2. Railways

Cambridge-St Ives-March

This collection is dedicated to the memory of the late Steve Wilkinson of Histon who fought tirelessly in conjunction with the Railway Development Society (Rail Future) to re open the Cambridge- St Ives line.

Timeline:-
Chesterton Junction to St Ives- opened 17th August 1847.
St Ives to March South Junction- opened 1st February 1848.

The fifteen and a half mile line from St Ives to March South Junction closed on 6th March 1967 when freight traffic declined. The passenger service was also recommended for closure in the Beeching Report of 1963. Little trace of this section of the line exists today. Long sections have been converted to road and the various cuttings to landfill. Many thanks to Stewart Ingram for permission to include some of his pictures from the last day of working. The passenger service from St Ives to Cambridge closed on 5th October 1970, but fortunately the line stayed open for freight traffic to Chivers at Histon until 1983 and a long term sand contract from ARC at Fen Drayton ensured the line stayed open until May 1992. This section of the line has been totally destroyed by the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway which opened on 7th August 2011. Here are a few photos to show how it looked in it's final operational days plus a few relics. The line was once a very busy freight route to March, Whitemoor Yard and the Yorkshire coalfields with over 70 workings a day, the line being open all night.

Maps used in this gallery. Ordnance survey- 1" to a mile. Sheet 135 Cambridge and Ely (1954) and Sheet 134 Huntingdon and Peterborough.
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A Railway Development Society special heads towards Cambridge on 31st March 1979.
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A Railway Development Society special heads towards Cambridge on 31st March 1979.

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  • Site of the A14 bridge over the St Ives branch. The crossing in the distance marks the approximate spot where the bridge will be. June 1976.
  • Early morning at Chesterton Junction. 37097 heads down the St Ives branch with empty coaching stock for a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street on 12th April 1980. The second man is picking up the "one engine in steam" token.
  • Early morning at Histon. 7am. 37097 eases over the crossing gates with empty coaching stock for a special to Liverpool Street on 12th April 1980. This was probably the first hauled passenger train over this route since 1967.
  • 37097 passes Histon with empty coaching stock for a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street on 12th April 1980. The engine will haul the stock to Fen Drayton where it will run round its train and then travel back picking up its first passengers at Swavesey. It's early morning and cold, the steam heating and exhaust giving an excellent effect.
  • Swavesey on 12th April 1980 with a platform packed with passengers waiting for a Railway Development Society special to Liverpool Street. 37097 is approaching.
  • Oakington Track Plan. Thanks to Richard Pike. Plan enhanced by Owen Stratford.
  • 37131 pauses near Histon bypass bridge while the guard shuts the gates at the station. Judging by the clean area around the engine number, the new TOPS number has recently been added. Its previous number was D6831. The loco was scrapped on 14th April 2007 at Booths of Rotherham. Image dated 25th March 1974.
  • Chesterton Junction Signal Box
  • Histon.
  • Histon Signal Box on 18th January 1976. The box was enlarged in the early nineteen thirties to accommodate four extra levers in conjunction with a 90 wagon up goods loop. This can be seen at the right hand end of the box which is the additional section.
  • St Ives
  • St Ives. The end of the platform facing March on 2nd February 1974. The original line curves away towards Somersham.
  • A Railway Development Society special heads towards Cambridge on 31st March 1979.
  • St Ives facing Swavesey on 31st March 1974.
  • Oakington facing Longstanton from the crossing gates. 18th January 1976.
  • A typical example of a pedestrian wicket gate used on the line. This one at Kings Hedges Crossing. 11th August 1979.
  • A Railway Development Society special approaching Girton Gates on 31st March 1979. The up line was truncated at this point and during the summer of 1976 was used to store wagons.
  • Swavesey on 31st March 1979 with the visit of the Railway Development Society special.
  • B17- Sandringham Class 61657 " Doncaster Rovers " leaves Histon for Cambridge in May 1960. The loco was withdrawn from service shortly afterwards. Photo with kind permission of David Runham.
  • A lovely shot of Swavesey on the last day of passenger operations, 3rd October 1970. The driver of a class 31 is handing over the single line token for the Swavesey-St Ives single line section. Nothing remains today of this scene. Photo with kind permission of Ian Baker.
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