Unveiling of the Abbots Ripton Rail Disaster Information Board

Name: Unveiling of the Abbots Ripton Rail Disaster Information Board
Start: 2026-01-21T14:30:00+00:00
Location: Abbots Ripton Village Stores

Schedule

Wed, 21 Jan, 2026 at 02:30 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Abbots Ripton Village Stores | Huntingdon, EN

An Invitation to all Parishioners
The Abbots Ripton Rail Disaster.
The 21st January 2026 will mark the 150th anniversary of the Abbots Ripton rail disaster, a multiple collision on the line near the village that claimed 13 lives and became one of the most consequential events for improving rail signaling nationally.
The memorial erected at the crash site shortly after the disaster was lost when rail lines were added many years ago and in the intervening period the railway station and signal cabins at Abbots Ripton, Wood Walton and Stukely have also become redundant and been removed. There is no memorial to the event in the village and the crash site is inaccessible to the public due to its location and the safety considerations of the current rail line.
The Parish Council, with the help of local rail historian Charles Saunders and the York National Rail museum have produced an information board to commemorate the event and provide an educational resource for residents and visitors alike. We plan to unveil the Information Board in Jubilee Gardens opposite the Post Office in Abbots Ripton at 2:30pm on Wednesday sday 21st January 2026 where it will remain on permanent display.
We would like to invite you to attend the unveiling and meet other Parishioners and, hopefully, a delegation from Abbots Ripton School.
Although the modern rail traveler whizzes past Abbots Ripton with barely a glimpse of St Andrews Church tower, we feel that 150 years on it is appropriate that visitors to our village have a chance to learn of this tragic and significant event.
We sincerely hope you are able to attend.
Steve Brown - Chair Abbots Ripton & Wennington Parish Council