Dorchester West railway station

Dorchester West
Location
Place Dorchester
Local authority West Dorset
Operations
Station code DCW
Managed by First Great Western
Number of platforms 2
Live arrivals/departures and station information
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2002/03 *   242
2004/05 * 301
2005/06 * 236
2006/07 * 172
2007/08 * 65,961
2008/09 * 73,596
History
Original company Great Western Railway
1857 Opened
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 Dorchester West from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Dorchester West railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town of Dorchester in Dorset.

The station is located on the Heart of Wessex Line between Castle Cary and Weymouth and is at the southern end of a single track section from Maiden Newton. The line becomes double at the station and remains so to nearby Dorchester Junction where it joins the main line from London Waterloo station to Weymouth.

Contents

History

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway on 20 January 1857, when it completed the former Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line from Castle Cary and Yeovil through to Weymouth.

An accident occurred at this station in 1974 when an excursion train from Hereford to Weymouth, on its return journey, did not stop at the signal controlling the entry to the single line section, and ran into the sand drag. The locomotive (a Class 47) ran right through the sand drag and out the other side, followed by a couple of coaches. Eighteen passengers suffered minor injuries in the derailment, but no one was seriously hurt.[1] The passengers were taken home by train via Southampton later that evening, and the loco was subsequently re-railed and recovered during the night several weeks later.

In the late 1980s, the station gained attention as being one of the worst-maintained stations in the country. Subsequent renovations have brought it up to a much more respectable standard.

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Bradford Peverell & Stratton Halt   Great Western Railway
Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
  Monkton and Came Halt

Services

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Maiden Newton   First Great Western
Heart of Wessex Line
  Upwey

The station is served by First Great Western. Most services originate from Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads and are operated by Class 150, Class 153 or Class 158 diesel multiple units.

Eight trains in each direction call Mondays to Saturdays and three each way on Sundays all year (plus two additional trains in the summer months).

Notes

See also