The History of Huntingdon East Station: A Tale of Two Stations
Key Highlights :
Huntingdon East Station was a railway station located in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, UK. It opened to passengers on May 1883 and served the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway. For 40 years, the station shared its name with another station nearby, Huntingdon Station, which opened 33 years earlier. In 1923, Huntingdon East got its final name and the two stations ran side by side for the next 46 years, until 1969, when Huntingdon East closed its doors to passengers and was partially lost under a car park.
The story of Huntingdon East Station is one of the many tales of lost railway infrastructure in the UK. During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, train networks expanded rapidly across the country, and even tiny hamlets sometimes found themselves with a train link. However, many of these stations were axed during the infamous Beeching Cuts of the 1960s.
The opening of Huntingdon East Station in 1883 was part of a larger trend of competition between railway companies. The two Huntingdon stations were run by rival train operators, and the two stations ran side by side for 40 years. This was a common occurrence at the time, as the railway companies were reluctant to share resources.
The two stations were finally given distinct names in 1923, with Huntingdon East getting its final name. The station served the local community for the next 46 years, until its closure in 1969. Since then, the station has been partially lost under a car park, and its story serves as a reminder of the many railway stations that have been lost in the UK over the years.
Today, Huntingdon Station is the only station in Huntingdon. It continues to provide a vital link to the local community, and to the wider rail network. However, the story of Huntingdon East Station serves as a reminder of the history of the railways in the UK, and of the many stations that have been lost over the years.
