Huntingdon railway station

Huntingdon railway station (formerly known as Huntingdon North) serves the town of Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, England. It is on the East Coast Main Line, 58 miles 70 chains (94.75 km) from London King's Cross, and has three platforms: one bay and two through platforms.[1] Huntingdon is managed and served by Great Northern. During engineering works or periods of disruption London North Eastern Railway services sometimes call at Huntingdon, but there is no regular London North Eastern Railway service from the station.

For other uses, see Huntingdon station (disambiguation).

Huntingdon
LocationHuntingdon, District of Huntingdonshire
England
Coordinates52.329°N 0.192°W / 52.329; -0.192
Grid referenceTL232715
Owned byNetwork Rail
Managed byGreat Northern
Platforms3
Other information
Station codeHUN
ClassificationDfT category C2
Key dates
7 August 1850Station opens as Huntingdon
1 July 1923Station renamed Huntingdon North
15 June 1964Station renamed Huntingdon
1976Station rebuild began
11 May 1987First electric service from rebuilt station
2005Station building subject to partial rebuild
Passengers
2015/16 1.806 million
2016/17 1.841 million
2017/18 1.845 million
2018/19 1.787 million
 Interchange  3
2019/20 1.723 million
 Interchange  35
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History
A 1914 Railway Clearing House map showing (upper centre) railways in the vicinity of Huntingdon (shown here as G.N. STA.)

When originally opened by the Great Northern Railway on 7 August 1850, the station was just named Huntingdon, however, from 1 July 1923 until 15 June 1965 the station was known as Huntingdon North to distinguish it from the nearby Huntingdon East on the line between Cambridge and Kettering via St Ives.[2] The latter closed to passenger traffic in June 1959, along with the line.

From the mid 1970s to the late 1980s the station was slowly rebuilt, going from a station with one platform connected to the ticket office and an island platform to an electrified station with the main platform, a bay platform as well as a separate platform for the slow line. The reason for this was that pre-1976, only three tracks went through the station causing a major bottleneck in the area.

From 1977, when King's Cross suburban electric services were introduced, until the main line to Peterborough was electrified in 1988, local services were provided by a diesel multiple-unit shuttle from Hitchin that started and terminated here – passengers for stations further south had to change at Hitchin onto the King's Cross–Royston outer suburban electric service. Certain East Coast main line services between London, Doncaster and York or Hull stopped here to provide onward connections for through passengers and offer direct trains to the capital. There were also a number of King's Cross–Peterborough through trains for commuters at peak times.[3] Once electrification began, stops by longer-distance trains were gradually removed and had ceased by the time British Rail was privatised in 1995, as can be seen from the East Coast Main Line timetable of that era.

The station sustained an arson attack in 2005. Much of the station roof had to be rebuilt, as did the booking hall.

Facilities

Huntingdon is staffed for most of the day. Automatic ticket barriers have been installed, as part of a wider programme by the former franchisee, First Capital Connect, to place them across large parts of the network as a revenue-protecting and security exercise. The station has three touch-screen ticket machines.

There are toilet facilities at the station, as well as shelters on all platforms. The combined newsagent and buffet on the London-bound platform closed in August 2017, and new tenants are being sought. Vending machines are available on both platforms.

There is a taxi rank directly outside the entrance to the London-bound platforms. A considerable amount of parking space is provided adjacent to both platforms.[4]

Services

Huntingdon station is served by Thameslink services between Horsham and Peterborough via Blackfriars and St Pancras, every half hour in both directions. On Sunday, trains run hourly to King's Cross.[5]

There are also extra services operated by Great Northern during the weekday peak that only stop at St Neots, or at St Neots, Biggleswade and Stevenage, then are fast to King's Cross. These services usually take around 40–45 minutes to King's Cross.

During times of engineering work in the Hitchin area, Huntingdon can operate as the terminus for London North Eastern Railway services from Scotland and the north-east of England, which are normally destined for King's Cross. A rail replacement service usually runs from Huntingdon to Biggleswade or Stevenage to connect with services to or from London King's Cross. Huntingdon is also used as a stop for London North Eastern Railway services if Peterborough cannot be used.

Routes
Preceding station National Rail Following station
Great Northern
Great Northern Peterborough Line
Thameslink
Peterborough to Horsham
Historical railways
Line open, station closed
Great Northern Railway
Line open, station closed

A bus concourse adjacent to the station is served by Stagecoach East Busway B, Whippet 477 and Whippet 45.

  • The station viewed from the footbridge.
  • Steam loco Bittern going through the station.
  • Huntingdon railway station
  • Huntingdon in August 1949.
  • Steam loco Tangmere passing through Platform 2.

References
  1. Padgett, David (October 2016) [1988]. Brailsford, Martyn (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 2: Eastern (4th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. map 15C. ISBN 978-0-9549866-8-1.
  2. Mitchell, Vic; Mott, Allan (2003). Hitchin to Peterborough. Midhurst: Middleton Press. volume I, pic. 64,65. ISBN 1-904474-07-1.
  3. GB National Rail Timetable May 1982 Edition, Tables 25 and 26
  4. Trainline Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  5. Table 25 National Rail timetable, May 2017
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