Harpenden railway station is on the Midland Main Line in England, serving the town of Harpenden, Hertfordshire. It is down the line from London St Pancras and is situated between to the south and to the north. Its three-letter station code is HPD. The station is served by Govia Thameslink-operated trains on the Thameslink route. History Harpenden was the second station built in the town, by the Midland Railway in 1868 on its extension to St. Pancras. Nothing remains of the original station buildings. Although located on Station Road, the road is actually named after the first station, , which was built in 1860 and closed in 1965. A branch line, built by the Hemel Hempstead Railway Company in 1877, known as the Nickey Line but operated by the Midland, formerly diverged from the main line north of the station. The intention had been to meet the LNWR at Boxmoor, but the section from Hemel Hempstead never had a passenger service. In 1886, a south curve was added to the junction allowing passengers to join the London trains at Harpenden rather than Luton. The branch was closed in 1979, but the route remains in use as a cycleway, passing under the M1 in a tunnel. A row of five brick built former coal merchant's offices along the station approach are now used as small retail and office units. Stationmasters Alfred King, station master from 1920 to 1927, committed suicide at age 53 on 29 March 1927 by lying on the rails in front of an express train. The inquest found that he had been suffering from depression and delusions for a long time. Joseph Vizall Bendall 1870 - 1872 (formerly station master at Ketton, afterwards station master at Cheltenham) George Salmon 1872 - 1899 (formerly station master at Irchester) Horace E. Horne 1899 - 1907 (afterwards station master at Cheltenham) E. Jones 1907 - 1920 (formerly station master at Higham Ferrers, afterwards station master at St Albans) Alfred John King 1920 - 1927 (formerly station master at Raunds and Olney) E. Goode until 1932 F.C. Cooper 1932 - 1942 (afterwards station master at Bath) Facilities The station has facilities toilets, a newsagent, dry cleaner, taxi office and rank, and a coffee shop. The station also has ticket machines on both sides of the station. The station has a PlusBus scheme where train and bus tickets can be bought together for