Disused Stations: Bedford St. Johns Station

View from the front window of a Bletchley to Bedford DMU as it takes the Bedford curve towards Bedford Midland at the triangular junction in September 1984. The old Bedford St. John station is to the right, the track has already been severed after closure of the station four months earlier. The new Bedford St Johns signal box built after the fire in 1977 is seen. The former Midland Railway's Bedford to Hitchen line passed immediately behind the signal box with two flat crossings where it crossed the two arms of the triangular junction. W.H. & J. Rogers flour mill is seen in the background.
Photo by Jonathan Hazen from his Flickr photostream

Bedford St Johns station looking south-west along the former 'London' platform in June 1985. The bushes in the distance are at the triangular junction. Bedford St Johns signal box is seen on the far side of the junction.
Photo by Nick Catford

Bedford St Johns station looking south-west from London Road bridge in June 1985.
Photo by Nick Catford

The new Bedford S. Johns station is seen from an approaching northbound DMU in July 1985. Access to the platform is by steps from the bridge. The site of Bedford St Johns goods yard is seen on the far side of the bridge. This is now a public car park and another access point to the station.
Photo by Alan Young

Two Class 121 single-unit 'Bubble cars' are seen arriving at the new Bedford St Johns station in April 1993. L123 was repainted in BR green livery whilst based at Bletchley depot and, after further repainting,returned to its original livery and number (W55023). It can now be seen on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway. Bedford St Johns goods depot has been cleared of all buildings. Part of it has become a public car park with a new access track to the station seen here. The remainder is still undeveloped in 2014.
Photo by David Pearson

By 2006 the site of Bedford St Johns station is heavily overgrown.
Photo by Philip Lindhurst

Looking south-west towards Bedford St Johns station from the London Road bridge in May 2008, taken from the same viewpoint as the 1985 picture above. By this date nature has reclaimed the whole site. The only evidence that there had been a station here is the lamp post in the middle of
the barrow crossing.
Photo by Gary Thornton

Looking south-west towards Bedford St Johns station from the London Road bridge in January 2014. The station site has remained undeveloped as it may be required if the Bedford - Cambridge
line is reopened.

Photo by Duncan Marsh

Looking across the end of Station Road at the east end of Bedford St Johns station in March 2014. Both platforms remain intact. There has been some shrub clearance of the site.
Photo by Nick Catford

Recent aerial view showing the site of Bedford St. Johns station (right) and the triangular junction. The new station is seen top left with the platform running under Ampthill Road. The site of Bedford St Johns goods yard is to the north of the new station. Bedford St Johns signal box is seen at the bottom of the triangle. It was closed in 2004 when the Marston Vale line was re-signalled and has since been surrounded by security fencing to deter vandals. New housing to the north of the triangle occupies the site of W.H. & J. Rogers flour mill and St Leonards saw mill. Click here for a larger version

.Click here for more pictures of Bedford St Johns Station

[Source: Nick Catford]