Watford North railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in Hertfordshire, England}}
{{For|other stations in Watford, UK|Watford station (disambiguation){{!}}Watford station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Watford North
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = London Midland train at Watford North.jpg
| borough = North Watford, Watford
| country = England
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|TQ114986|25|TQ114986}}
| manager = London Northwestern Railway
| platforms = 1
| code = WFN
| opened = October 1910
| classification = DfT category F2
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 102,206}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 14,274}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 30,930}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 53,728}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{decrease}} 53,412}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
{{Abbey 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 {{stnlnk|Watford Junction}} to {{stnlnk|St Albans Abbey}} and is located approximately {{convert|3/4|mi|km}} north east of Watford Junction. It is adjacent to a level crossing where the Abbey Line crosses Bushey Mill Lane.
Watford North is one of three railway stations in the central Watford area and is operated as an unstaffed railway halt. The Abbey Line service is known locally as the "Abbey Flyer".
History
The branch line to St Albans was opened in 1858 by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). Watford North station opened 52 years later, in October 1910. Originally named Callowland, the station was built to serve a developing residential and industrial area which still thrives today. It was renamed Watford North in 1927. After the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948, the line was run by British Rail (from 1986 under its Network SouthEast brand).
As passenger and goods usage dwindled in the 1950s and 60s, the stations on the line were downgraded to unstaffed halts.{{cite web|title=Watford North Station|url=http://north-watford-history.org.uk/pages/railways/watford-north-station.html|publisher=North Watford History Group|access-date=20 August 2013}}
In 1963, Watford North and the Abbey line were threatened with closure as part of the Beeching cuts, but the line was kept in service. In 1995, a proposal was made to run a reduced service on the Abbey line with diesel trains instead of electric trains. An advocacy group, known as Abfly, was formed to campaign for the line to be maintained and continues to lobby for improvements to the service today.{{cite web|title=ABFLY|url=http://www.abfly.org.uk/|publisher=Abbey Flyer Users' Group}} After the Privatisation of British Rail the franchise for the Abbey Line was taken over by National Express who ran the line under its Silverlink Metro name until November 2007, when Govia, operating as London Midland, took over the franchise.
The Community Rail Partnership for the Abbey Line, established in 2005, works to improve the Abbey Line and inspects stations such as Watford North at least once a week.{{cite news|title=The Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership|url=http://www.abbeyline.org.uk/|access-date=20 August 2013}}
File:Watford North stn level crossing look northwest.JPG|The level crossing next to Watford North
File:Watford railways.png|Map of railways around Watford town centre, showing Watford North
File:Watford North entrance.jpg|Entrance to the station
File:London Midland train approaching Watford North.jpg|London Midland operates the "Abbey flyer" service through Watford North
Services
All services at Watford North are operated by London Northwestern Railway using {{brc|350}} EMUs.
The typical off-peak service on all days of the week is one train per hour in each direction between {{stnlnk|Watford Junction}} and {{stnlnk|St Albans Abbey}}. This is increased to a train approximately every 45 minutes in each direction during the peak hours.{{NRtimes|December 2022|61}}
{{Adjacent stations|noclear=y
|system1=National Rail
|line1=London Northwestern Railway|type1=Abbey Line|left1=Watford Junction|right1=Garston Hertfordshire
}}
Future
A number of possible changes to the line have been proposed, including new means of buying tickets, and the restoration of a passing loop at Bricket Wood, which would facilitate a 30-minute service.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}
Plans were announced in October 2009 for the line to be converted to light rail.{{cite news|last=Skinner|first=Neil|title=Abbey Flyer railway line to be converted into tram system|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/4711472.Tram_decision_confirmed_to_link_Watford_Junction_with_St_Albans_Abbey/|access-date=20 August 2013|newspaper=Watford Observer|date=30 October 2009}} The line and stations were to be leased to Hertfordshire County Council who would run a tram-train service from Watford Junction to {{stnlnk|St Albans Abbey}}.{{cite news|url=http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?ClientId=202&NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=408071&SubjectId |title=DfT Press Release Watford and St Albans passengers on track for new tram service |date=2009-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224072104/http://nds.coi.gov.uk/clientmicrosite/Content/Detail.aspx?ClientId=202&NewsAreaId=2&ReleaseID=408071&SubjectId |archive-date=24 February 2012 }} Longer-term proposals envisaged extension into St Albans city centre, possibly to St Albans City railway station.{{cite web|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/10/st-albans-abbey-tram-train-announced.html|title=St Albans Abbey tram-train announced|date= 30 October 2009 |publisher=Railway Gazette|access-date=24 December 2009}} It was estimated that the tram line would be in operation by 2012,{{cite news|last=Skinner|first=Neil|title=Watford to St ALbans tram link could open in 2012|url=http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/8492301.Tram_link_could_open_in_2012/|access-date=20 August 2013|newspaper=Watford Observer|date=3 November 2010}} but the project was cancelled due to the complications and expense of transferring the line from National Rail to the county council.{{cite web|title=Abbey Line Light Rail Proposals|url=http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/transtreets/pubtrans/bustrain/abbeylinerail/|publisher=Hertfordshire County Council|access-date=20 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025073621/http://www.hertsdirect.org/services/transtreets/pubtrans/bustrain/abbeylinerail/|archive-date=25 October 2013|url-status=dead}} For the foreseeable future, Watford North will continue to be served by heavy rail trains.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Watford North railway station}}
{{stn art lnk|WFN|WD24QN}}
- [http://www.abfly.org.uk/ ABFLY campaign group]
{{Hertfordshire railway stations}}
{{coord|51.676|N|0.390|W|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=title}}
Category:Railway stations in Watford
Category:DfT Category F2 stations
Category:Former London and North Western Railway stations