Stamford railway station

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 contract for the erection of the permanent station was obtained by Groocock and Yates of Leicester in 1847.[7] 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.[8]

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.[9]

Stamford Town in 1922
Through Services
Leicester London Road Humberstone Road Syston Rearsby Brooksby Frisby Asfordby to Nottingham Great Northern and London & North Western Joint Railway Melton Mowbray Saxby to Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway Whissendine Ashwell Oakham Manton to Market Harborough Seaton to Uppingham to Kettering Morcott to Wansford Luffenham Ketton and Collyweston Stamford Town Stamford East to Essendine to Wansford Uffington and Barnack Helpston Walton GNR main line Peterborough North to Wansford Peterborough East GNR main line to March

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.

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.

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.

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.

The table below shows the train departures from Stamford Town on weekdays in February 1863.[10]

The table below shows the train departures from Stamford Town on weekdays in July 1922.[11]

In 1853 the station master Thomas Liddell had travelled to Barrowden, intending to return by train but on arriving at Luffenham, he discovered it was too late for the train home. When he got to Ketton, he persuaded a porter to get out a truck, which he proposed to ride home in, thinking that the line from Ketton to Stamford was on a descent, he would be able to travel the 3 miles without propulsion. After initial success, the truck stopped at the bridge approaching Easton-wood and he could not get it moving again on his own. After assistance from the gatekeeper he managed to reach Stamford. The incident reached the directors of the Midland Railway and an officer arrived and took him into custody.[12]

From 1908 it was agreed that the station be run as a joint station with the Midland Railway, with only one stationmaster.[21]

Railway lines in Stamford
to Corby to Grantham (ECML) to Market Harborough / Leicester to Melton Mowbray Rockingham Saxby • Great Ponton Gretton Whissendine • Edmondthorpe & Wymondham Harringworth Corby (Glen) Ashwell • Rutland Railway Museum Uppingham Cottesmore Wharf Seaton Oakham • South Witham Welland Viaduct Manton to Sleaford Morcott to Spalding to Thrapston Bridge Street Luffenham • Bourne Wakerley & Barrowden Castle Bytham Barnwell • Ketton & Collyweston Edenham King's Cliffe Hanson Cement Oundle Little Bytham • Thurlby Nassington Stamford (Town) Elton Stamford East • Braceborough Spa Essendine Yarwell Junction Ryhall & Belmesthorpe Tallington Barnack Uffington & Barnack Ufford Bridge Wansford Road Helpston Wansford to Spalding Peakirk • St James Deeping Castor Walton Nene Valley Railway Eye Green (for Crowland) • to Wisbech (North) Ferry Meadows New England sidings Orton Mere Peterborough (North) Railworld Peterborough Nene Valley Peterborough East • Whittlesea to March Fletton Yaxley & Farcet to Ramsey (North) Holme to Huntingdon (ECML)