| Letchworth Garden City | |
| Symbol Location: | gb |
| Symbol: | rail |
| Borough: | Letchworth, District of North Hertfordshire |
| Country: | England |
| Grid Name: | Grid reference |
| Owned: | Network Rail |
| Manager: | Great Northern |
| Platforms: | 2 |
| Code: | LET |
| Classification: | DfT category D |
| Years: | 1903 |
| Events: | Opened (restricted service) |
| Years1: | 15 April 1905 |
| Events1: | Opened (full service) |
| Years2: | 18 May 1913 |
| Events2: | Station relocated |
| Years3: | October 1937 |
| Events3: | Renamed Letchworth |
| Years4: | 11 June 1999 |
| Events4: | Renamed Letchworth Garden City |
| Footnotes: | Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road |
Letchworth Garden City station serves the town of Letchworth in Hertfordshire, England. The station is on the Cambridge Line 34miles north of London King's Cross,[1] and is a stop for services between King's Cross and Cambridge. Trains which serve the station are operated by Great Northern.
The first station known as Letchworth Garden City was opened in 1903, with a restricted service; it gained a full passenger service on 15 April 1905.[2] On 18 May 1913, this station was replaced by a new station on a different site. The new station was built in 1912, in the Arts and Crafts style, and has since been Grade II listed.[3]
The station was originally intended to have two island platforms, giving a total of four platforms. However, since its opening only two platforms have been used. It was known from October 1937 as Letchworth, until it regained its current name on 11 June 1999 following a refurbishment scheme.[4] Electric operation at the station was inaugurated in 1978, as part of the Kings Cross Outer Suburban scheme, though the wires initially ended at Royston. Through electric services to Cambridge began in May 1988.[5]
The platforms were extended initially for eight carriages, and further extended in December 2011 for 12-carriage trains.
Passenger lifts were installed in two new towers in March 2014.[6]
To the north of the station are the sidings where trains starting or terminating at Letchworth are cleaned and stabled.
Ticket barriers are in operation.
The station was used as a filming location for the 2013 film The World's End; it was converted into a pub named "The Hole in the Wall".[7]
Services at Letchworth Garden City are operated by Thameslink and Great Northern using and EMUs.
The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:
During the peak hours, the all stations service to Cambridge is increased to 2 tph, and the station is served by an additional half-hourly service between London King's Cross and via which runs non-stop to and from London King's Cross.
On Sundays, the stopping services to and from London King's Cross, and the services between Brighton and Cambridge are reduced to hourly.
Letchworth Station (Oil on canvas, 1911) by Spencer Gore is notable as an early depiction of rail commuters. From the collection of J. Peter W. Cochrane.[8]