| Northampton & Lamport Railway | |
|---|---|
| Boughton, end of the line as of August 2008 | |
| Locale | England |
| Terminus | Pitsford and Brampton |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Northampton to Market Harborough line ("Harborough Line") |
| Built by | London and North Western Railway |
| Original gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Operated by | Northampton & Lamport Railway Preservation Society |
| Stations | 1 |
| Length | 1.5 miles (2.4 km) |
| Preserved gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Opened | 1858 |
| Closed | 1981 |
| Preservation history | |
| 1984 | Work started at Pitsford and Brampton |
| 1996 | Grand Opening |
| Northampton & Lamport Railway with Brampton Valley Way |
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The Northampton & Lamport Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway in Northamptonshire, England. It is based at Pitsford and Brampton station, near the villages of Pitsford and Chapel Brampton, roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Northampton.
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The line between Northampton and Market Harborough finally closed on 16 August 1981, the intermediate stations on the route having been closed for many years.
In 1984 a group was formed with the intention of opening a section of the line as a heritage railway. The site opened to the public shortly afterwards. Following the granting of a Light Railway Order, the line carried its first fare-paying passengers in November 1995. The official Grand Opening Ceremony took place on 31 March 1996.
Currently, passenger trains operate on a section of line approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) in length, departing from and arriving at the only station, Pitsford and Brampton. An extension south is under construction which will add another 0.5 miles (0.80 km) mile of running line, with around 75% of tracklaying completed as of January 2008. When complete it will include a station with sidings and run-round loop at the former Boughton Crossing on the A5199.
A northern extension is in the planning stage, but before work can start, however, extensive repairs are needed to Bridge 14 which carries the track over the River Nene. In addition the Northamptonshire County Council, which owns the former trackbed, will not grant a lease on the land required for the extension until the southern extension is complete. The previous extension opened after several years' work and around £50,000 was spent on repairs to Bridge 13.
The signalling system, with two working signal boxes (and a third under construction), makes it one of the most comprehensive and detailed on any heritage railway of its size. The Booking Office at Pitsford and Brampton station was built using the disused Lamport signal box, originally located around 5.5 miles (8.9 km) miles away on the same line. It has been converted in such a way that it can be easily converted back into a signal box if required in the future. A third signal box has been installed at the Boughton Terminus; the former Betley Road signal box from Crewe is being used following its restoration.
The Brampton Valley Way is a "linear park" offering a traffic-free route for cyclists and pedestrians, and which runs alongside the railway, separated by a stout safety fence. Access is also available to horse riders on other sections away from the railway.
The railway is open for viewing from 13:30 - 17:00 Monday to Friday, and 10:00 to 17:00 on Sundays. Train rides are available on Sundays from March to October, steam-hauled from April to September (subject to availability).
A number of special events take place throughout the year, the popular Santa Specials run throughout the month of December.
On 18 July 2007 the Railway at War Weekend, an event held at the railway every September, was named Best Event in the 2007 Northamptonshire Renaissance Heritage Awards.[1]