Hertford East Branch Line
| Hertford East branch line | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy rail, Commuter rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale | East of England |
| Termini |
Broxbourne Hertford East |
| Stations | 4 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1843 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Abellio Greater Anglia |
| Depot(s) | Ilford |
| Rolling stock | British Rail Class 317 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 25 kV 50hz AC OHLE |
The Hertford East branch line is a railway line in Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom, running between Hertford and Broxbourne. The line follows the route of the Lea Valley, serving intermediate towns and villages. It branches off the West Anglia Main Line north of Broxbourne, and could be seen as part of the Lea Valley lines—a collection of commuter routes into London.
In June 1841 the Northern and Eastern Railway (N&ER) were given parliamentary assent to construct a branch from Broxbourne to Hertford. Work on the line began early in 1843 and the branch (and all stations on it) was opened as a single track on 31 October of that year. Operation by the N&ER was short lived as they had already agreed that the Eastern Counties Railway would lease their lines (then from Stratford to Bishops Stortford as well as the Hertford East branch). The line was doubled in October 1846.
The original Hertford station was opened in 1843. It was situated to avoid two nearby schools, but later it was closed and in 1888 Hertford East station was opened further west and closer to the town centre. Another station existed in 1858 on the line from Hatfield, but this closed as soon as Hertford North station opened in 1924.
Part of the Hertford East branch was used for the Buntingford Branch Railway, or "The Bunt", a railway which ran from Buntingford to London from 1863 to 1964. The Buntingford Railway split off this line just to the North of St Margarets station.
The line curves away from Broxbourne to the left and heads towards Hertford. For most of its length, it is bounded by the New River on its left and the River Lea and Lee Navigation on its right when looking at it from east to west.
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