1637:Boughton
1557:workers.
1510:Stamford
1489:Kelmarsh
1474:Spratton
1449:Stations
959:Boughton
847:Spratton
547:Kelmarsh
1540:Closure
1526:Bedford
1484:Lamport
1431:Bedford
1416:report
1412:In the
1358:History
1344:England
730:Lamport
1389:) and
78:Legend
1514:Rugby
1281:
1257:
1136:
1117:
639:
624:
484:
454:
388:
368:
321:
315:Rugby
301:
208:
188:
159:
139:
1735:2024
1689:2009
1628:. A
1597:The
1374:and
1334:The
1273:and
1524:to
1512:to
1437:to
1342:in
1269:to
1115:and
1111:to
380:to
313:to
200:to
151:to
106:to
1780::
1719:.
1646:.
1613:.
1409:.
1378:.
1354:.
1737:.
1691:.
59:e
52:t
45:v
20:)
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