Knebworth railway station

Knebworth railway station serves the village of Knebworth in Hertfordshire, England. It is 25 miles 3 chains (25.04 miles, 40.29 km) from London King's Cross on the East Coast Main Line.[1] Train services are currently provided by Great Northern.

Knebworth
National Rail
Knebworth railway station, 2008
General information
LocationKnebworth, North Hertfordshire
England
Coordinates51°52′01″N 0°11′13″W / 51.867°N 0.187°W / 51.867; -0.187
Grid referenceTL249202
Managed byGreat Northern
Platforms4
Other information
Station codeKBW
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Original companyGreat Northern Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Northern Railway
Post-groupingLondon & North Eastern Railway
Key dates
1 February 1884 (1884-02-01)Station opened
Passengers
2018/19Decrease 0.562 million
2019/20Decrease 0.547 million
2020/21Decrease 0.130 million
2021/22Increase 0.317 million
2022/23Increase 0.404 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail & Road

History

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The main line of the Great Northern Railway was completed in 1852.[2] A station at Knebworth was opened on 1 February 1884.[3] The original timber buildings were replaced by brick and glass structures in 1989.[4]

Facilities

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Knebworth station, 1992

In 2009 First Capital Connect installed tactile surfaces to the stations stairways, after it gained funding from the Department for Transport as part of its "Access For All" scheme, although there is no step-free access to any of the four platforms.[5] In 2019, a further £750,000 refurbishment saw the platform shelters replaced.[6]

Services

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All services at Knebworth are operated by Great Northern using Class 387 EMUs.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[7]

During the peak hours, all services are extended beyond Letchworth Garden City to Cambridge. On Sundays, the station is served by an hourly service between London King's Cross and Cambridge.

Preceding station   National Rail Following station
Great Northern

Former services

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Until early 2021, two trains per hour ran direct to London King's Cross during the morning peak period, with a similar non-stopping service in the opposite direction during the evening peak.

Additional non-stopping services to Knebworth from London King's Cross ran hourly throughout the evening on weekdays, with a typical journey time of 19 minutes.

This service provided by Great Northern was withdrawn as a cost-saving measure following the COVID-19 pandemic. The British Rail Class 365 EMUs serving this route were withdrawn from service shortly afterwards.[8]

Additional fast services were included in the proposed May 2022 timetable consultation[9] but were not implemented.

Knebworth residents have established a petition to restore the fast service.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Padgett, David (October 2016) [1988]. Brailsford, Martyn (ed.). Railway Track Diagrams 2: Eastern (4th ed.). Frome: Trackmaps. map 15B. ISBN 978-0-9549866-8-1.
  2. ^ Nock, O.S. (1958). The Great Northern Railway. London: Ian Allan Publishing. p. 23.
  3. ^ Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 136. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  4. ^ Around the Regions Rail issue 103 24 October 1989 page 18
  5. ^ "First Capital Connect - News". Archived from the original on 22 July 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Major Regeneration of Knebworth station, 23 Jul 2019". 23 July 2019.
  7. ^ Table 24, 25 National Rail timetable, May 2023
  8. ^ "Government-owned Class 365s to be withdrawn".
  9. ^ "Thameslink Proposed May 2022 Timetables".
  10. ^ "Local train user starts petition to bring back fast trains in Hertfordshire". 6 May 2022.
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