Ropley railway station

Ropley
Engine 80104 approaching Ropley station on The Watercress Line
Location
Place	Ropley
Area	East Hampshire
Coordinates	51°05′15″N 1°06′09″W / 51.0876°N 1.1024°W / 51.0876; -1.1024Coordinates: 51°05′15″N 1°06′09″W / 51.0876°N 1.1024°W / 51.0876; -1.1024
Grid reference	SU629324
Operations
Original company	Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Company
Pre-grouping	London and South Western Railway
Post-grouping	Southern Railway Southern Region of British Railways
Platforms	2
History
2 October 1865 (1865-10-02)	opened
5 February 1973	closed
30 April 1977	reopened
Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom
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History

The station was opened by the Mid-Hants (Alton Lines) Railway (MHR) on 2 October 1865.^[1] The MHR was leased to the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in August 1880, which fully absorbed the MHR in June 1884.^[2] The LSWR amalgamated with other railways to form the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923.^[3]

The station was closed by British Rail on 5 February 1973.^[1]

Preservation

Ropley railway station was reopened by the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) on 30 April 1977.^[4][1] It is an intermediate station on the preserved Watercress Line, which runs from Alton to New Alresford.

The main locomotive shed and workshops for the Mid Hants Railway are located just to the east of Ropley station.

The station gardens feature notable yew topiary, which has been in situ for over 100 years (an 1898 postcard shows the topiary well established).

A footbridge was added to the western end of the station in 1986. This was recovered from the closed station at North Tawton in Devon in August 1983, restored and installed by volunteers.

Footbridge

In 2012/13, a footbridge, originally located at King's Cross station in London, was dismantled and later re-surrected at Ropley train station for a new lease of life, even above the maintenance shed, where passengers can walk over and view the works below.^{[citation needed]}

Route

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Medstead and Four Marks		Watercress Line		Alresford (Hampshire)
	Historical railways
Medstead and Four Marks		Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway Company		Alresford (Hampshire)

References