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Northampton Loop




The Northampton loop leaves the direct London - Birmingham line at Hanslope Junction, just north of Roade , and then runs north east for several miles until it reaches Northampton Station . After Northampton, the line verges to the north-west for around twenty miles, until it re-joins the direct London - Birmingham line at Rugby , just east of Rugby Station . The line is a total of 23 3/4 miles long.

The only stations on the route are Northampton and Long Buckby between Northampton and Rugby. Previously there were four stations between Northampton and Rugby, but only Long Buckby survives, these were:


The line was constructed in the late 1870s by the London And North Western Railway and was opened in 1881 . It was constructed to improve rail services to Northampton and give the town a direct link to London. And also to double capacity on the line from Roade to Rugby without the expense of widening Kilsby Tunnel .


REFERENCES


  • ''The Last Days Of Steam In Northamptonshire'', by John M.C. Healy (1989) ISBN 0862996139

  • ''Rugby's Railway Heritage'', by Peter H Elliot (1985) ISBN 0907917062