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Station | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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A new station was built in 1859 due to the increase of train traffic and was situated several hundred yards south of the original station. The old station was officially closed to passengers on 14 February 1859 and the new station opened on the same date. This station was further altered in 1874. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The voice of Viv Willis - local historian | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Station dating about 1880 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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In 1858 the railway was being used so much that it became necessary to increase the number of lines going through Leighton. In order to do this it was necessary to close the old road level crossing which crossed the railway just north of the station. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The old road level crossing no longer in use | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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With the addition of the extra tracks signalling at the station became more complicated. So control of the station was divided between two signalboxes, 446 yards apart. These two boxes can be seen on the station plan below. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Timetables | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Timetables were published in the local newspaper and the entry in the Leighton Buzzard Observer for 1863 shows that there were 11 trains stopping at Leighton, to and from London. Single fares were 7 shillings (35p) first class, 4 shillings and 6 pence (22.5p) second class and 3 shillings and 4 pence (17p) for third class. Non-stop trains, averaging just under 40 miles per hour, completed the journey to London in about 60 minutes, an improvement on the 1 hour 50 minutes a fast train took in 1839 and about double the time it takes today. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Station Name - Both the original station and the 1859 one were called simply "Leighton" until 1911 when the station was renamed "Leighton Buzzard" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Leighton Buzzard station sign | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Station Masters | 1883 the station master was George Thomas Cable
1921 the station master was Mr H F Seabrook |
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Population In 1859 when the extra tracks were added the population of Leighton Buzzard was 5,774. In 1911, when the station was renamed, the population of Leighton Buzzard had grown to 9,044 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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