Northampton (NMP)

Northampton is a stop on the West Coast Main Line between Long Buckby and Wolverton, the principal station on the WCML's Northampton Loop.

LNWR 350 405 prepares to depart for Birmingham


Information
Type: National Rail (West Coast Main Line)
Station code: NMP
Opened: 1859
Platforms: 5

The first station in Northampton was Bridge Street which was opened in 1845 by the Northampton & Peterborough Railway. In 1859 the London & North Western Railway opened a station on the site of the town's former castle (and indeed the station ended up being called Northampton Castle). This station was initially a rather minor station compared to Bridge Street. The building of the Northampton Loop along with other improvements to the Birmingham New Street London Euston line (now the WCML) saw the Castle station grow in importance and it was rebuilt and enlarged in the early 1880s.

In 1964 Bridge Street closed leaving Castle station the only one remaining in the town. It was renamed to just Northampton a couple of years later. The station was rebuilt in the late 1960s along with the arrival of electrification. This station remained until 2013-14 when a brand new station building twice the size of the 1960s one was opened.

Most services at Northampton are by London Northwestern Railway, who manage the station, though a couple of Avanti West Coast services also stop at the station every day.

Station building

Freightliner 66 951 leads a freight through Northampton

View down the platforms

Platform canopies

350 130 prepares to depart for London Euston