Hatfield and St Albans Railway

Hatfield & St Albans Railway
Cyclists on the Alban Way in May 2017
Overview
LocaleHertfordshire, England
Dates of operation1865–1968
SuccessorAbandoned
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm)
Length6 miles 34.25 chains (10.35 km)
Hatfield and
St Albans Railway
St Albans Abbey
St Albans City
St Albans (London Road)
Sanders Siding
Salvation Army Halt
Fleetville Siding
Hertfordshire County
Mental Hospital
Hill End
Butterwick Siding
Smallford
Nast Hyde Halt
Fiddle Bridge Siding
Lemsford Road Halt
Hatfield
East Coast Main Line

The Hatfield & St Albans Railway was a branch of the Great Northern Railway which connected St Albans to Hatfield in Hertfordshire, England. It opened in 1865 with the principal aim of allowing St Albans traffic to access the Great Northern's main line to London at Hatfield, but soon came into difficulties when the Midland Railway inaugurated a direct route to London through St Albans. Passenger receipts declined in the 1930s, resulting in the temporary withdrawal of services in 1939. Passenger services were permanently withdrawn in 1951, leaving goods traffic to linger on until December 1968. Much of the route of the line is now incorporated into the Alban Way, a footpath and cycleway.