Chaul End railway station

Chaul End
Near the station site in 2006.
Location
Place	Chaul End
Area	Luton
Grid reference	TL063222
Operations
Original company	Great Northern Railway
Platforms	1
History
1914/1915	Opened
1919/1920	Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z

Chaul End was a temporary railway halt on the Great Northern Railway's branch line from Welwyn which served a munitions factory near Luton during the First World War. The station site has been reused as part of the Luton to Dunstable Busway.

On 12 June 1861, the Great Northern Railway acquired the Hertford, Luton and Dunstable Railway's line from Dunstable Church Street station to Luton Bute Street station, which had opened to goods traffic on 5 April 1858 and to passengers on 3 May.

From Luton Bute Street station, the line headed westwards through Luton passing Kenilworth Road stadium and Laporte's chemical works before reaching a level crossing at Chaul End. A small timber 10-lever signal box was located here on the Up side of the line with a gatekeeper's house standing opposite. The crossing was protected by a home and distant signal in each direction; the distant being an upper quadrant signal while the home was a somersault signal.

As part of the First World War war effort, a factory at Chaul End was taken over for the manufacture of shells. A temporary halt to serve the factory was opened in 1914 or 1915 The station is believed to have been situated to the east of the level crossing. Munitions workers using the station could be easily recognised by the orange-yellow dust from the powder with which shells were filled.London and North Western Railway trains also called at the station from 28 February 1916; tickets to the station showed it as "Luton (Chaul End)". The factory itself was served by a siding capable of accommodating five wagons, which was taken out of use on 20 April 1916.