Higham Ferrers branch line

It was originally intended to continue the line to Raunds, but that was frustrated by the refusal of a landowner to release his land.

As road transport became practical in the 1930s and subsequently, the usage of the line declined, although heavy mineral traffic remained buoyant.

Nevertheless the line was closed to passenger operation in 1959, although some factories' holiday special trains ran annually after that.

The Midland Railway opened its north-south main line in 1857 and provided a station at Irchester; this too was inconvenient and distant, although it was nearer Rushden.

[2][3] Local business interests saw that their towns were at a disadvantage in not having direct railway access; moreover the transport of coal and other heavy supplies added considerably to their cost.

This the Midland Railway were reluctant to do; they had priorities elsewhere at the time, and experience had shown that short rural branch lines did not pay.

Moreover the Midland Railway main line in the area was heavily congested, in particular due to the heavy volume of coal traffic being carried.

The intended continuation to Raunds was abandoned, because the owner of lands required for the line made such obstruction to the sale of his property, and the Midland Railway did not proceed with construction beyond Higham Ferrers.

Then in 1954 the usual steam-worked branch train was replaced by a three-coach diesel multiple unit, but this seems to have been unsuccessful and steam operation was reinstated.