A unscheduled visit to Stevenage since i had to pick up my sister here from London, around 20 minutes was spent on Saturday 24th February 2018. Not much action as intended since it was a weekend and late evening and there were engineering works, so trains were diverted on platforms 1 and 4 and terminated trains used platforms 3 and 2.

Stevenage info:

Stevenage railway station serves the town of Stevenage in Hertfordshire, England. The station is 27 miles 45 chains (44.4 km) north of London King's Cross on the East Coast Main Line. Stevenage is managed and served by Great Northern. It is also served by Hull Trains and Virgin Trains East Coast.

The present station was opened on 26 July 1973 by Shirley Williams, then MP for Stevenage, replacing the previous station, which was 73 chains (1,500 m) to the north, and further away from the centre of the new town. The station was built by British Rail.

History:

The original Stevenage railway station was built in 1850 by the Great Northern Railway, despite the apparent hostility towards the railway being built there at that time due to the inevitable decline it would cause to local coach businesses, which all ended shortly after the station was opened. In 1946, Stevenage was one of the first communities selected to become a 'New Town' as part of the governments New Towns Act, which resulted in a new town centre. In 1973, the railway station was relocated 73 chains (1.47 km) south, within walking distance (220 yd, 200 m) of the new town centre.

Facilities:

The station has two separate ticket offices (Great Northern and Virgin Trains East Coast), but in practice, each sell each other's tickets. There are also seven ticket machines. There are toilets at street level (but not on the platforms) and lifts from the station building to both platforms.

The station also has automatic ticket barriers, which were installed by First Capital Connect (the previous train operator) shortly after it took over the route, as a revenue protection exercise and to improve security at the station. There is a snack bar, at street level, and two coffee bars at platform level, with one per platform. The newsagent previously at street level closed in March 2014, pending the redevelopment of the station which has since been completed. Since December 2013, the previous train operator, First Capital Connect started refurbishing the station completely, introducing passenger lifts between platform and street level, and refurbishing the concourse area plus retail units. The works were due to be completed by April 2014, but were delayed. Since Great Northern took over the franchise in September 2014, these works have been completed.

Both island platforms have indoor waiting rooms that were refurbished in May 2012 as part of a wider scheme to refurbish and add waiting rooms across the Great Northern Route, and there is also outdoor seating along the length of the platforms.

The station is a short walk on a walkway from Stevenage Bus Station and is opposite a leisure complex that includes the Gordon Craig Theatre.

Services:

Great Northern

Most of the trains serving Stevenage station are operated by Great Northern, lying on its Great Northern Route from London King's Cross to Peterborough and Cambridge. It is also served by trains between London and Letchworth via Hertford North; these trains use Moorgate station in London. Great Northern services mainly use the outer faces of each island platform - platform 1 for Kings Cross and Moorgate and platform 4 for Letchworth, Cambridge and Peterborough. During weekday rush hours & at weekends some trains to/from Hertford North also terminate & start from platform 4.

The Monday–Saturday off-peak service is:

4 trains per hour southbound to King's Cross, of which:
2 run fast, calling at Finsbury Park only;
2 stop at all stations as far as Hatfield, then fast to Potters Bar and Finsbury Park.
2 trains per hour northbound to Cambridge (one semi-fast, one stopping at all local stations)
2 trains per hour northbound to Peterborough, calling at all stations.
1 train per hour south to London Moorgate via Hertford North, calling at all stations en route;
1 train per hour north to Letchworth Garden City, which only runs on weekdays (at weekends this service terminates here).

Virgin Trains East Coast

Stevenage is also served by some Virgin Trains East Coast services on the East Coast Main Line. During the day, there is an hourly service between London King's Cross and Leeds and an hourly service between King's Cross and Newark North Gate (extended to York every 2 hours); at other times there are also services to Edinburgh Waverley and Newcastle. These services use platform 2 southbound and platform 3 northbound.

Hull Trains

Hull Trains offer a very limited service, only calling at Stevenage on Sunday afternoons, 1 train northbound and 2 trains southbound. This service runs between King's Cross and Hull.

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