962:
1088:
1076:
1124:
1112:
1136:
1100:
26:
275:
735:
283:
513:
415:
338:
323:
266:
1033:
the end of the year to the
Salvation Army siding in order to fulfil the contract, and banana trains ran to Butterwick siding when needed. As there was no traffic beyond this point, the rails were lifted from a point near Colney Lane Bridge to the junction with the Watford line. The remaining section of the line closed on 31 December 1968. A contract with a scrap metal dealer at Smallford had meant that trains ran there until the end of 1968.
520:
331:
422:
381:
237:
750:
743:
727:
389:
230:
703:
681:
662:
640:
618:
596:
577:
555:
491:
469:
444:
373:
364:
315:
201:
175:
291:
244:
208:
1053:
tunnel destroyed a section of the route near
Hatfield. The first section of the route between Old Man's Lane and Hill End opened as the Smallford Trail on 8 December 1985, with the remaining part to Hatfield opening in mid-1986. The final section from Hill End to St Albans was officially opened on 17
982:
arrived within a few minutes of each other, whilst leaving a few minutes for the King's Cross connection. This was not competitive with the
Midland's Main Line, but St Albans and Hatfield as well as surrounding villages prospered as local traffic developed. In 1897 a new station and siding opened at
1032:
Goods services continued for a further 18 years; two goods trains per day in each direction ran in the summer of 1963, carrying mainly coal for the St Albans gasworks. The line continued to be unprofitable and general goods services were withdrawn on 5 October 1964. A weekly service continued until
839:
through St Albans. Passenger receipts declined in the 1930s, resulting in the temporary withdrawal of services in 1939. Passenger services were permanently withdrawn in 1951, leaving goods traffic to linger on until
December 1968. Much of the route of the line is now incorporated into the
973:
The Great
Northern tried to counter the effect of the Midland, by running a few through coaches from St Albans to King's Cross but this did not last. It tried instead to foster local commuter traffic by timing the connections at Hatfield, so that services from St Albans,
1010:
By the late 1930s, passenger numbers were declining in the face of increased competition from bus transport. Passenger trains became uneconomic and in
September 1939, following the start of hostilities, the LNER withdrew them. The needs of the
1015:
aircraft works at
Hatfield however obliged the railway company to reopen the line three months later. To facilitate access to the factory and to reduce the number of cars which would attract enemy attention, the LNER opened an unstaffed
1024:
in 1942. Passenger numbers fell back to their pre-war level once the war ended, and passenger services were again withdrawn in 1951. The last passenger service on 28 September 1951 was the 5.08 from
Hatfield, hauled by
885:. The Great Northern agreed to contribute £20,000 (equivalent to £2,360,000 in 2023) to the total estimated cost of £88,000 (equivalent to £10,370,000 in 2023). Two lines were authorised: the first through the
932:, with a journey time of 15 minutes between Hatfield and St Albans. On weekdays, services went through to the LNWR's St Albans station, but on Sundays they terminated at the GNR station. Services were drawn by
1002:
locomotives were the mainstay of the branch, carrying out all passenger and freight workings, except for the final passenger working which was made by any available
Hatfield locomotive.
920:(renamed Smallford in 1879), although this was not ready in time. The Great Northern worked the line from the beginning and eventually absorbed the railway company on 1 November 1883.
136:
1061:
The platforms at Hill End, Nast Hyde Halt and
Lemsford Road Halt have survived, as have the station buildings at Smallford. London Road station is now a listed building.
893:
and St Albans to a junction with the London and North Western's St Albans line; the second from the parish of Hatfield to a junction on the northern side of
1637:
958:
was appointed and the independent company had no choice but to be absorbed by the Great Northern, this being formalised by an Act of Parliament in 1883.
129:
1087:
1075:
122:
1049:
purchased the trackbed for conversion into a footpath and cycletrack. Most overbridges had been removed and the construction of the
1632:
858:
902:
299:
929:
954:
through St Albans in 1868 saw receipts fall on the line and the Hatfield and St Albans Railway was unable to pay its debts. A
1627:
1571:
1552:
1533:
984:
477:
1021:
979:
711:
1590:
1514:
1495:
975:
878:
1099:
1042:
910:
823:, England. It opened in 1865 with the principal aim of allowing St Albans traffic to access the Great Northern's
216:
969:
Junction Diagram showing (lower left) the western end of the Hatfield and St Albans Railway (orange) in GNR days
992:
648:
252:
1123:
156:
1135:
874:
808:
1111:
1046:
933:
917:
890:
886:
626:
961:
988:
894:
828:
763:
563:
862:
816:
1564:
British Railways Past and Present: Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and West Hertfordshire (No. 24)
966:
1607:
Goodman, F. (October–November 1908). "The Hatfield Branches of the Great Northern Railway".
1583:
The Hatfield and St Albans Branch of the Great Northern Railway (Locomotion Papers No. 168)
928:
The initial weekday service consisted of eight trains in each direction from St Albans and
898:
824:
770:
8:
1069:
These May 2017 photographs are ordered from the Hatfield end towards the St Albans end.
1189:
944:
1586:
1567:
1548:
1529:
1510:
1491:
951:
836:
399:
185:
1526:
A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: The Eastern Counties (Volume 5)
1609:
1017:
1195:
948:
916:
The new line opened on 1 September 1865 with one planned intermediate station at
832:
1200:
1196:"The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)"
913:; the LNWR received reciprocal rights over the link line between the stations.
906:
453:
1621:
1026:
870:
820:
44:
25:
1012:
996:
955:
76:
882:
348:
1055:
866:
841:
812:
877:, which saw the line as a means of regaining traffic lost to the
48:
1442:
1440:
1413:
1299:
999:
940:
861:
on 30 June 1862. It had been promoted by various landowners in
857:
The Hatfield and St Albans Railway Company was incorporated by
1566:. Wadenhoe, Peterborough: Past & Present Publishing Ltd.
1050:
936:
1437:
1425:
1401:
1389:
1377:
1352:
1350:
1323:
1275:
1029:
No. 69644, which took 23 minutes to reach St Albans Abbey.
1452:
1239:
1227:
1215:
1347:
1335:
1311:
1367:
1365:
1167:
1157:
1155:
1545:
Lost Railways of the Chilterns (Lost Railways Series)
1464:
1362:
1287:
1507:
Forgotten Railways: Chilterns and Cotswolds (Vol. 3)
1263:
1251:
1152:
1054:April 1988, and the footpath is now known as the
1619:
1490:. Stevenage, Herts: Hertfordshire Publications.
759:
529:
115:
991:in 1899. A third station was opened in 1910 at
1580:
1446:
1431:
1419:
1407:
1395:
1383:
1329:
1305:
1281:
1245:
1233:
1221:
1184:
1182:
110:6 miles 34.25 chains (10.35 km)
1585:. Tarrant Hinton, Dorset: The Oakwood Press.
1528:. Newton Abbot, Devon: David St John Thomas.
1509:. Newton Abbot, Devon: David St John Thomas.
881:since 1858 as a result of the opening of its
130:
1041:After tracklifting in 1969, the councils of
852:
282:
274:
1504:
1458:
1356:
1179:
1173:
831:, but soon came into difficulties when the
1638:Closed railway lines in South East England
1581:Taylor, Roger D.; Anderson, Brian (1988).
137:
123:
1547:. Newbury, Berkshire: Countryside Books.
1192:inflation figures are based on data from
1081:Remains of Nast Hyde Halt railway station
960:
734:
726:
1606:
1561:
1485:
1470:
1161:
1093:Nast Hyde Halt railway station platform
1620:
1542:
1523:
1371:
1341:
1317:
1293:
1269:
1257:
1005:
947:0-4-2Ts were used. The opening of the
380:
372:
322:
314:
1193:
30:Cyclists on the Alban Way in May 2017
901:. The Great Northern opened its own
1505:Davies, R.T.; Grant, M.D. (1984) .
13:
1600:
14:
1649:
1036:
512:
1134:
1122:
1110:
1105:Sculptural arch on the Alban Way
1098:
1086:
1074:
879:London and North Western Railway
805:Hatfield & St Albans Railway
748:
741:
733:
725:
701:
679:
660:
638:
616:
594:
575:
553:
519:
518:
511:
489:
467:
442:
420:
413:
387:
379:
371:
362:
336:
329:
321:
313:
289:
281:
273:
264:
242:
235:
228:
206:
199:
173:
24:
19:Hatfield & St Albans Railway
1633:Rail transport in Hertfordshire
939:Ts until the 1870s, when Sharp
421:
414:
337:
265:
236:
749:
742:
388:
330:
229:
1:
1488:The Railways of Hertfordshire
1146:
923:
702:
680:
661:
639:
617:
595:
576:
554:
490:
468:
443:
363:
200:
174:
1628:Railway lines opened in 1865
290:
7:
1562:Shannon, Paul (May 1996) .
844:, a footpath and cycleway.
243:
207:
10:
1654:
1479:
1447:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1432:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1420:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1408:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1396:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1384:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1330:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1306:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1282:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1246:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1234:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1222:Taylor & Anderson 1988
1064:
847:
883:Watford to St Albans line
853:Authorisation and opening
757:
717:
710:
695:
688:
673:
669:
654:
647:
632:
625:
610:
603:
588:
584:
569:
562:
547:
527:
505:
498:
483:
476:
461:
451:
436:
429:
407:
396:
356:
345:
305:
298:
258:
251:
222:
215:
193:
182:
167:
106:
75:
70:
62:
54:
40:
35:
23:
899:Great Northern Main Line
1543:Oppitz, Leslie (2000).
1459:Davies & Grant 1984
1357:Davies & Grant 1984
1194:Clark, Gregory (2017).
1174:Davies & Grant 1984
889:of Hatfield, St Peter,
300:St Albans (London Road)
1486:Cockman, F.G. (1983).
1141:Midland Railway bridge
970:
967:Railway Clearing House
875:Great Northern Railway
837:direct route to London
809:Great Northern Railway
1524:Gordon, D.I. (1990).
1129:Bridge over Camp Road
964:
873:and supported by the
1117:Hill End Lane bridge
807:was a branch of the
771:East Coast Main Line
690:Fiddle Bridge Siding
533:Hertfordshire County
1344:, pp. 116–117.
1320:, pp. 115–116.
1006:Decline and closure
985:Salvation Army Halt
930:London King's Cross
825:main line to London
478:Salvation Army Halt
20:
1190:Retail Price Index
971:
712:Lemsford Road Halt
55:Dates of operation
18:
1573:978-1-85895-073-0
1554:978-1-85306-643-6
1535:978-0-946537-55-6
1308:, pp. 41–42.
903:St Albans station
859:Act of Parliament
801:
800:
797:
796:
776:
775:
605:Butterwick Siding
542:
541:
500:Fleetville Siding
400:Midland Main Line
186:Midland Main Line
148:St Albans Railway
114:
113:
1645:
1614:
1610:Railway Magazine
1596:
1577:
1558:
1539:
1520:
1501:
1474:
1468:
1462:
1456:
1450:
1444:
1435:
1429:
1423:
1422:, p. 60-61.
1417:
1411:
1405:
1399:
1393:
1387:
1381:
1375:
1369:
1360:
1354:
1345:
1339:
1333:
1327:
1321:
1315:
1309:
1303:
1297:
1291:
1285:
1279:
1273:
1267:
1261:
1255:
1249:
1243:
1237:
1231:
1225:
1219:
1213:
1212:
1210:
1208:
1186:
1177:
1171:
1165:
1159:
1138:
1126:
1114:
1102:
1090:
1078:
995:. By the 1920s,
905:and was granted
895:Hatfield station
811:which connected
760:
752:
751:
745:
744:
737:
736:
729:
728:
705:
704:
683:
682:
664:
663:
642:
641:
620:
619:
598:
597:
579:
578:
557:
556:
530:
522:
521:
515:
514:
493:
492:
471:
470:
446:
445:
424:
423:
417:
416:
391:
390:
383:
382:
375:
374:
366:
365:
340:
339:
333:
332:
325:
324:
317:
316:
293:
292:
285:
284:
277:
276:
268:
267:
246:
245:
239:
238:
232:
231:
210:
209:
203:
202:
177:
176:
165:
164:
139:
132:
125:
116:
101:
97:
95:
94:
90:
87:
28:
21:
17:
1653:
1652:
1648:
1647:
1646:
1644:
1643:
1642:
1618:
1617:
1603:
1601:Further reading
1593:
1574:
1555:
1536:
1517:
1498:
1482:
1477:
1469:
1465:
1457:
1453:
1445:
1438:
1430:
1426:
1418:
1414:
1406:
1402:
1394:
1390:
1382:
1378:
1370:
1363:
1355:
1348:
1340:
1336:
1328:
1324:
1316:
1312:
1304:
1300:
1292:
1288:
1280:
1276:
1268:
1264:
1256:
1252:
1244:
1240:
1232:
1228:
1220:
1216:
1206:
1204:
1187:
1180:
1172:
1168:
1160:
1153:
1149:
1142:
1139:
1130:
1127:
1118:
1115:
1106:
1103:
1094:
1091:
1082:
1079:
1067:
1043:Welwyn Hatfield
1039:
1008:
926:
855:
850:
833:Midland Railway
753:
746:
739:
738:
731:
730:
706:
691:
684:
665:
643:
621:
606:
599:
580:
558:
538:Mental Hospital
523:
516:
501:
494:
472:
457:
447:
432:
425:
418:
403:
392:
385:
384:
377:
376:
367:
352:
341:
334:
327:
326:
319:
318:
294:
287:
286:
279:
278:
269:
247:
240:
233:
217:St Albans Abbey
211:
204:
189:
178:
159:
150:
149:
147:
143:
99:
92:
88:
85:
83:
82:4 ft
81:
58:1865–1968
31:
12:
11:
5:
1651:
1641:
1640:
1635:
1630:
1616:
1615:
1602:
1599:
1598:
1597:
1591:
1578:
1572:
1559:
1553:
1540:
1534:
1521:
1515:
1502:
1496:
1481:
1478:
1476:
1475:
1463:
1461:, p. 214.
1451:
1436:
1424:
1412:
1400:
1388:
1376:
1374:, p. 117.
1361:
1346:
1334:
1322:
1310:
1298:
1296:, p. 115.
1286:
1274:
1272:, p. 136.
1262:
1260:, p. 114.
1250:
1238:
1226:
1214:
1201:MeasuringWorth
1178:
1166:
1150:
1148:
1145:
1144:
1143:
1140:
1133:
1131:
1128:
1121:
1119:
1116:
1109:
1107:
1104:
1097:
1095:
1092:
1085:
1083:
1080:
1073:
1066:
1063:
1038:
1037:The line today
1035:
1007:
1004:
993:Nast Hyde Halt
925:
922:
907:running powers
854:
851:
849:
846:
835:inaugurated a
799:
798:
795:
794:
792:
790:
788:
786:
784:
782:
779:
778:
774:
773:
767:
766:
756:
754:
747:
740:
732:
724:
723:
722:
720:
718:
715:
714:
709:
707:
700:
698:
696:
693:
692:
689:
687:
685:
678:
676:
674:
671:
670:
668:
666:
659:
657:
655:
652:
651:
649:Nast Hyde Halt
646:
644:
637:
635:
633:
630:
629:
624:
622:
615:
613:
611:
608:
607:
604:
602:
600:
593:
591:
589:
586:
585:
583:
581:
574:
572:
570:
567:
566:
561:
559:
552:
550:
548:
545:
544:
540:
539:
535:
534:
526:
524:
517:
510:
508:
506:
503:
502:
499:
497:
495:
488:
486:
484:
481:
480:
475:
473:
466:
464:
462:
459:
458:
454:Salvation Army
452:
450:
448:
441:
439:
437:
434:
433:
431:Sanders Siding
430:
428:
426:
419:
412:
410:
408:
405:
404:
397:
395:
393:
386:
378:
370:
369:
368:
361:
359:
357:
354:
353:
346:
344:
342:
335:
328:
320:
312:
311:
310:
308:
306:
303:
302:
297:
295:
288:
280:
272:
271:
270:
263:
261:
259:
256:
255:
253:St Albans City
250:
248:
241:
234:
227:
225:
223:
220:
219:
214:
212:
205:
198:
196:
194:
191:
190:
183:
181:
179:
172:
170:
168:
161:
160:
155:
152:
151:
145:
144:
142:
141:
134:
127:
119:
112:
111:
108:
104:
103:
79:
73:
72:
68:
67:
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
42:
38:
37:
33:
32:
29:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1650:
1639:
1636:
1634:
1631:
1629:
1626:
1625:
1623:
1612:
1611:
1605:
1604:
1594:
1592:0-85361-373-7
1588:
1584:
1579:
1575:
1569:
1565:
1560:
1556:
1550:
1546:
1541:
1537:
1531:
1527:
1522:
1518:
1516:0-946537-07-0
1512:
1508:
1503:
1499:
1497:0-901354-24-4
1493:
1489:
1484:
1483:
1473:, p. 59.
1472:
1467:
1460:
1455:
1449:, p. 64.
1448:
1443:
1441:
1434:, p. 61.
1433:
1428:
1421:
1416:
1410:, p. 60.
1409:
1404:
1398:, p. 17.
1397:
1392:
1386:, p. 51.
1385:
1380:
1373:
1368:
1366:
1359:, p. 62.
1358:
1353:
1351:
1343:
1338:
1332:, p. 47.
1331:
1326:
1319:
1314:
1307:
1302:
1295:
1290:
1284:, p. 55.
1283:
1278:
1271:
1266:
1259:
1254:
1247:
1242:
1235:
1230:
1223:
1218:
1203:
1202:
1197:
1191:
1185:
1183:
1176:, p. 58.
1175:
1170:
1164:, p. 24.
1163:
1158:
1156:
1151:
1137:
1132:
1125:
1120:
1113:
1108:
1101:
1096:
1089:
1084:
1077:
1072:
1071:
1070:
1062:
1059:
1057:
1052:
1048:
1044:
1034:
1030:
1028:
1023:
1022:Lemsford Road
1019:
1014:
1003:
1001:
998:
994:
990:
986:
981:
977:
968:
963:
959:
957:
953:
950:
946:
943:rebuilds and
942:
938:
935:
931:
921:
919:
914:
912:
908:
904:
900:
896:
892:
888:
884:
880:
876:
872:
871:Hertfordshire
868:
864:
860:
845:
843:
838:
834:
830:
826:
822:
821:Hertfordshire
818:
814:
810:
806:
793:
791:
789:
787:
785:
783:
781:
780:
772:
769:
768:
765:
762:
761:
755:
721:
719:
716:
713:
708:
699:
697:
694:
686:
677:
675:
672:
667:
658:
656:
653:
650:
645:
636:
634:
631:
628:
623:
614:
612:
609:
601:
592:
590:
587:
582:
573:
571:
568:
565:
560:
551:
549:
546:
537:
536:
532:
531:
525:
509:
507:
504:
496:
487:
485:
482:
479:
474:
465:
463:
460:
455:
449:
440:
438:
435:
427:
411:
409:
406:
402:
401:
394:
360:
358:
355:
351:
350:
343:
309:
307:
304:
301:
296:
262:
260:
257:
254:
249:
226:
224:
221:
218:
213:
197:
195:
192:
188:
187:
180:
171:
169:
166:
163:
162:
158:
154:
153:
140:
135:
133:
128:
126:
121:
120:
118:
117:
109:
105:
100:1,435 mm
80:
78:
74:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
50:
46:
45:Hertfordshire
43:
39:
34:
27:
22:
16:
1608:
1582:
1563:
1544:
1525:
1506:
1487:
1471:Shannon 1996
1466:
1454:
1427:
1415:
1403:
1391:
1379:
1337:
1325:
1313:
1301:
1289:
1277:
1265:
1253:
1248:, p. 9.
1241:
1236:, p. 8.
1229:
1224:, p. 6.
1217:
1205:. Retrieved
1199:
1169:
1162:Cockman 1983
1068:
1060:
1040:
1031:
1013:de Havilland
1009:
987:followed by
972:
927:
915:
911:LNWR station
856:
804:
802:
398:
347:
184:
146:Hatfield and
15:
1372:Oppitz 2000
1342:Oppitz 2000
1318:Oppitz 2000
1294:Oppitz 2000
1270:Gordon 1990
1258:Oppitz 2000
918:Springfield
77:Track gauge
1622:Categories
1147:References
1027:Class N7/1
924:Operations
891:St Stephen
349:Abbey line
1056:Alban Way
1047:St Albans
997:Class C12
952:Main Line
909:into the
867:St Albans
842:Alban Way
813:St Albans
627:Smallford
71:Technical
66:Abandoned
63:Successor
989:Hill End
980:Hertford
956:receiver
945:Sturrock
887:parishes
863:Hatfield
829:Hatfield
817:Hatfield
764:Hatfield
564:Hill End
96: in
36:Overview
1480:Sources
1065:Gallery
965:A 1902
949:Midland
897:on the
848:History
91:⁄
49:England
1589:
1570:
1551:
1532:
1513:
1494:
1000:4-4-2T
941:0-4-2T
777:
543:
456:Siding
157:Legend
107:Length
41:Locale
1207:7 May
1051:A1(M)
976:Luton
937:2-2-2
934:Sharp
758:
528:
1587:ISBN
1568:ISBN
1549:ISBN
1530:ISBN
1511:ISBN
1492:ISBN
1209:2024
1045:and
1018:halt
978:and
865:and
803:The
1188:UK
1020:at
869:in
827:at
819:in
815:to
1624::
1439:^
1364:^
1349:^
1198:.
1181:^
1154:^
1058:.
47:,
1613:.
1595:.
1576:.
1557:.
1538:.
1519:.
1500:.
1211:.
138:e
131:t
124:v
102:)
98:(
93:2
89:1
86:+
84:8
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
