Wolverton railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Wolverton


manager = London Midland
locale = Wolverton
borough = Milton Keynes
code = WOL
start = 1881
years1 = September 1838 [http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsah/hood/docs/aqueductbook1.html Wolverton Society for Arts and Heritage] - Accessed 7 December 2007] [http://www.mapley.org/history.htm Mapley family history] - Accessed 7 December 2007]
events1 = First Wolverton station opened by L&BR
years2 = November 1840xxx]
events2 = Station rebuilt to a larger design to the south of Stratford Road
years3 = 1881xxx]
events3 = Station rebuilt for a second time
platforms = 4 (normally 2)
usage0405 = 0.203
usage0506 = 0.258
usage0607 = 0.287

Wolverton railway station serves northern Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, especially Stony Stratford, Wolverton and New Bradwell.

The station is served by London Midland local services from Northampton to London on the West Coast Main Line. For inter-City services, change at Milton Keynes Central.

This station is one of the five stations serving Milton Keynes. The others are Milton Keynes Central, Bletchley, Fenny Stratford and Bow Brickhill.

The station has four platforms, but the platforms adjacent to the 'fast' lines are rarely used as the tracks are normally used by fast Virgin Trains services which do not stop at Wolverton.

tation Building

The present station is a 'temporary' shed in the car park (at track level). Recently it has become clear that the station (and the town) needs a new building to handle its passengers, so a new structure has been proposed [ [http://www.mkweb.co.uk/urban-design/documents/WolvertonSPG%284of4%29%2Epdf Wolverton Regeneration Strategy Para 6.5.1, page 63] ] for the historic site on the road bridge. The building is planned to be built in the next few years, along with developments at Milton Keynes's other two mainline stations, Milton Keynes Central and Bletchley.

;HistoryThe first, temporary, stop (September 1838) was on the embankment above Wolverton Park. [ [http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsah/hood/docs/aqueductbook1.html Wolverton: From Aqueduct to Viaduct] - Milton Keynes Heritage Association] A larger permanent station and refreshment rooms were built at a location behind what is now Glyn Square by November 1838. [ [http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsah/hood/docs/aqueductbook1.html Wolverton: From Aqueduct to Viaduct] - Milton Keynes Heritage Association] In 1881 the main line was re-routed to the east to allow for expansion (see 'Wolverton bend' below) and a new station built. [ [http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsah/hood/docs/aqueductbook1.html Wolverton: From Aqueduct to Viaduct] - Milton Keynes Heritage Association] The current station site has been in use since.

Until 1991Fact|date=December 2007, a "toy town" wooden ticket office stood on the railway bridge, facing out onto Newport Road and with steps leading down to the platform, was actually the third location for a station in Wolverton [ [http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/wsah/hood/docs/aqueductbook1.html Wolverton: From Aqueduct to Viaduct] - Milton Keynes Heritage Association. See photograph on web-page] The wooden station stood here for over 100 years until British Rail demolished it, allegedly as Milton Keynes Borough Council were debating making it a listed building.Fact|date=December 2007

Wolverton bend and Northampton Loop

In recent years, Wolverton gained notoriety among railwaymen for its famously tight curve. The curve was a result of the station being moved eastward in 1881, to permit extension of the Wolverton railway works. The path of the original route is visible at both the north and south ends of the divergence. The Advanced Passenger Train failed its trials here but, with another decade of development, the new Virgin Trains Pendolino tilting trains passed theirs. Near the station, the track crosses the valley of the Great Ouse on a viaduct. Slightly further north, the Northampton loop leaves the main line at Hanslope Junction.

Newport Pagnell Branch Line (closed)

From 1865 to 1964, there was a branch line from Wolverton to Newport Pagnell, primarily for staff at Wolverton Works. In 1964 the line was closed to passengers by the Beeching Axe and freight ceased in 1967. Between 1817 and 1864, the section from Great Linford to Newport was an arm of the Grand Junction Canal which was then drained to become the track-bed. The route from Wolverton to Newport Pagnell is now a redway. Along the redway, the platforms at New Bradwell and Great Linford are still in place, as are a signal post at Newport Pagnell and a Victorian iron bridge taking the line over the Grand Union Canal.

ee also

* Wolverton railway works
* Wolverton and Stony Stratford Tramway
* Denbigh Hall Pending construction of a bridge over the River Ouse, passengers alighted at Denbigh Hall and transferred to coaches on the London-Birmingham turnpike.

ervices

The station provides London Midland services to London Euston and Northampton. There are currently 2 trains per hour off-peak.

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"The original next station on the Northampton loop was at Castlethorpe, where the platforms are [http://www.mkweb.co.uk/_system/_System/_private/MyMap/MKMap/aerialviewoutput.asp?X_Coord=479756&Y_Coord=244434 still visible] . The next station north, at Roade, is [http://www.mkweb.co.uk/_system/_System/_private/MyMap/MKMap/aerialviewoutput.asp?X_Coord=475500&Y_Coord=251500 currently disused also] . There is a campaign to reopen it for commuter traffic to Milton Keynes and Northampton."

External links

* [http://www.mkweb.co.uk/_system/_System/_private/MyMap/MKMap/aerialviewoutput.asp?X_Coord=482095&Y_Coord=241352 High resolution aerial photograph from MKWEB]

References