General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Bricket Wood, St Albans England | ||||
Grid reference | TL134020 | ||||
Managed by | London Northwestern Railway | ||||
Platforms | 1 | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | BWO | ||||
Classification | DfT category F2 | ||||
History | |||||
Opened | 1858 | ||||
Key dates | |||||
5 May 1858 | Station opened | ||||
1859 | Station closed | ||||
1861 | Station re-opened | ||||
1913 | Installation of 2nd platform and crossing loop | ||||
1966 | Demolition of 2nd platform and loop | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2018/19 | 36,840 | ||||
2019/20 | 31,022 | ||||
2020/21 | 4,978 | ||||
2021/22 | 13,060 | ||||
2022/23 | 21,708 | ||||
|
Bricket Wood railway station is in the village of Bricket Wood,Hertfordshire,England,on the Abbey Line 31⁄4 miles (5 km) east of Watford Junction. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Northwestern Railway.
The station once had a crossing loop and a second platform that could accommodate long excursion trains. Many Edwardian families from London came here to enjoy the fresh air, woodland, and two large funfairs that once stood nearby.
The station building is the only surviving original building on the line. Long disused, the building has been restored and turned into a tea room and cafe. Responsibility for the line, including Bricket Wood, passed in November 2007 from Silverlink to London Midland.
The station was used in the films The Cuckoo Patrol, Victoria the Great , Poison Pen , Double Confession , Night of the Demon , [1] Impact and She'll Have to Go .[ citation needed ]
In the 1950s, in response to fears of Soviet military action, plans were prepared for the construction of twenty-five atom-bomb-proof control bunkers [2] away from expected target areas. Only five [3] were completed; the one at Bricket Wood is situated in the trees between the station and Railway Cottages. It was built c. 1954 in order, in the event of war, to take over the running of the railway network from the London Euston control room. [4]
As of 2014, only two remained [3] in England. The control centre built at Bricket Wood is a post-war Standard District Control Building Type L built, measuring roughly 11m x 29m. Of reinforced concrete construction, it has a single protected doorway in each of the shorter walls. This would appear to be the sole surviving example of this type in England; one other survives in Scotland, at Burntisland.
All services at Bricket Wood are operated by London Northwestern Railway using Class 350 EMUs.
The typical off-peak service on all days of the week is one train per hour in each direction between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey. This is increased to a train approximately every 45 minutes in each direction during the peak hours. [5]
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Garston | London Northwestern Railway | How Wood |
Installation of Oyster card readers on the stations along the branch is a possibility, although other ticketing options exist.
Restoration of the crossing loop, which would facilitate trains running every 30 minutes, is being considered by the local authorities and Network Rail.
Bricket Wood is a village in the county of Hertfordshire, England, 4.2 miles (6.8 km) south of St Albans city centre and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) north-northeast of Watford.
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 mi (24 km) northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne.
Harrow & Wealdstone is a London Underground and railway station on the Watford DC line and West Coast Main Line in Harrow and Wealdstone in the London Borough of Harrow. It is 11 miles 30 chains (18.31 km) on the line from London Euston station. It is also the northern terminus of the Bakerloo line and the next station towards south is Kenton.
Watford Junction is a railway station that serves Watford, Hertfordshire. The station is on the West Coast Main Line (WCML), 17 miles 34 chains (28 km) from London Euston and the Abbey Line, a branch line to St Albans. Journeys to London take between 16 and 52 minutes, depending on the service. Trains also run to Clapham Junction and East Croydon, via the West London line. The station is a major hub for local bus services and the connecting station for buses to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. The station is located north of a viaduct over the Colne valley and immediately south of Watford Tunnel.
St Albans Abbey is one of two railway stations in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England; the other being the much larger and busier St Albans City. It is located about 0.6 miles (1 km) south of the city centre, in the St Stephen's area. It is the terminus of the Abbey Line from Watford Junction, with services operated by London Northwestern Railway.
The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the South East Main Line at St Johns junction west of Lewisham station in Greater London and runs to Rochester Bridge Junction near Strood, Medway where it links to the Chatham Main Line.
The Abbey Line, also known as the St Albans Abbey branch line, is a railway line from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey. The 6.5-mile (10.5 km) route passes through town and countryside in the county of Hertfordshire, just outside the boundaries of the Oyster Card and London fare zones. Its northern terminus, St Albans Abbey, is located in the south of the city, around 0.75 miles (1.21 km) away from the larger St Albans City station on the Midland Main Line. It is a semi-rural line and, due to its single-track operation, service frequencies are limited. The service is sometimes referred to locally as the Abbey Flyer.
The Chatham Main Line is a railway line in England that links London Victoria and Dover Priory / Ramsgate, travelling via Medway.
Bletchleyrailway station serves the southern parts of Milton Keynes, England, and the north-eastern parts of Aylesbury Vale. It is 47 miles (76 km) northwest of Euston, about 32 miles (51 km) east of Oxford and 17 miles (27 km) west of Bedford, and is one of the seven railway stations serving the Milton Keynes urban area.
Bushey is a railway station in Hertfordshire which serves Bushey and Oxhey. It is situated on the West Coast Main Line, 5 miles (8 km) north of Harrow & Wealdstone, on an embankment. Immediately north of the station, the railway crosses Watford's Lower High Street over Bushey Arches Viaduct and shortly afterwards crosses the River Colne on another viaduct.
The Ruislip Lido Railway is a 12 in gauge miniature railway around Ruislip Lido in Ruislip, 14 miles (22.5 km) north-west of central London. Running from the main station at Woody Bay by the lido's beach, on a 1.02-mile (1.64 km) track around the reservoir, the railway passes through Ruislip Woods to Willow Lawn station and tea room near the lido's car parks. It is the longest 12 in gauge railway in the United Kingdom.
Shrewsbury railway station serves the town of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England. Built in 1848, it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.
Filton Abbey Wood railway station serves the town of Filton in South Gloucestershire, England; it is located 4.4 miles (7.1 km) from Bristol Temple Meads. There are four platforms but minimal facilities. The station is managed by Great Western Railway that operates all services that call here. The general service level is nine trains per hour: two to Cardiff Central, two towards Gloucester, one towards Taunton, two towards Westbury and two to Bristol Temple Meads.
Park Street is a small village in Hertfordshire, England. It is on the southern outskirts of St Albans, around 2 miles (3.2 km) south of the city centre, and is separated from the rest of the city's contiguous built-up area by a buffer to the north.
Park Street railway station serves the village of Park Street, Hertfordshire, England. It is the penultimate station on the Abbey Line. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Northwestern Railway.
The Watford DC line is a suburban line from London Euston to Watford Junction in Watford, Hertfordshire. Its services are operated by London Overground. In February 2024, TfL announced a re-branding as the Lioness line.
Watford North railway station is a National Rail station which serves the North Watford area in Hertfordshire, England in the United Kingdom. It is the first station on the Abbey Line, a single-track branch line which runs from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey and is located approximately 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) north east of Watford Junction. It is adjacent to a level crossing where the Abbey Line crosses Bushey Mill Lane.
Garston railway station serves the Garston area of Watford in Hertfordshire, England. It is the third station on the Abbey Line after Watford Junction and Watford North. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Northwestern Railway.
How Wood railway station is in the village of How Wood, Hertfordshire, England. It is the fourth station on the Abbey Line, 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) from Watford Junction. Like all the other stations on the branch, it is a simple unstaffed halt. It was opened by British Rail in October 1988 to coincide with the overhead electrification of the line.
The Reading–Taunton line is a major branch of the Great Western Main Line from which it diverges at Reading railway station. It runs to Cogload Junction where it joins the Bristol to Exeter and Penzance line.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)