Braunston London Road railway station

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Braunston London Road
Braunston london road rail station 1890770 ce11b1c1.jpg
The station after closure in 1962
General information
Location Braunston, West Northamptonshire
England
Coordinates 52°17′13″N1°12′33″W / 52.2869°N 1.2091°W / 52.2869; -1.2091
Platforms2 (later just one)
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original company London and North Western Railway
Pre-grouping London and North Western Railway
Key dates
1 August 1895 [1] Station opened as Braunston
1 July 1950Renamed Braunston London Road
15 September 1958 [1] Station closes for passengers
Location
Braunston London Road railway station

Braunston London Road was one of two railway stations that served the village of Braunston in Northamptonshire, England. The station was built on the Weedon to Leamington Spa branch line on an embankment next to the village's wharf on the Grand Union Canal after the demolition of a number of houses and a pub that were in the way. [2]

Contents

The station opened along with the Leamington extension of the Weedon line on 1 August 1895. It was on a passing loop and originally had two platforms with an underpass linking them, however the second platform was later taken out of use and removed, so trains in both directions called at the same platform, although the loop was retained for goods traffic until the line closed. [3]

The station was originally known as just Braunston, however it was renamed as Braunston London Road in 1950, to differentiate it from the other station serving the village. [3] Despite its small size, Braunston was also served by Braunston and Willoughby station on the former Great Central Main Line, which served Braunston and the village of Willoughby, which it was closer to.

The line closed to passengers in 1958, and freight in 1963.

During demolishment in 1960s, they only removed the buildings, track, and platforms, leaving all of the other structures. The area slowly became a woods with visibly smaller trees where the tracks once were. Although the remains can still be seen.

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Daventry
Line and station closed		  London and North Western Railway
Weedon to Leamington Spa line 		  Flecknoe
Line and station closed

Layout

Braunston London Road originally had two platforms located on both sides of a passing loop. Both the down (southbound) and up (northbound) platforms had station buildings of similar design, with the north platform featuring an additional smaller building to its east. The down platform housed the station building, with the signal box located further east along the platform, but not immediately adjacent to the building. Three sidings and a goods shed were located southeast of the platforms. A footpath from the A45 led to steps up to the south platform. Near the base of these steps, an underpass passed beneath the railway embankment, providing access to the opposite side. [4]

Later, the station was reduced to a single platform on the south side, with the up platform demolished and no longer in use.

What Remains

Several remnants of the station are still visible today in a woods. The track bed of both the line and the sidings remains clearly identifiable, with some sleepers near the sidings standing upright. The steps leading up to the former south platform are intact, although none of the original platform surfaces survive.

The brick base of the signal box on the south platform also remains. The underpass beneath the railway embankment can still be seen, though the top of the tunnel is missing, leaving a partial ruin.

References

  1. 1 2 Braunston Station on Warwickshire Railways
  2. ↑ 'Discover Braunston', Braunston History Society (pdf format) Archived 14 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 Hurst, Geoffrey (1993). LNWR Branch Lines of West Leicestershire & East Warwickshire (First ed.). Milepost Publications. ISBN   0-947796-16-9.
  4. ↑ "Old OS Map of Braunston London Road railway". maps.nls.uk. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
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