Welwyn North railway station

Welwyn North National Rail

Platform 1
Location
Place Digswell
Local authority Borough of Welwyn Hatfield
Grid reference TL247154
Operations
Station code WLW
Managed by Great Northern
Number of platforms 2
DfT category E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2011/12 Increase 0.509 million
2012/13 Increase 0.525 million
2013/14 Increase 0.548 million
2014/15 Increase 0.566 million
2015/16 Increase 0.599 million
History
1850 Station opened by GNR as "Welwyn Station"
1926 Station renamed "Welwyn North"
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Welwyn North from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Welwyn North railway station serves the villages of Digswell and Welwyn in Hertfordshire, England. The station is located approximately 22 miles (35 km) north of London Kings Cross, on the East Coast Main Line.

Location

Although the station is north of Welwyn Garden City, there is the actual village of Welwyn about 1 mile (1.6 km) west. Furthermore, the station is actually located in the district of Digswell. Also, just to the south the line passes over the Welwyn Viaduct and to the north through two tunnels. This section (between Digswell and Woolmer Green Junctions) is a significant capacity bottleneck, being the only double track portion on what is otherwise a four track main line all the way from London to Hitchin & beyond.

History

Welwyn North Station, with Up freight train in 1951

The Station was opened in 1850 as part of the Great Northern Railway. It was called Welwyn Station until 1926 when it was renamed following the opening of Welwyn Garden City. It was built by contractor Thomas Brassey out of locally produced red brick.

The Welwyn Tunnel rail crash occurred in the tunnels to the north of the station in 1866.

In its heyday the station served local agriculture as well as passenger traffic. There was a goods yard and goods shed on the west side and sidings to the north and south. These included an impressive set of coal drops and, from 1884, a private siding for the adjacent beehive works (E. H. Taylor Ltd. from 1900). The complex included three railway worker's cottages on the west (down) side and two on the east (up). Much of the land to build the station was purchased from local landowner George Augustus 6th Earl Cowper, who built the Cowper Arms Hotel on land adjoining to the west. This is contemporary with the station and built in the same red brick, reputedly by the same navvies (who went on to frequent it).

Welwyn North Station's Platform 1, 2015

Today the goods yard has made way for a car park but the main station building, the worker's cottages and the Cowper Arms remain.

The station is a rare survival of architecture from the early days of the GNR and this is now recognised with listed building status. The main station building, the footbridge, the tunnel portal to the north and Welwyn Viaduct to the south are all Grade 2 listed.

Services

Great Northern Route
King's Lynn
Watlington
Downham Market
Littleport
Peterborough
Ely
Waterbeach
Huntingdon
Cambridge North
Cambridge
St. Neots
Foxton
Shepreth
Sandy
Meldreth
Royston
Biggleswade
Ashwell and Morden
Baldock
Arlesey
Letchworth Garden City
Hitchin
Stevenage
Knebworth
Watton-at-Stone
Welwyn North
Hertford North
Welwyn Garden City
Bayford
Hatfield
Cuffley
Welham Green
Crews Hill
Brookmans Park
Gordon Hill
Potters Bar
Enfield Chase
Hadley Wood
Grange Park
New Barnet
Winchmore Hill
Oakleigh Park
Palmers Green
New Southgate
Bowes Park
Alexandra Palace
Hornsey
Harringay
London Underground Finsbury Park
London Underground King's Cross
Drayton Park
Highbury & Islington London Underground London Overground
Essex Road
Old Street London Underground
Moorgate London Underground

Welwyn North station is served by a half-hourly service southbound to London King's Cross and northbound to Peterborough or Cambridge Mondays to Saturdays, respectively. There is an hourly service in each direction on Sundays, although there are no services direct to Peterborough, only Cambridge.

Route

Below are the routes that Welwyn North is, or has been on since it was built.

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Great Northern
East Coast Main Line

References

    Welwyn's Railways: A History of the Great Northern Line, 1850-1986, Tom W. Gladwin, Peter W. Neville, Douglas E. White, The Book Castle (November 1986)

    Coordinates: 51°49′26″N 0°11′31″W / 51.824°N 0.192°W / 51.824; -0.192

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