Worting Junction

Worting Junction
Worting Junction from the east
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Locale	Oakley, Hampshire, England 51°15′09″N 1°09′28″W / 51.25246°N 1.15786°W / 51.25246; -1.15786Coordinates: 51°15′09″N 1°09′28″W / 51.25246°N 1.15786°W / 51.25246; -1.15786
Services	London to Weymouth (between Basingstoke and Micheldever) London to Exeter (between Basingstoke and Overton)
Operation
Opened	1854 (1854)
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Worting Junction is a railway junction on the former LSWR route south of Basingstoke where the line divides to go towards Salisbury or Southampton.

History

1912 RCH map of lines around Worting Junction

When the line was first opened in 1854, Worting Junction was constructed as a flat junction. This required that down trains heading west and up trains from Southampton cross each other's paths. Initially this was not a great problem, however as traffic and speeds increased the junction became a bottleneck. To relieve this, a flying junction was provided to the south, opening on 30 May 1897. This changed the arrangement so that up trains from Southampton line now crossed over the up and down Salisbury lines on Battledown Flyover, 3 ¹⁄₄ miles west of Basingstoke.

Description

Battledown Flyover, part of Worting Junction

North of Worting Junction, stopping services to/from London Waterloo and CrossCountry services to/from the North of England via Reading use the outer pair of tracks, while express services to/from London Waterloo use the inner pair of tracks. The inner pair of tracks are unelectrified through the junction and continue towards the west to Salisbury and Exeter.

Worting Junction: Track Layout
Legend South Western Main Line from Basingstoke South Western Main Line to Winchester Battledown Flyover West of England Main Line to Salisbury Key Up lines (towards Basingstoke and London Waterloo) Down lines (from Basingstoke and London Waterloo)