This is thought to be because the gradients from Blisworth, where the L&BR passed, to Northampton were larger than locomotives at the time were capable of handling.

It was built as part of a wider scheme to double the capacity of the West Coast Main Line between Bletchley and Rugby by quadrupling the track; however, routing the additional tracks on a deviation via Northampton had the advantage of giving the town a much better rail service, including a direct service to London, and avoiding the cost of widening the Kilsby Tunnel.

On 18 December 1876, the L&NWR purchased the site from William Walker and subsequently demolished the remains of the castle except for the postern gate, which, following a local petition, was moved to a new site in the boundary wall of the new station, where it remains to this day.

[4] Following the Great Depression in the United Kingdom, several post-grouping railways were forced to initiate station closures.

[5] The Great Central Railway (GCR) entered Northamptonshire in the west, away from Northampton itself.

[1] Former stations within Northamptonshire include:[1] The LNWR (now known as the West Coast Main Line) passed through the village Weedon, which was then an important military supply depot and barracks.

The line allowed for Northampton to access further locations in the Midlands and further north by trains changing at Market Harborough station.

This allowed for a direct train from Northampton to Skegness on Saturdays during the summer.

Construction of the line began in 1844, and the railway reached from Blisworth station on the WCML to Northampton Bridge Street by 1845.

[12] Northamptonshire is also served in rail freight by the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, as well as the under-construction Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Interchange[13] due to its location in the centre of the country, termed as the “golden logistics triangle” by the ONS, an area within a 4-hour drive of 90% of the UK population, making it an area with a very high density of logistics centres.

The two operational stations on the loop line are Northampton and Long Buckby.

[1] The Midland Main Line serves the stations of Wellingborough, Corby, and Kettering within Northamptonshire.

[1] The High Speed 2 (HS2) railway project passes through Northamptonshire, although has no stations within the county.

[18] A campaign by the British Regional Transport Association has been ongoing to restore the Northampton–Market Harborough line to enable a direct link from Northampton to Leicester.