A QUESTION about the naming of Bushey railway station prompted historian Dennis Rogers, of Oxhey, to write in. He writes: "Bushey and Oxhey station was originally called Bushey Station due to the fact more people from Bushey than Oxhey used it.

"Bushey had been well established by the time the railways began whereas Oxhey had many fewer dwellings.

"Later in the 19th Century housing started to be built in an area called New Bushey, adjacent to the railway lines. In the early years of the 20th Century Watford Urban District Council, which already included New Bushey in its area, wanted to include the whole of Bushey, so strengthening its case to become an urban district in 1906.

"New Bushey remained with Watford Urban and was subsequently renamed Oxhey in 1907 and later became Oxhey Village.

"Watford Urban never achieved county borough status. By 1908 the station was renamed Bushey and Oxhey after residents protested.

"By about 1970 British Rail decided to removate most of its stations. I was informed by a railway manager friend that in order to cut costs in producing many name plates for stations, it was decided to abbreviate wherever possible to the existing names.

"Therefore Bushey and Oxhey became just Bushey, without any reference to the residents or the local history of the area. Thus we have Bushey station surrounded by Oxhey only."

E.W. Hardy, of Watford, also wrote in: "Bushey and Oxhey railway station became just Bushey on May 6, 1974.

"The change came about as British Rail had decided that most stations would in future be known by one place name only. This applied to stations such as Hemel Hempstead and Boxmoor and Finchely Road and Frognal.

"Bushey was probably chosen as it was already well known for the Masonic School, film studios and artistic colony."

Are any readers aware of other local stations that have changed names?