| Betchworth | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Place | Betchworth |
| Local authority | Mole Valley |
| Operations | |
| Station code | BTO |
| Managed by | First Great Western |
| Number of platforms | 2 |
| Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
| Annual rail passenger usage | |
| 2004/05 * | 12,214 |
| 2005/06 * | 13,610 |
| 2006/07 * | 14,503 |
| 2007/08 * | 17,500 |
| 2008/09 * | 21,240 |
| 2009/10 * | 19,646 |
| History | |
| Opened 4 July 1849 | |
| National Rail - UK railway stations | |
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | |
| * Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Betchworth from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Betchworth railway station is in Surrey, England. The station is on the North Downs Line and is unmanned. All trains serving it are operated by First Great Western.
The station was built by the Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway Company in 1849. This company was closely associated with the South Eastern Railway (UK) who leased the line and operated services from 1850.
The typical off-peak service on the North Downs Line is one train every two hours in each direction between Reading and Redhill.
| Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorking Deepdene | First Great Western North Downs Line |
Reigate | ||
The station was particularly significant for the divergence of the Betchworth Quarry railway system, which was built to serve the Dorking Greystone Lime Company's three pits that lay north of the station. It served four different gauges. The standard gauge portion left the main line narrowly avoiding Betchworth station, before reversing to run to the Eastern and Southern Kiln Batteries. A 3 ft 2 ¼in railway system began there and primarily served the quarry with lines diverging to the Main, Upper Western Whitestone and Eastern Greystone Pits. The other gauges serving the works were the 1 ft 7 in (0.48 m) line that ran from a standard gauge siding to the Hearthstone Mine, and a brief 2 ft (0.61 m) gauge section of track that ran exclusively between the Eastern and Southern Kiln Batteries.
The first engine to shunt on the standard gauge portion, Engine No. 1 (unofficially named 'The Coffeepot') of 1871, is now preserved at Beamish, County Durham. Baxter, the last engine ever used on the line, and is now preserved on the Bluebell Railway (and mentioned in the Rev. W. Awdry book Stepney the "Bluebell" Engine). Baxter now renamed Captain Baxter was returned to traffic for the Bluebell 50th birthday.
Two engines that worked the 3 ft 2¼in gauge portion were also saved. Townsend Hook, is preserved, currently (8/2010) in pieces, at Amberley Chalk Pits Museum, and is in the throes of reconstruction as a static exhibit. William Finlay, brother of Townsend Hook still exists in private ownership