Radipole railway station
Encyclopedia
Radipole was a railway station serving a northern area of Weymouth in the county of Dorset
in England
.
as Radipole Halt on 1 July 1905, it was part of a scheme by the railway company to counter road competition, particularly from Weymouth's buses. Situated 167 mi (268.75978 km) from , it was initially served by local to rail motor
and Abbotsbury
trains. The station lasted well into the nationalised era served by to Weymouth trains on what is now known as the South Western Main Line
, as well as Westbury line
DMUs
. When built, its two short platforms had GWR pagoda shelters but these rusted and were replaced with bus shelters in 1978. The word Halt was dropped from its title on 5 May 1969.
No further services called at Radipole after 31 December 1983 as, according to the Southern Region of British Railways
, its wooden platforms had become "too unsafe for use to continue". At the time, the Department for Transport
was considering a proposal to withdraw passenger services from the station and British Rail had stated that heavy expenditure on repairs was not justified whilst the station's future was in doubt. Official consent was received in January 1984 and the official date of closure was 6 February 1984.
and the South Western Main Line
.
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...
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...
.
History
Opened by the GWRGreat 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...
as Radipole Halt on 1 July 1905, it was part of a scheme by the railway company to counter road competition, particularly from Weymouth's buses. Situated 167 mi (268.75978 km) from , it was initially served by local to rail motor
GWR steam rail motors
The steam rail motors were self-propelled carriages operated by the Great Western Railway in England and Wales from 1903 to 1935. They incorporated a steam locomotive within the body of the carriage.-History:...
and Abbotsbury
Abbotsbury branch railway
The Abbotsbury Railway was a standard gauge line which ran in the west of the county of Dorset in England opening in 1885. Although great hopes of westward links and mineral traffic drove the original construction of the line, these failed to materialise and after a quiet existence carrying local...
trains. The station lasted well into the nationalised era served by to Weymouth trains on what is now known as 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...
, as well as Westbury line
Stert and Westbury Railway
The Stert and Westbury Railway was opened by the Great Western Railway Company in 1900 in Wiltshire, England. It shortened the distance between London Paddington station and , and since 1906 has also formed part of the Reading to Taunton line for a shorter journey from London to .-History:The Great...
DMUs
British diesel and electric multiple units
'Multiple Unit' is a term used to describe a train which does not have a separate locomotive. Typically these are passenger trains with accommodation in every vehicle and motors or engines distributed under the floor along the length of the train...
. When built, its two short platforms had GWR pagoda shelters but these rusted and were replaced with bus shelters in 1978. The word Halt was dropped from its title on 5 May 1969.
No further services called at Radipole after 31 December 1983 as, according to the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
, its wooden platforms had become "too unsafe for use to continue". At the time, the Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
was considering a proposal to withdraw passenger services from the station and British Rail had stated that heavy expenditure on repairs was not justified whilst the station's future was in doubt. Official consent was received in January 1984 and the official date of closure was 6 February 1984.
The site today
Little now remains of the halt although the places in the wall where the access paths were bricked up can still be seen. Trains still pass on the Wessex Main LineWessex Main Line
The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.- Places served :The places served are listed below.*Bristol*Keynsham*Oldfield Park*Bath...
and 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...
.