Whitchurch Town railway station

Whitchurch Town

Site of the station in 2006
Location
Place Whitchurch
Area Basingstoke and Deane
Coordinates 51°13′44″N 1°20′36″W / 51.2289°N 1.3433°WCoordinates: 51°13′44″N 1°20′36″W / 51.2289°N 1.3433°W
Grid reference SU459479
Operations
Original company Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Pre-grouping Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway
Post-grouping Great Western Railway
Platforms 2
History
4 May 1885 Opened as Whitchurch
1 July 1924 Renamed Whitchurch (Hants)
4 August 1942 Closed
8 March 1943 Re-opened as Whitchurch (Hants)
26 September 1949 Renamed Whitchurch Town
7 March 1960 Closed to passengers
6 May 1963 Closed to goods
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

Whitchurch Town railway station was a station on the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway in England. It served the town of Whitchurch, Hampshire, between 1885 and 1960.

History

The Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DN&S) was opened in stages. The section between Enborne Junction (to the west of Newbury) and Winchester was formally opened on 1 May 1885, public services beginning on 4 May; among the original stations was one named Whitchurch.[1][2][3] It was 12 miles 57 chains (20.5 km) from Enborne Junction, and 31 miles 64 chains (51.2 km) from Didcot.[4]

Whitchurch was already served by one railway station on the LSWR which survives to this day. The DNSR had a choice of connecting to the LSWR and building a station nearby to aid interchange traffic. However, it decided to build the station further south, closer to the town.[5][6]

Accidents and incidents

Facilities

The station was relatively large compared to others on this section of the line including a larger station building on the northbound platform and a subway to link the two platforms. There was also a long passing loop and three sidings complete with a large goods shed. The station also boasted a water crane and water tower.[2]

Working

The DN&S was worked by the Great Western Railway (GWR), and at the 1923 Grouping, the DN&S was absorbed by the GWR.[8] The GWR had other stations also named Whitchurch, and to distinguish them, most were renamed: this one became Whitchurch (Hants) on 1 July 1924.[1]

Temporary closure

Like other stations on the former DN&S line, Whitchurch (Hants) station was closed temporarily on 4 August 1942 so that the line could be upgraded for wartime freight trains; it reopened on 8 March 1943.[1][9]

Final closure

Following the nationalisation of the railways in 1948, British Railways renamed the station Whitchurch Town on 26 September 1949, a name which it retained until closure to passengers on 7 March 1960.[1] Goods services continued, but these ceased as from 6 May 1963.[2]

Routes

Preceding station Disused railways Following station
Litchfield
Line and station closed		   Great Western Railway
Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway		   Barton Stacey
Line and station closed

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Butt 1995, p. 248.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Judge 1984, p. 94.
  3. ↑ Sands 1971, pp. 18,29.
  4. ↑ Sands 1971, p. 50.
  5. ↑ Sands 1971, p. 29.
  6. ↑ Conolly 1976, p. 4, section B3.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Bishop, Bill (1984). Off the Rails. Southampton: Kingfisher. pp. 57–65. ISBN 0 946184 06 2.
  8. ↑ Sands 1971, p. 38.
  9. ↑ Sands 1971, pp. 40–41.

References

External links