Stamford railway station

Stamford railway station serves the town of Stamford in Lincolnshire, England, and is located in St Martin's. The station is 12.5 miles (20 km) west of Peterborough opened by the Syston and Peterborough Railway, part of the present day Birmingham to Peterborough Line. CrossCountry operate the majority of services as part of their Birmingham to Stansted Airport route. It is owned by Network Rail and operated by East Midlands Railway (EMR) train operating company (TOC), who operate a limited service.

Stamford
Location
PlaceStamford
Local authoritySouth Kesteven
Coordinates52.6480°N 0.4798°W / 52.6480; -0.4798
Grid referenceTF029066
Operations
Station codeSMD
Managed byEast Midlands Railway
Number of platforms2
DfT categoryE
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 0.349 million
2015/16 0.356 million
2016/17 0.356 million
2017/18 0.376 million
2018/19 0.385 million
History
Original companyMidland Railway
Pre-groupingMidland Railway
Post-groupingLondon, Midland and Scottish Railway
1 May 1848 (1848-05-01)Opened as Stamford
29 September 1950Renamed Stamford Town
18 April 1966Renamed Stamford
National Rail – UK railway stations
  • Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Stamford from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

The station was formerly known as Stamford Town to distinguish it from the now closed Stamford East station in Water Street. It is often printed on timetables and train tickets as Stamford (Lincs) to distinguish it from either Stamford Hill station in London or Stanford-le-Hope station in Essex.

The station building is a fine stone structure in Mock Tudor style, influenced by the nearby Burghley House, and designed by Sancton Wood.[1] It was upgraded to Grade II* listed building status in March 2020.[2]

Services

From Stamford there is generally an hourly service (operated by CrossCountry) each day towards Leicester and Birmingham New Street westbound and Peterborough, Cambridge and Stansted Airport eastbound as well as additional PM peak hour services.[3]

Services westbound to Birmingham go via Oakham, Melton Mowbray, Leicester, Narborough, Hinckley, Nuneaton and Coleshill. Services eastbound to Stansted Airport or Cambridge call at Peterborough, March, Ely and Audley End.

Despite managing the station, East Midlands Railway only operates three daily services to the station (mainly for train crew route knowledge purposes); two early morning services to Norwich and a late night service to Nottingham.

Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
CrossCountry
Birmingham-Stansted Airport
Limited Service
East Midlands Railway
Nottingham-Norwich (via Loughborough)
Limited Service

Development

Central Trains undertook internal modifications and refurbishment to the ticket office and booking hall towards the end of their franchise. Network Rail also invested £500,000 on refurbishment of the station building, modern lighting, overbridge and foot crossing to further update the station in late 2007.[4]

In late July 2008, Network Rail was granted listed building consent to make alterations to the then Grade II listed station building to enable larger freight trains of W10 loading gauge to travel on the Peterborough to Nuneaton route. This will involve changes to the platform alignment and the platform canopy and a temporary platform will be provided during the works.[5]

It is planned that both platforms will be extended by up to 5 metres by no later than 2012.[6]

History

Openings
Sancton Wood's station building

Opened by the Midland Railway on its Syston and Peterborough Railway, train services began on 2 October 1846 on the Peterborough to Stamford section, using a temporary station in Water Street, as the tunnel was not complete. The permanent station opened along with through services to Leicester on 20 March 1848.

The London and North Western Railway opened their single track branch line from Rugby via Market Harborough on 2 June 1851. This actually joined the Midland line at Luffenham, but trains generally worked through to Stamford and terminated in the LNWR bay, platform 3, the far side of the current Leicester platform, which is now disused and filled in.

In 1863, the weekday train service comprised 5 each way per day on the Peterborough - Stamford - Leicester route, 3 each way per day on the Stamford - Market Harborough - Rugby route, and 1 each way per day on the Stamford - Market Harborough - Northampton route, including through coaches to London Euston, then known as Euston Square.[7]

The LNWR Rugby line was double tracked in 1878, but in 1879 the LNWR built a new line from Seaton to Wansford on their existing Peterborough to Northampton Nene valley line, and from this time, Rugby to Peterborough was operated as the main line and the Stamford to Seaton section became a branch line, and was singled again in 1907.[8]

Closures

When Stamford East station closed in 1957, the Stamford to Essendine services were diverted to Town station, but these services ceased in 1959. Some minor stations on the Midland line closed in the 1950s and 1960s and the remaining village stations such as Helpston and Ketton & Collyweston closed in 1966, along with the Seaton branch line from Luffenham.

1970s

With the end of steam traction, the service in the 1970s and early 1980s generally comprised a stopping service formed of 2-car DMUs running between Peterborough and Leicester every two hours, supplemented by a two or three times a day Peterborough to Stamford shuttle service. There was also a four or five times daily through Birmingham to Norwich service usually formed by a Class 31 with four or five Mark 1 coaches, these services generally ran non-stop between Peterborough and Leicester.

1980s

General goods services in Stamford finished in the late 1960s but the coal yard remained in use until 16 May 1983.

When the coal yard closed, the opportunity was also taken to close the signal box. All pointwork was removed and mechanical signals were replaced by colour lights controlled by Ketton signal box. Ketton signal box was retained due to the need to monitor the level crossing. With no crossover, the Peterborough to Stamford shuttles were for a time reversed at Ketton, before being withdrawn altogether.

With the line to the bay platform lifted, the bay was filled in to form a flowerbed.

1990s

In the late 1990s, the toilets were closed, having been the subject of vandalism and variously available since the 1960s. The ticket office is only open in the mornings. The small bicycle rack outside the station was removed.

Summary of former train services
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Ketton & Collyweston   Midland Railway
Leicester to Peterborough		   Uffington & Barnack
Ketton & Collyweston   London and North Western Railway
Seaton branch		   Terminus

Timetable for February 1863

The table below shows the train departures from Stamford Town on weekdays in February 1863.[9]

Departure Going to Calling at Arrival Operator
06.45 London Euston Square Luffenham, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne Bridge, Market Harborough, Kelmarsh, Lamport, Brixworth, Brampton, Northampton Castle. Through coaches to Blisworth, Wolverton, Camden, London Euston Square 10.30 LNWR
07.10 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Whisendine, Saxby, Melton, Asfordby, Frisby, Brooksby, Rearsby, Syston, Leicester 09.10 MR
07.30 Rugby Luffenham, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne Bridge, Market Harborough, Thedingworth, Welford & Kilworth, Stanford Hall, Lilbourne, Rugby 09.15 LNWR
09.03 Peterborough Great Eastern Uffington & Barnack, Helpstone, Walton, Peterborough Crescent, Peterborough Great Eastern 09.40 MR
10.00 Rugby Luffenham, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne Bridge, Market Harborough, Thedingworth, Welford & Kilworth, Stanford Hall, Lilbourne, Rugby 11.45 LNWR
10.47 Peterborough Great Eastern Helpstone, Peterborough Crescent, Peterborough Great Eastern 11.20 MR
10.52 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Saxby, Melton, Syston, Leicester 12.20 MR
13.10 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Melton, Brooksby, Syston, Leicester 14.40 MR
14.11 Peterborough Great Eastern Helpstone, Peterborough Crescent, Peterborough Great Eastern 14.40 MR
16.23 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Whisendine, Saxby, Melton, Asfordby, Frisby, Brooksby, Rearsby, Syston, Leicester 18.15 MR
16.45 Rugby Luffenham, Seaton, Rockingham, Medbourne Bridge, Market Harborough, Thedingworth, Welford & Kilworth, Stanford Hall, Lilbourne, Rugby 18.35 LNWR
16.47 Peterborough Great Eastern Uffington & Barnack, Helpstone, Walton, Peterborough Crescent, Peterborough Great Eastern 17.25 MR
20.44 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Saxby, Melton, Brooksby, Syston, Leicester 22.25 MR
21.52 Peterborough Great Eastern Helpstone, Peterborough Crescent, Peterborough Great Eastern 22.20 MR

Timetable for July 1922

The table below shows the train departures from Stamford Town on weekdays in July 1922.[10]

Departure Going to Calling at Arrival Operator
07.35 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 08.03 LNWR
08.20 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Whissendine, Saxby, Melton Mowbray, Asfordby, Frisby, Brooksby, Rearsby, Syston, Leicester 10.03 MR
08.53 Peterborough East Uffington & Barnack, Helpston, Walton, Peterborough North, Peterborough East 09.33 MR
09.08 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 09.33 LNWR
09.39 Oakham Ketton, Luffenham, Oakham 10.08 MR
10.41 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Melton Mowbray, Leicester 11.56 MR
10.43 Peterborough East Uffington & Barnack, Helpston, Peterborough North, Peterborough East 11.20 MR
11.35 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 12.01 LNWR
11.46 Peterborough East Peterborough North, Peterborough East 12.13 MR
12.33 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Whissendine, Saxby, Melton Mowbray, Leicester 14.00 MR
13.55 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 14.20 LNWR
14.30 Peterborough East Uffington & Barnack, Helpston, Walton, Peterborough North, Peterborough East 15.08 MR
16.02 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Whissendine, Saxby, Melton Mowbray, Syston, Leicester 17.32 MR
16.15 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 16.40 LNWR
17.01 Peterborough East Uffington & Barnack, Helpston, Walton, Peterborough North, Peterborough East 17.37 MR
17.38 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Saxby, Melton Mowbray, Asfordby, Frisby, Brooksby, Rearsby, Syston, Leicester 19.13 MR
17.48 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 18.11 LNWR
18.31 Peterborough East Helpston, Peterborough North, Peterborough East 19.02 MR
19.43 Peterborough East Helpston, Peterborough North, Peterborough East 20.20 MR
19.55 Seaton Ketton, Luffenham, Morcott, Seaton 20.20 LNWR
20.45 Leicester Ketton, Luffenham, Manton, Oakham, Ashwell, Melton Mowbray, Syston, Leicester 22.08 MR
22.40 Peterborough East Peterborough North, Peterborough East 20.20 MR
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References
  1. Historic England. "Stamford Station (499042)". PastScape. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  2. Historic England. "Stamford Town Railway Station Including Waiting Shelter, Footbridge And Two Stone Piers  (Grade II*) (1366147)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  3. Table 47 National Rail timetable, May 2019
  4. "£500,000 INVESTMENT FOR STAMFORD STATION". Network Rail. 21 September 2007.
  5. "Planning Application S08/LB/7000". South Kesteven District Council. Retrieved 1 August 2008.
  6. "Network Rail CP4 Delivery Plan 2009 Enhancements programme: statement of scope, outputs and milestones" (PDF). Network Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  7. Bradshaws General Railway and Steam Navigation Guide, February 1863.
  8. Butler, P., (2007) A History of the Railways of Northamptonshire, Great Addington: Silver Link Publishing
  9. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation Guide, February 1863
  10. Bradshaw's General Railway and Steam Navigation Guide, July 1922
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