What happened to Hertford's third railway?

Hertford is in the unusual position of having two railway stations, run by two different train operators.

But there used to be a third, which unlike the two current lines, ran east to west. You could buy a ticket and travel directly from Hertford to Hatfield.

The Hertford & Welwyn Junction Railway opened in 1858, with a station at Cowbridge, including a signal box, sidings and turntables.

The station building had a booking office, separate waiting rooms for ladies and gentlemen, parcels office and a station office.

Although formally known as Hertford Station, the name Cowbridge was used on timetables, but not tickets.

The station closed in 1924 when Hertford North was opened and trains continued to run to Hatfield until 1951, when the line closed due to low passenger numbers. However freight continued to use the line until 1962.

Evidence of the railway can still be found and our new feature The Welwyn Line details the history of the railway with photos showing what remains.

There is also an article in our History Section covering The History of The Railways in Hertford.