Bedford–Hitchin line

The Bedford–Hitchin line was a branch of the Midland Railway which served stations at Cardington, Southill, Shefford and Henlow Camp in Bedfordshire, England. It opened in 1857, but was largely made redundant as a through-route to London by the extension of the Midland Main Line to St Pancras. The last passenger train ran in December 1961, yet goods services lingered on until 1964.

The merger of the Midland Counties Railway, the North Midland Railway, and the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway in 1844 created the Midland Railway which, having no route to London of its own, relied on the London & Birmingham Railway to feed traffic through to the capital. Delays in processing traffic led to a proposal in 1847 for a line connecting Leicester with Hitchin. Although authorisation for the line was obtained, the scheme was postponed until 1852 due to unfavourable economic conditions. Thomas Brassey was principal contractor on the line which included the 882-yard Warden Tunnel. The line was officially opened on 7 May 1857 and an initial service to Hitchin of four trains each way on weekdays, with freight services beginning some six months later. Through services to London were introduced from February 1858, once the Midland Railway had reached agreement with the Great Northern Railway for the use of its rails between Hitchin and King's Cross.

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