Christchurch railway station
Encyclopedia
Christchurch railway station is a station serving the town of Christchurch
in Dorset
(formerly Hampshire
) in England. The station is on the London Waterloo to line operated by South West Trains
.
. Until 1935 the current station also serviced the line from - see Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway.
The line was electrified in 1967 when faster more frequent services were introduced.
, usually formed by a class 444
Desiro electric multiple unit
. This gives a journey time of about two hours from London. As well as Christchurch, the station is useful for reaching eastern parts of Bournemouth. The majority of services were previously operated by class 442 Wessex Electrics
which were withdrawn in February 2007.
The station is able to accommodate trains of up to 8 coaches, longer trains only open the doors in the first 5 or 8 coaches depending on the type of unit operating the service.
Road access to the station is from the northern end of Stour Road, near to the junction with Bargates coming from the town centre, at the end of Fairmile coming from the direction of Bournemouth International Airport and the Wessex Way. (A fairly steep bridge over the railway marks the point where Fairmile and Bargates, one straight road, meet.)
Christchurch, Dorset
Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
(formerly 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. The station is on the London Waterloo to line 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...
.
History
Between 1862 and 1886, Christchurch station was sited elsewhere to the east of Fairmile Road in Christchurch - see Christchurch original railway stationChristchurch original railway station
Christchurch was a railway station in Christchurch in the county of Hampshire . It was opened on 13 November 1862 by the Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway...
. Until 1935 the current station also serviced the line from - see Ringwood, Christchurch and Bournemouth Railway.
The line was electrified in 1967 when faster more frequent services were introduced.
Services
Although passed by the faster trains to it has an hourly semi-fast and stopping services from WaterlooWaterloo station
Waterloo 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....
, usually formed by a class 444
British Rail Class 444
The British Rail Class 444 Desiro electrical multiple units were built in Germany by Siemens AG from 2003-04. Forty-five of these units were built for express services for South West Trains....
Desiro electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
. This gives a journey time of about two hours from London. As well as Christchurch, the station is useful for reaching eastern parts of Bournemouth. The majority of services were previously operated by class 442 Wessex Electrics
British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
which were withdrawn in February 2007.
The station is able to accommodate trains of up to 8 coaches, longer trains only open the doors in the first 5 or 8 coaches depending on the type of unit operating the service.
Road access to the station is from the northern end of Stour Road, near to the junction with Bargates coming from the town centre, at the end of Fairmile coming from the direction of Bournemouth International Airport and the Wessex Way. (A fairly steep bridge over the railway marks the point where Fairmile and Bargates, one straight road, meet.)