Notes: In 1848 the LNWR opened their line from Leighton
Buzzard to a terminus at Dunstable. Having failed to persuade the
LNWR to extend the line to Luton, the Great Northern Railway was
petitioned to provide a link to the town. This petition was unsuccessful
so a number of wealthy landowners and the MP for Hertford promoted
the Luton, Dunstable & Welwyn Junction Railway which would run
from Dunstable where a connection would be made to the LNWR through
Luton to Welwyn where there would be a junction with the Great Northern
Railway. It was then intended that the cross country line should
continue on to Hertford with a bridge over the Great Northern Railway
line at Welwyn but the GNR objected to a bridge and the line never
went ahead despite some work being started.
Luton Hoo Station in the foreground with
the adjacent Chiltern Green Station behind |
Two separate branch lines were then proposed. The branch
to Dunstable was authorised on 16.7.1855 as the Luton, Dunstable
& Welwyn Junction Railway. The Hertford branch opened
on 1.3.1858 and the first section of Dunstable to Welwyn
line opened on 3.5.1858.
The company soon found its financial resources stretched
and approached the LNWR to take over the line,
|
This was turned down so instead the company amalgamated with
the Hertford & Welyn Junction Railway forming the Hertford,
Luton & Dunstable Railway. The Great Northern railway provided
locomotives and rolling stock. The remaining section of the line
between Luton and Welyn on 3.9.1860 with intermediate stations
at Ayot, Wheathampstead, Harpenden, Luton Hoo and Luton (Bute
Street). The Hertford Luton & Dunstable Railway was absorbed
into the GNR in 1861.
Luton Hoo was served by a second station, Chiltern Green, on
the Midland Railways main line from London - Luton. The station
opened in 1868 and was only 600 yards from Luton Hoo. Luton Hoo
was always more poplar with local commuters and Chiltern Green
was closed on 7.4.1952 because of declining passenger numbers.
The station was opened as New Mill End and was renamed Luton
Hoo on 1.12.1891
The station is currently (January 2006) for sale for £695,000
For further reading see Hertfordshire's
lost railways by Keith Scholey ISBN ISBN 1 84033231 X
and Bedfordshire's
lost railways by Keith Scholey ISBN ISBN 184033 271 9
See other stations on this line Harpenden
East, Wheathampstead
& Luton Bute
Street
|
Home Page 
