Abbey Line

Abbey line
A London Midland Abbey line service departs St Albans Abbey for Watford Junction
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Hertfordshire
Termini	Watford Junction St Albans Abbey
Stations	7
Operation
Opened	5 May 1858
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	London Midland
Rolling stock	Class 319
Technical
Line length	6.5 mi (10.5 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	25 kV AC OHLE
Operating speed	40–75 mph (64–121 km/h)

The Abbey line, also called the St Albans Abbey branch line, is a railway line from Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey. The 6.5-mile (10.5 km) route passes through town and countryside in the county of Hertfordshire, just outside the boundaries of the Oyster Card and London fare zones. Its northern terminus in St Albans Abbey is located in the south of the city, around 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi) away from the larger St Albans City railway station on the Thameslink line.

The Abbey line is a semi-rural line and, due to its single-track operation, service frequencies are limited. The service is sometimes referred to locally as the Abbey Flyer.

The line was opened by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR) on 5 May 1858 and was the first railway to reach St Albans.

Originally there were two intermediate stations:

In 1910 a station at Callowland opened, now Watford North.

In 1924 the terminus at St Albans became St Albans Abbey to distinguish it from the Midland Railway main line station at St Albans City, which opened in 1868. The LNWR station was also served by a branch of the Great Northern Railway from Hatfield.

A sixth station was added at Garston in 1966 and a seventh at How Wood in 1988, to coincide with the electrification of the route at 25 kV AC overhead.