Leighton Buzzard railway station

The first station simply known as 'Leighton' was opened by the London and Birmingham Railway on 9 April 1838,{{sfn|Butt|1995|p=141}} as part of the first section of its line from {{stnlnk|London Euston}} to Denbigh Hall.{{sfn|Leleux|1984|p=19}} The line had originally been planned to pass through Buckingham but opposition from the Duke of Buckingham ensured that it was forced east along the Ouzel valley.{{sfn|Simpson|1998|p=7}} Local opposition in Leighton Buzzard then forced it west,{{Cite book |last=Brown |first=Paul |title=Leighton Buzzard and Linslade: A History |publisher=Phillimore |year=2008 |isbn=9781860774959 |location=Chichester |pages=79}} necessitating a tunnel through the Greensand Ridge. Leighton Station was built half a mile west of the town and led to the development of modern Linslade, a mile south of the old settlement (renamed Old Linslade).

A station with two facing platforms and wooden buildings{{Cite web |last=Bedfordshire Archives |title=Leighton Buzzard Station |url=https://bedsarchives.bedford.gov.uk/CommunityHistories/Linslade/LeightonBuzzardStation.aspx |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=Community Histories}} was opened about {{convert|20|chain|m}} south of the Linslade tunnels. It lay between a bridge carrying the road to Soulbury over the railway and a level crossing with the road from Leighton to Southcott (subsequently named "Old Road").

In May 1848, the station became a junction when a branch line to Dunstable was opened.{{sfn|Oppitz|2000|p=100}} In November 1857 a southbound goods train ran into a branch-line train waiting at the station. The Board of Trade insisted that a separate platform be constructed for branch-line trains. At the same time, the railway was under pressure from increasing traffic on the main lines. The London and North Western Railway decided to build a goods relief line from Bletchley to Primrose Hill.

The relief goods line and the extra platform for the branch line were not compatible with a level crossing adjacent to the station. The crossing was closed, the bridge over the railway for the road to Soulbury was widened and a new road was constructed on the western side of the railway to take diverted vehicular traffic. To the south, a footbridge was built over the railway lines to carry the footpath from Southcott to Leighton, which had been recorded on Robert Stephenson's 1833 plan for the railway.

A single-track eastern bore was added to the two-track Linslade tunnel and a new station with a brick main building was built eight chains (160m) to the south of the original station.{{Cite book |last=Biddle |first=Gordon |title=Britain's Historic Railway Buildings: A Gazetteer of Structures |publisher=Ian Allan |year=2011 |isbn=9780711034914 |edition=2nd |location=Hersham |pages=102}}{{sfn|Woodward|Woodward|2008|loc=fig. 2}} Opening in February 1859, this had an imposing frontage on the east side featuring arched windows and the entrance.{{sfn|Simpson|1998|p=7}} At the rear was the platform for the Dunstable branch line. A tunnel from the main building connected passengers to the platforms to the west for the passenger lines to and from London. Between the London passenger lines and the Dunstable branch line were two goods tracks.{{Cite web |last=Leightonian |title=Leighton Buzzard Railway Station Early Photo pre 1880 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/leightonian/30218487258/in/photostream/ |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=Flickr}}

Access to the Dunstable branch was controlled by Leighton No. 2 signal box situated to the north of the station, while the actual branch signals were controlled by the main line box to the south.{{sfn|Woodward|Woodward|2008|loc=fig. 4}}

Between 1872 and 1874 a single-track western bore was added to the two bores of the Linslade tunnels as part of the addition of a second, northbound goods line. The station was reconfigured with a pair of tracks added on the west side. There were now two pairs of tracks to and from London with platforms 8 chains long and a single platform 3 chains long for the Dunstable branch.{{Cite web |last=Ordnance Survey |date=1880 |title=Buckinghamshire Sheet XXIV.3.9-10-14-15 |url=https://maps.nls.uk/view/229947771 |access-date=3 April 2025 |website=National Library of Scotland Maps}}

In 1874, land was purchased to the south of the station alongside the Dunstable branch for the construction of goods sidings, which eventually became known as 'Wing Yard'.{{sfn|Simpson|1998|p=83}}

The LNWR was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in the 1923 railway grouping and, in 1927, it added a crossover between the fast (formerly passenger) and slow (formerly goods) lines. This was to play a significant role in the derailment of Royal Scot No. 6114 "Coldstream Guardsman" at Linslade on 22 March 1931 when the driver took the crossover at {{cvt|50|-|60|mph|-1}} instead of the regulation {{cvt|15|mph}}. There had been a diversion in place on the fast lines and the driver had missed the warning signals.{{sfn|Leleux|1984|p=240}} The engine overturned and six people were killed, including the driver and fireman.{{sfn|Simpson|1998|p=36}} The Scotland amateur football team was on the train, but remained unscathed.{{Cite web |url=http://www.scottishamateurfa.co.uk/upload/downloads/1377171368SAFA%20Brochure.pdf |title=A Celebration – 100 Years of the SAFA |page=17 |access-date=24 October 2017}}

In 1957–1958 the platform buildings were rebuilt and a concrete awning placed over the platform. At the entrance a larger booking / waiting hall, central heating, electric lighting and the cycle storage, parcels and loading bay were improved.{{cite magazine |title= |magazine=The Railway Magazine |issue= |date=December 1957| page=883}}{{Full citation needed|date=May 2023}}

The Great Train Robbery of 1963 occurred just south of this station, at {{OS coord|SP914221|Bridego Bridge}} near Ledburn, at a bridge on the southbound stretch towards Cheddington.{{sfn|Oppitz|2000|pp=99–100}} Wing Yard was closed in February 1967{{sfn|Clinker|1978|p=75}} and it is now used as a car park,{{sfn|Shannon|1995|p=70}} while the branch to Dunstable was closed from June.{{sfn|Simpson|1998|p=83}} In 1989, the platforms were lengthened to accommodate 12-coach trains and a £1.8m project to rebuild the station was started.{{sfn|Simpson|1998|p=83}}

File:Linslade Tunnel geograph-2173685.jpg

The London and North Western Railway opened a small motive power depot at the south end of the station in 1859. This was reroofed in 1957 but closed 5 November 1962 and was demolished.Roger Griffiths and Paul Smith, The directory of British engine sheds:1 (Oxford Publishing Co., 1999), p.119. {{ISBN|0 86093 542 6}}.

All services at Leighton Buzzard are operated by London Northwestern Railway.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:{{NRtimes|December 2022|66}}

• 4 tph to London Euston (2 of these are stopping services, 1 calls at {{stnlnk|Watford Junction}} only and 1 runs non-stop)
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Milton Keynes Central}}
• 2 tph to {{stnlnk|Birmingham New Street}} via {{stnlnk|Northampton}}

During the peak hours, the station is served by a number of additional services between London Euston and {{stnlnk|Bletchley}}.

In June 1997, Connex South Central began operating services between Gatwick Airport and Rugby via the Brighton and West London Lines that called at Leighton Buzzard with Class 319s.{{cite magazine |title= South Central to launch Rugby-Gatwick service |magazine=Rail Magazine |issue=305 |date=21 May 1997| page=10}}{{cite magazine |title= Connex Makes a Rugby Connection |magazine=Rail Express |issue=15 |date=August 1997| page=7}} It was cut back to terminate at Milton Keynes in December 2000 before being withdrawn in May 2002 due to capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line while the latter was being upgraded.

Southern reintroduced the service in February 2009 with Class 377s operating initially operating from Brighton to Milton Keynes before being curtailed at its southern end at South Croydon and later Clapham Junction.[https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/new-timetable-means-more-services-to-and-from-euston New Timetable means more services to and from Euston] Network Rail 14 December 2008{{cite magazine |title= Southern extends to Milton Keynes |magazine=The Railway Magazine |issue=1296 |date=April 2009| page=10}} In May 2022, Southern cut the service back to terminate at Watford Junction,[https://web.archive.org/web/20220528034813/https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/48.aspx Changes to National Rail Timetable] National Rail 15 May 2022 where passengers for Leighton Buzzard may transfer to a London Northwestern service.

{{Adjacent stations|noclear=y

|system1=National Rail

|line1=London Northwestern Railway|type1=London - Birmingham|left1=Bletchley|right1=Watford Junction

|line2=London Northwestern Railway|type2=London - Milton Keynes|left2=Bletchley|right2=Cheddington|to-left2=Milton Keynes Central

|header3=Former services

|note-row3={{s-rail-national|previous=Bletchley|next=Tring|toc=Southern|route={{smalldiv|West London Line}}}}

{{Disused Rail Insert}}

{{s-rail-national|status=Disused|next=Stanbridgeford|toc=LNWR|route={{smalldiv|Dunstable Branch Line}}|note2={{smalldiv|Line and station closed}}}}

}}

Leighton Buzzard station is served by several local buses. The F70 and F77 bus route, operated by Arriva Shires & Essex, provides a direct Bus rapid transit service to Milton Keynes and {{rws|Luton}} via the Luton to Dunstable Busway, with an onward connection to Luton Airport{{cite web|title=F70 Timetable|url=https://bustimes.org/services/f70-luton-station-interchange-to-central-railway-s |website=bustimes |access-date=8 November 2020|language=en}}{{cite web|title=F77 Timetable|url=https://bustimes.org/services/f77-luton-station-interchange-to-the-open-univer-2 |website=bustimes|access-date=8 November 2020|language=en}}{{cite web|title=Routes & Timetables|url=http://www.busway.net/routes-times|website=Busway|publisher=Luton Borough Council|access-date=7 July 2017|language=en}}{{cite web|title=Bus timetables and bus routes|url=http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/transport/public/bus-timetables-routes.aspx|website=centralbedfordshire.gov.uk|publisher=Central Bedfordshire Council|access-date=7 July 2017|language=en}}

There have been past proposals about reopening the former line to Dunstable as either a rail link or as a guided busway,{{Cite news|url=https://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/news/report-calls-busway-extension-leighton-buzzard-and-cheddington-311320|title=Report calls for busway extension to Leighton Buzzard and Cheddington|date=27 March 2018|work=Leighton Buzzard Observer|access-date=1 April 2020}} before little of its route had been lost to new construction. Although the Luton to Dunstable Busway (a guided busway) runs over much of the route of the line between the two towns, it does not reach the former {{rws|Dunstable North}} station, where Council offices were built in 1989. The track-bed west from Dunstable to Stanbridgeford has been converted to a shared path, the Sewell Greenway.{{cite web |title=Luton to Dunstable and Sewell Greenway |url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-other-routes/luton-to-dunstable-and-sewell-greenway/ |publisher=Sustrans}} The next two miles west of Stanbridgeford have been used for the Leighton Buzzard Southern Bypass road while sections within Leighton Buzzard have either been built on or are used for walking and cycling.

On 22 March 1931, a passenger train was derailed due to excessive speed through a crossover. Six people were killed.{{sfn|Hall|1990|p=97}}

{{Reflist|3}}

• {{Butt-Stations}}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Clinker | first1 = C.R. | title = Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1977 |date=October 1978 | publisher = Avon-Anglia Publications & Services | location = Bristol | isbn = 0-905466-19-5 }}
• {{cite book |last=Hall |first=Stanley |title=The Railway Detectives |year=1990 |publisher=Ian Allan |location=London |isbn=0-7110-1929-0 }}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Leleux | first1 = Robin | title = A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The East Midlands (Volume 9) | year = 1984 | orig-year = 1976 | publisher = David St. John Thomas | location = Newton Abbot, Devon | isbn = 978-0-946537-06-8 }}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Oppitz | first1 = Leslie | title = Lost Railways of the Chilterns (Lost Railways Series) | year = 2000 | publisher = Countryside Books | location = Newbury, Berkshire | isbn = 978-1-85306-643-6 }}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Shannon | first1 = Paul | title = British Railways Past and Present: Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and West Hertfordshire (No. 24) | year = 1995 | publisher = Past & Present Publishing Ltd | location = Wadenhoe, Peterborough | isbn = 978-1-85895-073-0 }}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Simpson | first1 = Bill | title = The Dunstable Branch | year = 1998 | publisher = Lamplight Publications | location = Witney, Oxon | isbn = 978-1-899246-03-8 }}
• {{Cite book | last1 = Woodward | first1 = Sue | last2 = Woodward | first2 = Geoff | title = Branch Line to Dunstable from Leighton Buzzard to Hatfield |date=May 2008 | publisher = Middleton Press | location = Midhurst, West Sussex | isbn = 978-1-906008-27-7 }}

{{commons category|Leighton Buzzard railway station}}

{{stn art lnk|LBZ|LU72LY}}

{{Coord|51.91631|N|0.67700|W|type:railwaystation_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(SP914221)|display=title}}

{{Railway stations in Bedfordshire}}

Category:Railway stations in Bedfordshire

Category:Former London and Birmingham Railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1859

Category:1931 disasters in the United Kingdom

Category:Railway stations served by West Midlands Trains

Category:Leighton Buzzard

Category:DfT Category C2 stations

Category:Stations on the West Coast Main Line