Openings 's station building Opened by the
Midland Railway on its
Syston and Peterborough Railway, train services began on 2 October 1846 on the
Peterborough to Stamford section, using a temporary station in Water Street, as the tunnel was not complete. The contract for the erection of the permanent station was obtained by Groocock and Yates of Leicester in 1847. The permanent station opened along with through services to
Leicester on 20 March 1848. The
London and North Western Railway opened their single track branch line from
Rugby via
Market Harborough on 2 June 1851. This actually joined the Midland line at
Luffenham, but trains generally worked through to Stamford and terminated in the LNWR bay, platform 3, the far side of the current Leicester platform, which is now disused and filled in. In 1863, the weekday train service comprised 5 each way per day on the
Peterborough - Stamford -
Leicester route, 3 each way per day on the Stamford -
Market Harborough -
Rugby route, and 1 each way per day on the Stamford -
Market Harborough -
Northampton route, including through coaches to London Euston, then known as Euston Square. The LNWR Rugby line was double tracked in 1878, but in 1879 the LNWR built a new line from to
Wansford on their existing
Peterborough to
Northampton Nene valley line, and from this time, Rugby to Peterborough was operated as the main line and the Stamford to Seaton section became a branch line, and was singled again in 1907.
Closures When
Stamford East station closed in 1957, the Stamford to
Essendine services were diverted to Town station, but these services ceased in 1959. Some minor stations on the Midland line closed in the 1950s and 1960s and the remaining village stations such as
Helpston and
Ketton & Collyweston closed in 1966, along with the Seaton branch line from Luffenham.
1970s With the end of steam traction, the service in the 1970s and early 1980s generally comprised a stopping service formed of 2-car
DMUs running between Peterborough and Leicester every two hours, supplemented by a two or three times a day Peterborough to Stamford shuttle service. There was also a four or five times daily through
Birmingham to
Norwich service usually formed by a
Class 31 with four or five Mark 1 coaches, these services generally ran non-stop between Peterborough and Leicester.
1980s General goods services in Stamford finished in the late 1960s but the coal yard remained in use until 16 May 1983. When the coal yard closed, the opportunity was also taken to close the signal box. All pointwork was removed and mechanical signals were replaced by colour lights controlled by Ketton signal box. Ketton signal box was retained due to the need to monitor the level crossing. With no crossover, the Peterborough to Stamford shuttles were for a time reversed at Ketton, before being withdrawn altogether. With the line to the bay platform lifted, the bay was filled in to form a flowerbed.
1990s In the late 1990s, the toilets were closed, having been the subject of vandalism and variously available since the 1960s. The ticket office is only open in the mornings. The small bicycle rack outside the station was removed.
2000s Central Trains undertook internal modifications and refurbishment to the ticket office and booking hall towards the end of their franchise.
Network Rail also invested £500,000 on refurbishment of the station building, modern lighting, overbridge and foot crossing to further update the station in late 2007. In late July 2008,
Network Rail was granted
listed building consent to make alterations to the then Grade II listed station building to enable larger freight trains of W10
loading gauge to travel on the Peterborough to
Nuneaton route. This will involve changes to the platform alignment and the platform canopy and a temporary platform will be provided during the works. It was planned that both platforms would be extended by up to five metres by no later than 2012.
Historical services ;Timetable for February 1863 The table below shows the train departures from Stamford Town on weekdays in February 1863. ;Timetable for July 1922 The table below shows the train departures from Stamford Town on weekdays in July 1922.
Stationmasters In 1853, the station master Thomas Liddell had travelled to Barrowden, intending to return by train but on arriving at Luffenham, he discovered it was too late for the train home. When he got to Ketton, he persuaded a porter to get out a truck, which he proposed to ride home in, thinking that the line from Ketton to Stamford was on a descent, he would be able to travel the 3 miles without propulsion. After initial success, the truck stopped at the bridge approaching Easton-wood and he could not get it moving again on his own. After assistance from the gatekeeper, he managed to reach Stamford. The incident reached the directors of the Midland Railway and an officer arrived and took him into custody.
Midland Railway • Mr. North ca. 1846 • Francis Toplis ca. 1848 ca. 1851 • Thomas Liddell until 1853 (dismissed) • Edward Darke ca. 1854 • Thomas Hirst ca. 1856 - 1860 (discharged) • William Ward 1861 (formerly station master at Manton) • Thomas Alexander Watford 1882 - 1890 (formerly station master at Rugby, afterwards station master at Tamworth) • Thomas Walker ca. 1892 - 1894 (afterwards station master at Tamworth) • William Grant 1895 - ca. 1901 • John Francis Westcott 1903 - 1921 (formerly station master at Elstree) • Arthur Jackson 1921 - 1930 (formerly station master at Elmton and Creswell, afterwards station master at Berkhamstead) • William Thomas Dickens 1930 - 1940 (from 1936 also station master at Stamford East) • Joseph Henry Marshall until 1946 • John E. Pridmore 1946 - 1959 • A. Rolling from 1960 (formerly station master at South Lynn)
London and North Western Railway From 1908, it was agreed that the station be run as a joint station with the Midland Railway, with only one stationmaster. • Jas. McColm 1862 - 1863 (dismissed) • John Maw 1863 - ca. 1871 • Samuel Willett ca. 1872 - 1877 • George Wallis 1877 - 1897 • John Brassington 1897 - 1908 ==Services==