Herts, why is the traffic so bad?

[AM9]

This line closed to passenger services way back in 1947 when they were temporarily suspended - but were never reinstated. It ended somewhat short of the WCML station serving Hemel Hempstead (HH) at Boxmoor. The end of the line was only connected for a short while at Boxmoor goods yard 1959/60 to allow coal to go to HH gasworks after the line had become disused east of the gasworks connection from Harpenden, although the original intention had been to link with the L&NWR at Boxmoor. (They said 'No'.) The wholesale redevelopment of HH resulted in much of the railway infrastructure being lost at the HH end; for example there was a large brick viaduct crossing what is now the site of the so-called "Magic Roundabout" in HH - this was demolished in 1960.

Thanks John, - so that line was already in its demise.

 

[John Webb]

Thanks John, - so that line was already in its demise.

Yes - according to Sue and Geoff Woodward's book on the line (published 1996 by the Oakwood Press) the LMS reduced the train service to one train each way morning and evening, and two extra on Saturdays in 1929 - their own bus service (started by the LNWR in 1909) linking HH to the LNWR station proved more popular than the use of the branch line. The LMS used this bus service as a reason for not linking the branch to HH/Boxmoor station even when they now owned both lines. The buses were extended to Harpenden in 1929, but were taken over in 1933 by the LPTB, later to become London Transport.
The last regular passengers were 6 schoolchildren, who eventually swapped in 1947 to using the buses (which got them to school on time, unlike the train) and the LMS, also suffering coal shortages, then suspended the passenger service, which never restarted.