A
SHORT HISTORY OF THE NICKEY LINE
Building
started in 1867 and the Branch Line opened for passenger traffic on
Monday July 16th 1877.
Passenger
services were suspended in June 1947, due to a shortage of coal, but
Passenger services were never restarted.
In
1959 the track between the Hemel Gas Works and Cupid Green was lifted
to allow the construction of a large roundabaout and the expansion of
Hemel Hempstead Town Centre. The Hemel Hempstead Gas Works still required
coal so a connection was made between Hemel Hempstead Station on the
West Coast Main Line and the Gas Works using a cutting which originally
provided a link between the Nicky Line and the old London North Western
Railway shown on maps from 1887.
Eventually
the only traffic on the line was for the Hemelite Company in Cupid Green,
which made building blocks of ash from power stations. But even that
traffic was ended in 1979 when British Rail decided to close the connection
to the Midland Main Line and the Branch Line was severed from the Main
Line on Tuesday 24th July 1979.
The
rest of the track was lifted in 1982.