ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk
Railways around Peterborough & The National Rail Network & Heritage railways in the UK
Midland Main line
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Bedford Railways
Bedford St Johns station
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Bedford St Johns station in 1979
A two car Cravens DMU at Bedford St Johns Station from the road bridge
There were two stations in Bedford in BR days the Midland station and Bedford St Johns on Bedford to Bletchley line. This was part of the Oxford to Cambridge line. The part from Bedford to Cambridge having closed . The track in forground of the photo above went only to the coal fired power station using about a mile of the old main line.
The station opened in 1846 by The Bedford Railway on there line from Bletchley. This line was later to go on to Cambridge as part of the Oxford to Cambridge line.There was a triangle junction so trains could get to Bedford station and the Midland Mainline.
When the line from Bedford to Cambridge closed on the 30th of December in 1967 Bedford St johns remained opened and just the track to power station was left.Trains from Bedford or Bletchley reversing in the station.
This station was moved (closed) in 1984. It was moved to old freight Yard at the north of the old triangle trains now do not need to reverse.
A two car Cravens DMU at Bedford St Johns Station in 1979.
A ground signal on a post at Bedford St Johns Station used by trains only to the Bedford coal fired power station.
East West Rail
East West Rail is hoping to reopen the Line from Oxford all the way to Cambridge.
Some day trains might have run over the site of this station, (see below) although parts of the old line have now been built on east of Bedford. The first part of this line from Oxford To Bletchley is now under way. Bletchley to Bedford is still open.
Update January 2020
In January 2020 East West Rail announced outline plans for the line from Bedford to Cambridge with an option for a Preferred Route Alignment between Bedford and Cambridge. It would link the existing station in Bedford with Cambridge and with communities in Cambourne and the area north of Sandy and south of St Neots.There may be station here on the ECML and this line new line.
It is is may be built by the mid 2020s. This line would not use the old track bed between Bedford and Cambridge . Planning has not yet been passed or even put in. The line would go over or under the ECML near to Temsford village and serve the township of Cambourne. I am not sure if it would come into Cambridge from the north or south. But south is more on the cards and into the new Cambridge south station.
The old St Johns Station would not be used as trains would head north from Bedford station and then turn right on to all new tracks.
See http://www.eastwestrail.org.uk/ for more up to date details
Page uploaded 7/10/2021
This website is Ukrailways1970tilltoday.me.uk it is on railways but it is not just on trains but all things railways, with photos, which I have taken from the 1970s till now. I take photos of all things railways, steam diesel and electric trains, signal boxes, wagons any thing that is on the National Rail network, which was BR when I started taken photos.
