Byfield railway station was a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

serving Byfield in the

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county of

Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...

History

The line was opened by the East and West Junction Railway between and in 1873. It was not very successful and in 1877 the two trains a day in each direction were discontinued. However, in 1899 the London extension of the

Great Central Railway The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the ...

was opened through which brought extra traffic. Great Central services reached Byfield via Woodford South Curve which was built at the same time. Bradshaw's timetable for August 1899 shows the 5.20pm from terminating at Byfield, where it arrived at 7.36pm, 11 minutes after calling at . The curve was officially closed on 22 October 1900, but the rails remained in-situ for many years afterwards although the points were disconnected. The line was also helped by a partial reorganisation in 1908 and its merger into the

Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-wes ...

The group of lines carried on unsteadily until

grouping Grouping may refer to: * Muenchian grouping * Principles of grouping * Railways Act 1921, also known as Grouping Act, a reorganisation of the British railway system * Grouping (firearms), the pattern of multiple shots from a sidearm See also ...

in 1923 when they became part of the

London Midland and Scottish Railway The London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMSIt has been argued that the initials LMSR should be used to be consistent with LNER, GWR and SR. The London, Midland and Scottish Railway's corporate image used LMS, and this is what is generally ...

By 1905 there were four trains off the Great Central line and two Woodford to Stratford services. However demand reduced until in 1946 there was one morning through train each way, and one each way between Towcester and Byfield. The station closed on 5 April 1952, with freight finishing on 1 March 1965, The design of the station buildings was virtually the same as all the others on the line, with two platforms serving a passing loop in the otherwise single line. There was a single line siding with a goods shed and a timber signal box. To avoid having a crossing, the station was built close to an overbridge carrying the

A361 road The A361 is an A class road in southern England, which at is the longest three-digit A road in the UK. History When first designated in 1922, the A361 ran from Taunton (Somerset) to Banbury (Oxfordshire). It was later extended west through ...

.Preston Hendry, R., Powell Hendry, R., (1982) ''An historical survey of selected LMS stations : layouts and illustrations. Vol. 1'' Oxford Publishing The signal box's main function was to operate the

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token system, although there was a facility to switch Byfield box out and operate a long block. Today, virtually all trace of the line and the station has disappeared

Remains

A single platform which is partly buried, and the foundations for the old goods shed which are in a severe state of decay, are all that remains of the railway station. Byfield platform remains

Routes

References

External links

Byfield station on navigable 1946 O. S. map
{{Closed_stations_Northamptonshire Disused railway stations in Northamptonshire Former Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway stations Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1873 Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1952 West Northamptonshire District