Harpenden railway station

Harpenden railway station is on the Midland Main Line in England, serving the town of Harpenden, Hertfordshire. It is 24 miles 51 chains (39.7 km) down the line from London St Pancras and is situated between St Albans City to the south and Luton Airport Parkway to the north. Its three-letter station code is HPD.

Harpenden
Facing South from platform 1 (Southbound) at Harpenden
Harpenden
Location of Harpenden in Hertfordshire
LocationHarpenden
Local authorityCity of St Albans
Grid referenceTL137142
Managed byThameslink
Station codeHPD
DfT categoryD
Number of platforms4
AccessibleYes
National Rail annual entry and exit
2015–16 3.337 million[1]
2016–17 3.356 million[1]
2017–18 3.357 million[1]
2018–19 3.373 million[1]
– interchange  1,109[1]
2019–20 3.239 million[1]
– interchange  6,101[1]
Key dates
1868Opened
Other information
External links
WGS8451.815°N 0.352°W / 51.815; -0.352
 London transport portal
Harpenden station at night

The station is served by Govia Thameslink-operated trains on the Thameslink route.

History

Harpenden was the second station built in the town, by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St. Pancras. Nothing remains of the original station buildings. Although located on Station Road, the road is actually named after the first station, Harpenden East, which was built in 1860 and closed in 1965.

A branch line, built by the Hemel Hempstead Railway Company in 1877, known as the Nickey Line but operated by the Midland, formerly diverged from the main line north of the station. The intention had been to meet the LNWR at Boxmoor, but the section from Hemel Hempstead never had a passenger service. In 1886, a south curve was added to the junction allowing passengers to join the London trains at Harpenden rather than Luton.[2] The branch was closed in 1979, but the route remains in use as a cycleway, passing under the M1 in a tunnel.

A row of five brick built former coal merchant's offices along the station approach are now used as small retail and office units.

Facilities

The station has facilities toilets, a newsagent, dry cleaner, taxi office and rank, and a coffee shop.

The station also has ticket machines on both sides of the station.

The station has a PlusBus scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together for a cheaper price.

All four platforms have been extended to support 12-carriage trains, as part of the Thameslink programme; this also required the widening of a road bridge. Work on these started on 21 November 2010 and was completed in May 2011.[3] The construction of a new footbridge, with lifts for disabled access, has been completed and links up all four platforms. and[4] The east side of the station (platform 1 side) has two entrances, both with ticket gates to ease congestion during peak times. The west side entrance is where the ticket office is located, but it also has ticket machines.

An extra deck of parking spaces is planned to be built on top of the existing east side car park. When completed, it will add an extra 200 parking spaces.[5]

Services

2006/07 services

The typical off-peak service pattern saw six trains per hour in each direction, operated by First Capital Connect. Four of these were fast trains between Bedford and Brighton, via King's Cross Thameslink station in central London and Gatwick Airport. The remaining two trains called at all stations between Luton and Sutton (in South London).

December 2007

Following the closure of King's Cross Thameslink station, trains on the Thameslink route now operate between Bedford, Luton, Sutton and Brighton calling at the new low level platforms at St Pancras.

East Midlands Railway operates trains on the Midland Main Line route from St Pancras International to/from Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Nottingham and Leicester through the station, but do not stop. Interchange with these trains can be made one or two stops to the north, either at Luton or Luton Airport Parkway, dependent on the service.

2009

From March 2009, First Capital Connect, in partnership with Southeastern, began running a Luton-Sevenoaks service, which called at Harpenden.

Following completion of the Thameslink Programme in 2018, the following off-peak services are in operation:

  • 4tph between Bedford and Gatwick (semi-fast):
    • 2tph continue to Brighton;
  • 2tph between Luton and Rainham (stopping).
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Luton Airport Parkway   Thameslink
Thameslink		   St Albans City
Disused railways
Line and station closed
Midland Railway
Nickey Line
Terminus
Panorama of Harpenden station from north end of platform 1 during the day
Panorama of Harpenden station from south end of platform 1 at night

References
  1. "Station usage estimates". Rail statistics. Office of Rail Regulation. Please note: Some methodology may vary year on year.
  2. Radford, B., (1983) Midland Line Memories: a Pictorial History of the Midland Railway Main Line Between London (St Pancras) & Derby London: Bloomsbury Books
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. White, Debbie. "Extra deck planned for Harpenden station car park".

Sources
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
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