Pokesdown railway station
Encyclopedia
Pokesdown for Boscombe railway station is a railway station serving the Pokesdown
, Boscombe
and Southbourne
areas of Bournemouth
in Dorset
, England
. It is located on the South Western Main Line
from London Waterloo
to Weymouth.
The station is served by South West Trains
, who operate semi-fast services from London Waterloo to Weymouth
and London Waterloo to Poole
stopping services.
. It was originally named "Boscombe", which was later altered to "Pokesdown (Boscombe)", since the station was closer to Pokesdown than Boscombe
. In 1897, when Boscombe station
station was opened, the station was renamed again to "Pokesdown".
In the 1930s the Southern Railway made the platform facilities considerably larger, allowing the station to accommodate more trains. Although these facilities have since been removed, at the time they provided an asset for the fast non-stopping services because there was track to use as a loop line.
In the 1970s, there was no longer a need for four tracks and a signal box. Therefore, two of the tracks were removed and the signal box closed.
On 16 May 2009 the station was renamed Pokesdown for Boscombe, and station signage was changed to reflect this. The station is a short bus ride or walk from Boscombe
's main shopping area.
Most South West Trains services operated by units
working in multiple cannot be accommodated fully by the platforms and only the doors of the leading unit are opened, the exception being occasional eight carriage trains which can open all doors when using the Bournemouth-direction Platform 2.
Pokesdown
Pokesdown is a small area of Bournemouth, a unitary authority in the ceremonial county of Dorset. It lies just east of the suburb of Boscombe and west of Southbourne.-History:Evidence of human occupation in the area dates back to the Bronze Age...
, Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
and Southbourne
Southbourne, Dorset
Southbourne is a suburb of Bournemouth. It is the most easterly part of the borough, between Boscombe and Christchurch, Dorset. The area was previously known as Stourfield....
areas of Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
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...
, 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...
. It is located 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
Waterloo 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....
to Weymouth.
The station is served 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...
, who operate semi-fast services from London Waterloo to Weymouth
Weymouth railway station
Weymouth 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:...
and London Waterloo to 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...
stopping services.
The station
The station was opened in 1886 by the Southampton and Dorchester RailwaySouthampton and Dorchester Railway
-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
. It was originally named "Boscombe", which was later altered to "Pokesdown (Boscombe)", since the station was closer to Pokesdown than Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
. In 1897, when Boscombe station
Boscombe railway station
Boscombe railway station was a station in Bournemouth, now in the county of Dorset, England. It was opened in 1897 at which time the previous station with the name was renamed Pokesdown. The station served the Royal Victoria Hospital and the centre of Boscombe around the Royal Arcade...
station was opened, the station was renamed again to "Pokesdown".
In the 1930s the Southern Railway made the platform facilities considerably larger, allowing the station to accommodate more trains. Although these facilities have since been removed, at the time they provided an asset for the fast non-stopping services because there was track to use as a loop line.
In the 1970s, there was no longer a need for four tracks and a signal box. Therefore, two of the tracks were removed and the signal box closed.
On 16 May 2009 the station was renamed Pokesdown for Boscombe, and station signage was changed to reflect this. The station is a short bus ride or walk from Boscombe
Boscombe
Boscombe is a suburb of Bournemouth. Located to the east of Bournemouth town centre and west of Southbourne, It developed rapidly from a small village as a seaside resort alongside Bournemouth after the first Boscombe pier was built in 1888...
's main shopping area.
Most South West Trains services operated by units
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...
working in multiple cannot be accommodated fully by the platforms and only the doors of the leading unit are opened, the exception being occasional eight carriage trains which can open all doors when using the Bournemouth-direction Platform 2.