These photos taken in the 1973 by Keith Garley show the demolition of the Midland Railway bridge that straddled the High Street at Rushden. The branch line had been constructed by the Midland Railway Company in 1893 under pressure from the boot and shoe manufacturers to open up the distribution of goods and raw materials between Wellingborough and Higham Ferrers. During the 1950’s it became uneconomical to maintain for passenger services and these ended in 1959. The line continued in use for goods only and closed finally in 1969. With the demolition of the bridge it seemed trains would never run again in Rushden.
With the bridge gone Rushden Station was stranded and it was abandoned, left trackless and overgrown.
In 1976 a small group of like-minded people started the Rushden Historical Transport Society and when the opportunity came to acquire the lease in 1984, the derelict station became its base and the centre for its activity.
With the efforts of the members and other volunteer services the Station was brought back to life, and a short section of track re-laid. By sheer hard work the Society were able to have trains running again in 2009, fifty years after passenger services ceased.
The station site, owned and run by Rushden Historic Transport Society is now an asset to the community for the people of Rushden and visitors to enjoy – events, train rides and driver experiences, Goods Shed hire, the accredited museum and award winning bar.
The Society relies on the support of its members volunteering to maintain the site, run the events, and care for the collection of artifacts and vehicles, so read on to see how you could help. As a registered charity it is also dependent on the generosity of donations from the general public.