Notes: In 1848 the LNWR opened their line from Leighton Buzzard to a terminus at Dunstable. Having failed to persuade the LNWR to extend the line to Luton, the Great Northern Railway was petitioned to provide a link to the town. This petition was unsuccessful so a number of wealthy landowners and the MP for Hertford promoted the Luton, Dunstable & Welwyn Junction Railway which would run from Dunstable where a connection would be made to the LNWR through Luton to Welwyn where there would be a junction with the Great Northern Railway. It was then intended that the cross country line should continue on to Hertford with a bridge over the Great Northern Railway line at Welwyn but the GNR objected to a bridge and the line never went ahead despite some work being started.

Two separate branch lines were then proposed. The branch to Dunstable was authorised on 16.7.1855 as the Luton, Dunstable & Welwyn Junction Railway. The Hertford branch opened on 1.3.1858 and the first section of Dunstable to Welwyn line opened on 3.5.1858. The company soon found its financial resources over extended and they approached the LNWR to take over the line, this was turned down so instead the company amalgamated with the Hertford & Wewlyn Junction Railway forming the Hertford, Luton & Dunstable Railway. The Great Northern railway provided locomotives and rolling stock. The remaining section of the line between Luton and Welwyn on 3.9.1860 with intermediate stations at Ayot, Wheathampstead, Harpenden, Luton Hoo and Luton (Bute Street). The Hertford Luton & Dunstable Railway was absorbed into the GNR in 1861.

The station was originally called Harpenden and was renamed Harpenden East on 25.9.1950

For further reading see Hertfordshire's lost railways by Keith Scholey ISBN ISBN 1 84033231 X
and Bedfordshire's lost railways by Keith Scholey ISBN ISBN 184033 271 9

See other stations on this line Wheathampstead, Luton Hoo & Luton Bute Street