London and Birmingham Railway

1838 - 1846
The first railway station was opened in Linslade on the 9th April 1938, but to reach that momentous point in the town's history we have to go back a few years in
time .......
This picture is believed to be of the first Station at Leighton Buzzard.
Originally it had been planned that the railway line should run West of the town and go through Buckingham. This idea was put foward by Sir John Rennie but the first Duke of Buckingham was hostile to this route and caused the plan to be blocked, thereby ensuring the railway took an alternative route.
Sir John Rennie
Following the success of the Liverpool to Manchester railway, the business men of Birmingham saw the railway as a much better form of transport than the canal, for transporting over 1,000 tons of goods from Birmingham to London each week. They approached George Stephenson about building a link from Birmingham to London. Although he advised them of the route the railway should take he declined their offer of being the Engineer but recommended his son Robert Stephenson. He was appointed in 1833. Alongside him worked 25 assistant engineers.
Robert Stepenson