Eastleigh to Romsey Line
Encyclopedia
The Eastleigh-Romsey Line is the railway line from Eastleigh
to Romsey
in Hampshire
, England
. At Eastleigh, trains join the South Western Main Line
for onward travel to Southampton
and Totton. At Romsey most trains terminate.
The line is not electrified
.
, was part of the Bishopstoke (now Eastleigh
) to Salisbury
line which was authorized on 4 July 1844. Construction of the line was problematic, as landowners, somewhat unusually, took an obstructive attitude to the railway. The problems were exacerbated by the choice of a small contractor over the more well established and more experienced options in order to save money. In addition, the weather conditions during construction caused earthworks to slip and then freeze. As a result of all these factors, the opening of the line was postponed three times before coal and goods traffic used the line for the first time on 27 January 1847. The line was opened to passenger traffic on 1 March 1847 and was the main route from Salisbury to London from that time until the opening of the direct Salisbury line over a decade later, on 1 May 1857.
Chandler's Ford station
was closed to goods traffic on 1 June 1964, and five years later on 5 May 1969, the station was also closed to passengers. Originally built as a double track, the line was singled on 1 May 1972. The line continued to be used by stone trains from the Mendip
area to and from Botley
as well as other freight services, as well as weekend diversions of passenger traffic.
A £10 million pound plan was put forward in 1999 to reopen Southampton Terminus
and Northam, which was to have been controlled by East Anglia Railways
Train Company, their plans included building a new rail-link using the current remaining track by St. Marys Stadium and as far as the Waterfront, which is now safe guarded by Southampton City Council for future rail links. This would have allowed trains to go from Southampton Waterfront to East Anglia
without the need to change at London
. It was also hoped it would reduce the traffic around Southampton with a local commuter line linking the Waterfront to Romsey
, Halterworth and Chandler's Ford, the plan failed to come about for reasons unknown..
The line between Eastleigh and Romsey was reopened for passenger traffic in May 2003 with a re-built station at Chandler's Ford
.
. It has an hourly service in each direction which runs a 'figure of six' route from Romsey
to Salisbury
, running from Romsey via Eastleigh
and Southampton
before re-visiting Romsey and continuing to Salisbury. The service is currently operated by class 158
DMU
s.
; north-east of Chandler's Ford, it crosses the edge of the Trodds Copse
Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
to Romsey
Romsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
in 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...
, 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...
. At Eastleigh, trains join 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...
for onward travel to Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and Totton. At Romsey most trains terminate.
The line is not electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
.
History
The line, part of 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...
, was part of the Bishopstoke (now Eastleigh
Eastleigh railway station
Eastleigh railway station serves the town of Eastleigh in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the South Western Main Line and is the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line...
) 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...
line which was authorized on 4 July 1844. Construction of the line was problematic, as landowners, somewhat unusually, took an obstructive attitude to the railway. The problems were exacerbated by the choice of a small contractor over the more well established and more experienced options in order to save money. In addition, the weather conditions during construction caused earthworks to slip and then freeze. As a result of all these factors, the opening of the line was postponed three times before coal and goods traffic used the line for the first time on 27 January 1847. The line was opened to passenger traffic on 1 March 1847 and was the main route from Salisbury to London from that time until the opening of the direct Salisbury line over a decade later, on 1 May 1857.
Chandler's Ford station
Chandler's Ford railway station
Chandler's Ford railway station serves the Chandler's Ford area of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England. It lies on the Eastleigh to Romsey Line.-History:The station was opened by the LSWR in 1847...
was closed to goods traffic on 1 June 1964, and five years later on 5 May 1969, the station was also closed to passengers. Originally built as a double track, the line was singled on 1 May 1972. The line continued to be used by stone trains from the Mendip
Mendip
Mendip is a local government district of Somerset in England. The Mendip district covers a largely rural area of ranging from the Mendip Hills through on to the Somerset Levels. It has a population of approximately 110,000...
area to and from Botley
Botley
Botley is the name of several places in the United Kingdom:*Botley, Buckinghamshire*Botley, Hampshire*Botley, OxfordshireOther*Botley the Robot is a fictional robot featured in Knowledge Adventure's JumpStart Adventures 3rd Grade: Mystery Mountain...
as well as other freight services, as well as weekend diversions of passenger traffic.
A £10 million pound plan was put forward in 1999 to reopen Southampton Terminus
Southampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorized on the 25 July 1834, it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway...
and Northam, which was to have been controlled by East 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....
Train Company, their plans included building a new rail-link using the current remaining track by St. Marys Stadium and as far as the Waterfront, which is now safe guarded by Southampton City Council for future rail links. This would have allowed trains to go from Southampton Waterfront to East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
without the need to change at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It was also hoped it would reduce the traffic around Southampton with a local commuter line linking the Waterfront to Romsey
Romsey railway station
Romsey railway station serves the town of Romsey in the county of Hampshire in England. It is located on the Wessex Main Line and is the junction station for the Eastleigh to Romsey Line.-History:...
, Halterworth and Chandler's Ford, the plan failed to come about for reasons unknown..
The line between Eastleigh and Romsey was reopened for passenger traffic in May 2003 with a re-built station at Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford
Chandler's Ford is a largely residential area and civil parish in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England, with a population of 20,071 in the 2001 UK Census....
.
Services
Services and stations on this line are operated by South West TrainsSouth 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 has an hourly service in each direction which runs a 'figure of six' route from Romsey
Romsey
Romsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
to Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, running from Romsey via Eastleigh
Eastleigh
Eastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
and Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
before re-visiting Romsey and continuing to Salisbury. The service is currently operated by class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
DMU
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s.
Route
For much of the route, the line runs close to the Monks BrookMonks Brook
Monks Brook is a river in the English county of Hampshire. It is a tributary of the River Itchen, which it joins at a medieval salmon pool in Swaythling. The brook is formed from seven streams that rise in the chalky South Downs, with the official source of Monks Brook being known as Bucket's...
; north-east of Chandler's Ford, it crosses the edge of the Trodds Copse
Trodds Copse
Trodds Copse is a 25.23 hectare biological Site of Special Scientific Interest , in central Hampshire, notified in 1989. It comprises ancient semi-natural woodland, unimproved meadows and flushes.-Location:...
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.