Piddington railway station
Piddington | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Location | South Northamptonshire |
| Line(s) | Bedford & Northampton Railway |
| Platforms | 2 |
| History | |
| Pre-grouping | Midland Railway |
| Post-grouping | London Midland and Scottish Railway London Midland Region of British Railways |
| Key dates | |
| 10 June 1872[1] | Opened as Horton |
| 1 May 1876 | Renamed Piddington & Horton |
| 1 April 1904 | Renamed Piddington |
| 5 March 1962 | Closed to passengers |
| 7 September 1964 | Goods facilities withdrawn |
Piddington was a railway station on the former Bedford to Northampton Line. Despite its name, the station was located close to the village of Horton in Northamptonshire, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village of Piddington.[citation needed]
History
By the 1870s, Piddington was linked to the national rail network by the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway, known as the "SMJR",[2] with a station at Salcey Forest to the West of Horton village. This part of the line ran from Towcester to Bedford via Blisworth and Stoke Bruerne with a connection to Northampton and the West Coast Main Line. It closed to passengers in 1951, and was later shut completely in the 1960s.
Routes
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton St. John's Street |
London, Midland and Scottish Railway Bedford to Northampton Line |
Olney |
Present day
The station can be found off the B526 in Horton village. The route of the line is just to the northeast of the village. There is a proposal to reopen this line.[3][4] Confusion sometimes occurs as there is a disused railway line in Piddington itself, however that is the former Stratford and Midland Junction Railway, which had no station at Piddington or Horton.
References
- ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations, Patrick Stephens Ltd, Sparkford, ISBN 1-85260-508-1, p. 123.
- ^ "Stratford and Midland Junction Railway (SMJ)". Retrieved 16 October 2008.
- ^ Sole Trader Self Employed, "Bedford - Olney - Northampton".
- ^ BBC News, "New bid to reopen old rail link", 21 June 2004.
