Hampton Court Branch Line
Encyclopedia
The Hampton Court Branch Line is a short branch line off the South Western Main Line
. It has a through station at Thames Ditton
and a terminus at Hampton Court
. The line is electrified
, using 750 V DC third rail
.
) where they were attached to Southampton trains and taken to London.
. There is a half-hourly direct service to London Waterloo which calls at all stations on the route except for Queenstown Road (Battersea)
.
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...
. It has a through station at Thames Ditton
Thames Ditton railway station
Thames Ditton railway station serves Thames Ditton in the Elmbridge district of Surrey, England. It is the only intermediate station on the Hampton Court branch...
and a terminus at Hampton Court
Hampton Court railway station
Hampton Court railway station is a railway station in the Elmbridge district of Surrey, located in East Molesey by Hampton Court Bridge.The station also serves Hampton Court Palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and for the purposes of fare charging it is included in Travelcard...
. The line is 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...
, using 750 V DC third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
.
History
The branch was inaugurated 1 February 1849, when Hampton Court railway station was opened. Originally carriages were hauled by horses to Kingston station (later replaced SurbitonSurbiton railway station
Surbiton 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...
) where they were attached to Southampton trains and taken to London.
Services
Train services are currently 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...
. There is a half-hourly direct service to London Waterloo which calls at all stations on the route except for Queenstown Road (Battersea)
Queenstown Road (Battersea) railway station
Queenstown Road is a railway station in South London, between Vauxhall and Clapham Junction. It is a short walk from Battersea Park station and Battersea Park...
.