Kempston Hardwick railway station

Kempston Hardwick
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Location
Place	Kempston Hardwick
Local authority	Bedford
Coordinates
Grid reference	TL025447
Operations
Station code	KMH
Managed by	London Midland
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2002/03	3,152
2004/05	2,955
2005/06	4,088
2006/07	4,394
2007/08	6,775
2008/09	8,272
2009/10	6,350
2010/11	6,284
2011/12	7,316
2012/13	5,626
2013/14	7,032
2014/15	7,712
History
1905	Opened as Kempston Hardwick Halt
1 January 1917	Temporarily closed
5 May 1919	Reopened
15 July 1968	Became unstaffed
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Kempston Hardwick from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Kempston Hardwick railway station serves the village of Kempston Hardwick in Bedfordshire, England. It is not to be confused with the nearby town of Kempston. The station has two platforms next to a half-barrier level crossing.

Services

Kempston Hardwick is served by London Midland (previously Silverlink), using 1980s built Class 150 and Class 153 DMUs. One service runs each hour in either direction. The running line through this area has been upgraded to enable the speed limit for passenger trains to increase from 40 to 60 mph.

Preceding station		National Rail		Following station
Stewartby		London Midland Marston Vale Line Mondays-Saturdays only		Bedford St Johns

Community Rail Partnership

Kempston Hardwick station, in common with others on the Marston Vale Line, is covered by the Marston Vale Community Rail Partnership, which aims to increase use of the line by involving local people.

History

Kempston Hardwick was one of three halts opened by the London and North Western Railway in 1905 between Stewartby and Bedford. Their opening coincided with the introduction of a steam railmotor on the Varsity Line; the station platform initially consisted of wooden sleepers laid at ground level for a carriage length. All three closed as a wartime economy measure during the First World War and two were closed during Second World War, never to reopen, leaving Kempston Hardwick as the only survivor. Its survival can be attributed to its convenient location for the nearby Eastwood's Brickworks which was served from 1928 by a private siding on the up side of the line.

The level crossing alongside the station was once controlled by a crossing keeper who lived in a lodge adjacent to his place of work. This was demolished in the 1960s. The original station buildings have also been demolished following a collision with a lorry carrying bricks.

In 2003, it was reported that Kempston Hardwick was one of the quietest stations in England as only 38 passengers per month were reported to be using it. Two reasons offered for the lack of custom were the absence of signage indicating the station from the main road, and the lack of parking facilities. Following the release of this story, Silverlink together with Bedfordshire County Council confirmed that they would not be seeking the closure of the station. Station patronage has, however, now increased, according to the Community Rail Partnership which attributes the rise to the creation of significant numbers of jobs in the area. In 2008, it was announced that the area around the railway station could be the location of a new eco-town.

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Wootton Broadmead Halt		British Railways Varsity Line		Kempston and Elstow Halt

External links

• Train times and station information for Kempston Hardwick railway station from National Rail