Станция Сент-Олбанс Эбби: История и современность

Railway station in Hertfordshire, England

St Albans Abbey was the first railway station in St Albans, built by the London and North Western Railway in 1858. It was, as it is now, a terminus; the company's plans to extend northwards to Luton and Dunstable never materialised. Although the Midland Railway opened their station (St Albans City) in 1868, it was not until 1924 that "Abbey" was added to the station's title to avoid confusion – by this stage, both stations were owned by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Until November 2007 responsibility for the branch line was with Silverlink. Restoration of the passing loop at Bricket Wood was being considered by the local authorities and Network Rail but was turned down in early 2008; this would have facilitated trains running every 30 minutes. The passing loop proposal was being reconsidered in 2020 as part of the UK government’s £500 million 'Restoring Your Railway Fund' to re open many of the lines and stations that were closed in the 1960s.

In 1865, the Great Northern Railway supported a group of local landowners to open a branch line from Hatfield to St Albans Abbey with an intermediate stop at St Albans London Road, and later at (1866), (1897), (1899), (1910) and (1942). This line closed to passengers in 1951. Goods services were withdrawn from the end of 1968 and the track was lifted. In the mid 1980s, the route was opened as a cycle path, now the Alban Way. The remains of the branch can be seen to the left of the single platform when looking down the line in the direction of Watford Junction, including overgrown remnants of the second platform which would have served the branch.

On 10 February 1988, a diesel multiple unit overran the buffer stop. There were no injuries amongst the seventeen passengers on board.

All services at St Albans Abbey are operated by London Northwestern Railway using EMUs. The typical off peak service on all days of the week is one train per hour to and from Watford Junction, increasing to a train approximately every 45 minutes in each direction during the peak hours.