Basingstoke railway station
Encyclopedia
Basingstoke railway station, in the town of Basingstoke
in the county of Hampshire
in England
, is on the South Western Main Line
from London Waterloo, with local and fast services operated by South West Trains
. It is also the terminus of First Great Western
local services on the Reading to Basingstoke Line
. Long distance cross-country services operated by CrossCountry
to from Birmingham, Manchester
and further north, join the main line from the branch there. The station is sponsored by AXA Winterthur
Insurance who are based in the town.
as a temporary terminus when its line to Southampton reached Basingstoke from London. It became a through station when the section running north from Southampton was completed later in 1839. The intention to build a line from near Basingstoke to Bristol
was dropped when the Great Western Railway
was approved. The L&SWR did, however plan a line to Salisbury from Basingstoke but this was delayed by financial difficulties. Eventually, it was built reaching Andover
in 1854 and Salisbury
three years later, before being extended to become the West of England Main Line
.
The Great Western Railway built its broad gauge
line from Reading
in 1845 with a separate station north of the L&SWR station. After its conversion to standard gauge
in 1856, through services could run between Southampton and Reading. The GWR station was demolished in 1932. Although some through services were run to Windsor, there is no evidence that they ever ran to the GWR's London terminus at Paddington.
Basingstoke station was the terminus of the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
, opened in 1901 to prevent the GWR from building a line on this route towards Portsmouth. The line was never profitable and during the First World War, some of the track was sold off. After the war, Southern Railway
had the line reopened, only for it to be closed finally in 1932.
In the 1980s, Platform 5 was converted to a bay platform to permit an entrance on the northern side. In 1993, an explosive device planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
was found in a toilet, soon after a bomb scare at Reading railway station
. In 2001 a suitcase was left outside the station containing the mutilated body of a man in his twenties. He had been stabbed to death.
Anglia Railways
ran a London Crosslink
service from Ipswich
to Basingstoke via Stratford and the North London Line
using Class 170 'Turbostars' between May 2000 and September 2002. South West Trains also ran a local service from Reading
to Brighton
until timetable changes on 9 December 2007. Southern railway
services from Southampton and Portsmouth to Brighton were improved to compensate for that.
and Poole
also stop here, along with westbound CrossCountry
and freight services to Southampton and Bournemouth
.
and Southampton from Waterloo. It is also used by trains on the West of England Main Line
to Salisbury
, where every other train continues to Exeter
. Some peak-time trains divide at Salisbury with one portion running to Bristol Temple Meads
. Up trains use Platform 3 and are the fastest trains to London Waterloo.
which head to Reading
before reversing and continuing to Birmingham, and onwards to the north. Northbound freight trains from Southampton docks heading this way also pass through here. The rear entrance to the station is located on this platform.
operated by First Great Western
.
shopping centre. A bridge over Churchill Way leads to the bus station. Festival Place
can be accessed from The Malls or the bus station, while Festival Square and the Top of Town are located beyond the bus station. The northern entrance on Platform 4 gives access to a car park.
The south booking hall has ticket facilities (including ticket machines), information and a small shop. The station is staffed all day, and both entrances have ticket barriers.
There is a small café on the central island platform and another on Platform 4, as well as indoor waiting rooms.
opened a locomotive shed on the south side of the main line, to the west of the station in 1839. This was closed in 1909 to make way for station enlargement. It was replaced by a larger structure on the north side of the line. This was closed by British Railways in March 1963, but remained in use as a servicing point until the end of steam in June 1967. It was demolished in 1969.
The Berks and Hants Railway opened a small shed to the east of the station on the north side of the line in 1850. This was closed by British Railways in November 1950, and demolished to make way for sidings.
South West Trains
South Western Main Line
- Eastbound
Services are operated by Class 159, 444, 450 units, of which:
South Western Main Line
- Westbound
Services on this route are operated by Class 444, 450 units. Some peak time additional services use 159s.
West of England Main Line
Services on this routes are operated by Class 159 units
CrossCountry
Services on this route are operated using Class 220/221 units.
First Great Western
Services on this route are operated using Classes 165 and 166 units.
In Addition to the Semi-Fast service to Weymouth, passengers are also able to reach stations towards Weymouth in a similar time with 1 change:
Passengers can take the southbound Cross Country service to Winchester, where they can alight and wait approximately 10 minutes to join the express service to Weymouth that didn't stop at Basingstoke.
Passengers will need to alight from the Weymouth - Waterloo Express service at Winchester (as this service doesn't stop at Basingstoke), where they can wait for approximately 15 minutes to join the Portsmouth Harbour - Waterloo via Basingstoke Service to convey them to Basingstoke.
Basingstoke
Basingstoke is a town in northeast Hampshire, in south central England. It lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon. It is southwest of London, northeast of Southampton, southwest of Reading and northeast of the county town, Winchester. In 2008 it had an estimated population of...
in the county of Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is on the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
from London Waterloo, with local and fast services operated by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
. It is also the terminus of First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
local services on the Reading to Basingstoke Line
Reading to Basingstoke Line
The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western Railway between 1846 and 1848. The line is served by First Great Western local services between Reading and Basingstoke, which stop at the...
. Long distance cross-country services operated by CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
to from Birmingham, Manchester
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
and further north, join the main line from the branch there. The station is sponsored by AXA Winterthur
Winterthur Group
AXA Winterthur is a multinational insurance company. The original company named Winterthur was founded in Winterthur, Switzerland, in 1875. Until June 2006, Winterthur was a Credit Suisse subsidiary. Now, Paris-based AXA Insurance has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Winterthur...
Insurance who are based in the town.
History
The station was opened by the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
as a temporary terminus when its line to Southampton reached Basingstoke from London. It became a through station when the section running north from Southampton was completed later in 1839. The intention to build a line from near Basingstoke to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
was dropped when the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
was approved. The L&SWR did, however plan a line to Salisbury from Basingstoke but this was delayed by financial difficulties. Eventually, it was built reaching Andover
Andover railway station
Andover station serves the town of Andover, Hampshire UK. The station is served and operated by South West Trains. The station is 107 km south west of London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line ....
in 1854 and Salisbury
Salisbury railway station
Salisbury is a railway station serving the city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Located southwest of London Waterloo, the station is the crossing point of the West of England Main Line and the Wessex Main Line...
three years later, before being extended to become the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
.
The Great Western Railway built its broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line from Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in 1845 with a separate station north of the L&SWR station. After its conversion to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
in 1856, through services could run between Southampton and Reading. The GWR station was demolished in 1932. Although some through services were run to Windsor, there is no evidence that they ever ran to the GWR's London terminus at Paddington.
Basingstoke station was the terminus of the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway
The Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway was a railway in Hampshire, UK, opened on Saturday, 1 June 1901, with no formal ceremony.It was the first railway to be enabled by an Order of the Light Railway Commission under the Light Railways Act of 1896...
, opened in 1901 to prevent the GWR from building a line on this route towards Portsmouth. The line was never profitable and during the First World War, some of the track was sold off. After the war, Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
had the line reopened, only for it to be closed finally in 1932.
In the 1980s, Platform 5 was converted to a bay platform to permit an entrance on the northern side. In 1993, an explosive device planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
was found in a toilet, soon after a bomb scare at Reading railway station
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
. In 2001 a suitcase was left outside the station containing the mutilated body of a man in his twenties. He had been stabbed to death.
Anglia Railways
Anglia Railways
Anglia Railways was a British train operating company, owned by GB Railways, which between 5 January 1997 and 31 March 2004 operated mainline trains out of London Liverpool Street station and a number of local rail services in East Anglia....
ran a London Crosslink
London Crosslink
London Crosslink was a train service operated by Anglia Railways, which ran between Norwich and Basingstoke, using the North London Line to by-pass central London. Class 170 "Turbostar" diesel multiple units were used. The service ran from 30 May 2000 to 11 September 2002...
service from Ipswich
Ipswich railway station
Ipswich railway station is a railway station serving the town of Ipswich in Suffolk, England. The station is located on the Great Eastern Main Line 68¾ miles east of London Liverpool Street towards Norwich...
to Basingstoke via Stratford and the North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
using Class 170 'Turbostars' between May 2000 and September 2002. South West Trains also ran a local service from Reading
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
to Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
until timetable changes on 9 December 2007. Southern railway
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
services from Southampton and Portsmouth to Brighton were improved to compensate for that.
Platforms
The station has five platforms, all of which can be used bi-directionally. They are above street level and are accessed via stairs and lifts from the booking hall and subway.Platform 1
Platform 1 is the closest to the main entrance on the south side. It is used by terminating slow services to and from London Waterloo. Regional services to SouthamptonSouthampton Central railway station
Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...
and Poole
Poole railway station
thumb|right|Down stopping train in 1958Poole railway station is a railway station on the South Western Main Line serving the town of Poole in Dorset, England. The station is situated in the town centre next to Holes Bay...
also stop here, along with westbound CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
and freight services to Southampton and Bournemouth
Bournemouth railway station
Bournemouth railway station, originally known as Bournemouth East and then Bournemouth Central , is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth...
.
Platforms 2 & 3
Platform 2 is on the south side of the island platform with Platform 3 on the north. Platform 2 is used by the other down mainline services to PortsmouthPortsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
and Southampton from Waterloo. It is also used by trains on the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
to Salisbury
Salisbury railway station
Salisbury is a railway station serving the city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Located southwest of London Waterloo, the station is the crossing point of the West of England Main Line and the Wessex Main Line...
, where every other train continues to Exeter
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
. Some peak-time trains divide at Salisbury with one portion running to Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
. Up trains use Platform 3 and are the fastest trains to London Waterloo.
Platform 4
Some slower trains to London Waterloo use Platform 4, on the northern side of station. It is also used by northbound CrossCountryCrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
which head to Reading
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
before reversing and continuing to Birmingham, and onwards to the north. Northbound freight trains from Southampton docks heading this way also pass through here. The rear entrance to the station is located on this platform.
Platform 5
Platform 5 is a bay platform used by stopping services to Reading on the Reading to Basingstoke LineReading to Basingstoke Line
The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western Railway between 1846 and 1848. The line is served by First Great Western local services between Reading and Basingstoke, which stop at the...
operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
Facilities
The station has two entrances. The main entrance to the south has access to a taxi rank, some car parks and a bus stop, with steps down to The MallsThe Malls, Basingstoke
The Malls, Basingstoke is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England built between 1978 and 1981.-History and development:Before The Malls were built, the site was occupied by a number of small residential and commercial properties and by the clothing factory of Gerrish, Ames and...
shopping centre. A bridge over Churchill Way leads to the bus station. Festival Place
Festival Place
Festival Place is a shopping centre in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England which opened on Tuesday, 22 October 2002. It houses 165 shops including large department stores such as Bhs, Debenhams, and Marks and Spencer...
can be accessed from The Malls or the bus station, while Festival Square and the Top of Town are located beyond the bus station. The northern entrance on Platform 4 gives access to a car park.
The south booking hall has ticket facilities (including ticket machines), information and a small shop. The station is staffed all day, and both entrances have ticket barriers.
There is a small café on the central island platform and another on Platform 4, as well as indoor waiting rooms.
Incidents
On 19 December 2008 an over-height container on the Wakefield Europort to Southampton Docks service struck and damaged 130 metres (142.2 yd) of the canopy of platform 1. The train was stopped before it reached the tunnels north of .Motive Power Depots
The London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
opened a locomotive shed on the south side of the main line, to the west of the station in 1839. This was closed in 1909 to make way for station enlargement. It was replaced by a larger structure on the north side of the line. This was closed by British Railways in March 1963, but remained in use as a servicing point until the end of steam in June 1967. It was demolished in 1969.
The Berks and Hants Railway opened a small shed to the east of the station on the north side of the line in 1850. This was closed by British Railways in November 1950, and demolished to make way for sidings.
Services
Typical off peak service patterns:South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
- Eastbound
- 7tph London WaterlooWaterloo stationWaterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
Services are operated by Class 159, 444, 450 units, of which:
-
- 1tph only calls at Clapham JunctionClapham Junction railway stationClapham Junction railway station is near St John's Hill in the south-west of Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. Although it is in Battersea, the area around the station is commonly identified as Clapham Junction....
- 1tph only calls at WokingWoking railway stationWoking railway station is a railway station in England, serving the town of Woking, Surrey. It is a major stop on the South Western Main Line and is used by many commuters...
- 1tph calls at Woking and Clapham Junction
- 1tph calls at Farnborough (Main) and Woking
- 1tph calls at Fleet, Farnborough (Main) and Clapham Junction
- 2tph stopping which start here, calling at all stations to Woking then WeybridgeWeybridge railway stationWeybridge railway station serves Weybridge in the Elmbridge district of Surrey, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line operated by South West Trains, 19 miles from London Waterloo....
, Walton-on-ThamesWalton-on-Thames railway stationWalton-on-Thames railway station serves the town of Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England. The station is located in the Ashley Park area of the town. The station originally opened as Walton for Hersham.Only the two outer platforms on the slow lines are currently used...
and SurbitonSurbiton railway stationSurbiton railway station is a National Rail station in Surbiton, south west London, in the Kingston upon Thames. The station is managed and served by South West Trains, and is in Travelcard Zone 6...
, then:- 1tph calls at Clapham Junction, and the other doesn't.
- 1tph only calls at Clapham Junction
South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
- Westbound
- 3tph WinchesterWinchester railway stationWinchester railway station is a railway station located in Winchester in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the South Western Main Line and was originally known as Winchester City to distinguish it from Winchester station....
(18 Minutes), of which:- 1tph Portsmouth HarbourPortsmouth Harbour railway stationPortsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
(1hr 23min) at xx.24 and xx.54 - 2tph Southampton CentralSouthampton Central railway stationSouthampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...
(30min), of which:- 1tph PoolePoole railway stationthumb|right|Down stopping train in 1958Poole railway station is a railway station on the South Western Main Line serving the town of Poole in Dorset, England. The station is situated in the town centre next to Holes Bay...
(1hr 30min) - 1tph WeymouthWeymouth railway stationWeymouth railway station is a railway station serving the town of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The station is the terminus of both the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo and the Heart of Wessex Line from and .-History:...
(2hr 10min) at xx.50 (an express to Weymouth passes through without stopping - the only service that regularly does so).
- 1tph Poole
- 1tph Portsmouth Harbour
Services on this route are operated by Class 444, 450 units. Some peak time additional services use 159s.
West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
- 2tph SalisburySalisbury railway stationSalisbury is a railway station serving the city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. Located southwest of London Waterloo, the station is the crossing point of the West of England Main Line and the Wessex Main Line...
(40 Minutes) usually at xx.07 and xx.37, of which:- 1tph to Exeter St DavidsExeter St Davids railway stationExeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
- 1tph to Exeter St Davids
Services on this routes are operated by Class 159 units
CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
- 1tph Birmingham at xx.47 and then to Manchester Piccadilly
- 1tph BournemouthBournemouth railway stationBournemouth railway station, originally known as Bournemouth East and then Bournemouth Central , is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth...
at xx.10
Services on this route are operated using Class 220/221 units.
First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
- 2tph ReadingReading railway stationReading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
(stopping)(23min) at xx.07 and xx.37
Services on this route are operated using Classes 165 and 166 units.
In Addition to the Semi-Fast service to Weymouth, passengers are also able to reach stations towards Weymouth in a similar time with 1 change:
- Southbound
Passengers can take the southbound Cross Country service to Winchester, where they can alight and wait approximately 10 minutes to join the express service to Weymouth that didn't stop at Basingstoke.
- Northbound
Passengers will need to alight from the Weymouth - Waterloo Express service at Winchester (as this service doesn't stop at Basingstoke), where they can wait for approximately 15 minutes to join the Portsmouth Harbour - Waterloo via Basingstoke Service to convey them to Basingstoke.