Wareham railway station

Wareham National Rail
Main building at Wareham station, on the westbound platform.
Location
Place Wareham
Local authority District of Purbeck
Grid reference SY919881
Operations
Station code WRM
Managed by South Western Railway
Number of platforms 2
DfT category D
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2012/13 Decrease 0.351 million
2013/14 Decrease 0.349 million
2014/15 Decrease 0.345 million
2015/16 Decrease 0.336 million
2016/17 Increase 0.342 million
History
Key dates Opened 4 April 1887 (4 April 1887)
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Wareham from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Wareham railway station serves the town of Wareham in Dorset, England. It is situated about 0.6 miles (1 km) north of the town centre. It is 120 miles 70 chains (194.5 km) down the line from London Waterloo.

History

A Swanage branch train in 1966

The current station opened in 1887 replacing the original which opened in 1847 and was sited east of what is now only a pedestrian crossing.[1] This station had two bay platforms which served the branch line to Swanage from 1885 until 1972, when the branch closed.[2]

The branch line to Swanage is now the preserved Swanage Railway, a steam locomotive operated heritage railway that currently operates between Swanage and a Park and Ride site at Norden just north of Corfe Castle.

The rail connection between the Swanage Railway and the Network Rail tracks at Worgret Junction has been restored, and there are plans to extend the Swanage Railway back into Wareham station on a regular basis, thus restoring a connection with the National Rail network.[3]

Services

A Class 444 going to London

Wareham station is served by two South Western Railway services an hour from London Waterloo to Weymouth, usually a Class 444 express Desiro unit or Class 450 outer suburban Desiro unit. Prior to 9 December 2007 it was the terminus for an hourly local service from Brockenhurst but this has now been partially replaced by the additional Weymouth service.[4]

Until 1967, trains through the station were normally steam hauled. Class 205 (2H) diesel electric multiple units were used during the final years' of British Rail operations on the Swanage branch. Between 1967 and 1988, passenger services on the London-Weymouth line were normally provided by Class 33/1 diesel locomotives with Class 438 coaching stock (also known as 4-TC units). The line was electrified in 1988, using the standard British Rail Southern Region direct current third rail at 750 volts. Class 442 electric multiple units were initially used following electrification, until being displaced by new Class 444 electric multiple units in 2007.

Heritage

Track is now complete through from Worgret Junction to the Swanage Railway, although the normal steam service on the line still currently terminates at Norden station near Corfe Castle.

Special services worked between Wareham and Swanage until 2017. The line has now achieved their ultimate plans to have their regular services extended to and terminate at Wareham, allowing interchange with services on the main line. This was achieved on 13th June 2017 when a 4 coach Diesel hauled trial service began running to Wareham. This was the first train to work between the two towns since the Swanage Branch closed in 1972.[5]

However, Swanage Railway trains cannot call at Wareham until works to replace and upgrade the signalling system between Weymouth and Poole are completed. A £1.47 million grant from the Coastal Communities Fund will pay to upgrade track and bridges and two 1960s heritage diesel trains to mainline running standards. Trial services were planned for 50 days in 2015 and 90 days in 2016 (this timeframe has since been pushed back until 2017-18).[3] It is hoped a year-round service will follow.[6]

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Holton Heath   South Western Railway
South Western Main Line		   Wool
Corfe Castle   South Western Railway
Basingstoke to Corfe Castle
Summer Saturdays only		   Wool
  Heritage railways
Terminus   Swanage Railway
(Trial services only)		   Norden

References

  1. ↑ "Purbeck Townscape Character Appraisal". Dorsetforyou.com. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  2. ↑ "Steam train runs from town again". BBC News. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
  3. 1 2 "Project Wareham / The Purbeck Line"Swanage Railway website
  4. ↑ Table 158 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  5. ↑ London to Swanage train arrives after 37-year wait - Dorset Echo, 2 April 2009
  6. ↑ "Dorset rail service to be restored after 41 years". BBC News Dorset. 11 February 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013.

Coordinates: 50°41′35″N 2°06′54″W / 50.693°N 2.115°W / 50.693; -2.115

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