Salisbury railway station
Encyclopedia
Salisbury is a railway station serving the city
of Salisbury
, Wiltshire
. Located 83.75 miles (135 km) southwest of London Waterloo, the station is the crossing point of the West of England Main Line
and the Wessex Main Line
. The station is operated by South West Trains
.
(LSWR) from 1847 and the Great Western Railway
(GWR) from 1856, as well as two further railway stations at Wilton
, two and a half miles away.
from Southampton
to passenger traffic. For nearly a decade this was the only rail route to the city, until 30 June 1856 when the GWR opened their branch line
from Westbury
, and 1 May 1857 when the LSWR extended their main line from London to Andover
.
On 2 May 1859 the LSWR opened a new station on the south side of the Great Western station, west of Fisherton Street, to coincide with the opening the first section of the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway
was opened as an extension of the LSWR’s line. As the two railways were built using different gauges through goods traffic had to be unloaded and transhipped in a transfer shed
; a footbridge was opened in 1860 linking the two stations to allow passengers to change trains. The LSWR station had a single long platform served by trains in both directions and a second bay platform was provided at the London end.
In the 1870s the LSWR opened a second platform east of Fisherton Street for services towards London; it had an entrance from the street and was linked to the old platform by a subway. It too had another bay platform for trains to the East.
The LSWR station was again enlarged between 1899 and 1902 and the 1870s platform east of Fisherton Street could then be closed. Two new platforms serving three tracks were opened between the GWR platforms and the original LSWR one, reached by a subway from the LSWR’s new station offices which were built on the west side of their original building of 1859.
In the early morning of 1 July 1906 an overnight boat train derailed in Salisbury station
, killing 24 passengers and 4 railwaymen.
The (GWR) opened their broad gauge
Salisbury branch line from on 30 June 1856. The terminus was on the north side of Salisbury on the west side of Fisherton Street. Isambard Kingdom Brunel
provided a brick-built station with a wooden train shed
to cover the tracks.
The GWR converted their line to standard gauge in 1874 and four years later a connecting line was laid between the two railways which allowed wagons to be shunted between the two stations. In 1896 a through service between Cardiff
on the GWR and Portsmouth
on the LSWR began operating over a junction line at Salisbury.
On 12 September 1932 the GWR’s passenger trains were transferred to the LSWR station, and the two railways were in common ownership by British Railways from 1 January 1948. Brunel’s passenger buildings are still used as offices by non-railway businesses. In October 2008, English Heritage
gave the station building Grade II listed status.
s at the west end of the station – north of the GWR station and south of the LSWR station – and also on the 460 yards (420.6 m) Market House branch from the east end of the LSWR station which opened in 1859. A new LSWR marshalling yard
was opened on the site of the old platform east of Fisherton Street after it had closed in 1902, but the main LSWR goods depot was kept at the old Milford station until 1967. The former GWR station remained in use as a goods depot and was used until about 1991 as the base for British Rail’s exhibition trains.
, water tower and turntable
were erected on the Milford site from the January 1847 as the line was then open for freight traffic. A replacement engine shed was built by the LSWR at Fisherton Street in 1859. The GWR also built a small engine shed adjacent to their station in April 1858. This was demolished in 1899 to allow expansion of the LSWR station, and a replacement built on the north side of the line. This was closed by British Railways in 1950.
A large new and well equipped engine shed was opened by the LSWR on 12 January 1901. This remained in use until the end of steam in southern England on 9 July 1967. The shed lay derelict for some years before being demolished.
The sidings around the former GWR station were redeveloped in the 1960s as Salisbury TMD
where South West Trains
maintain their fleet of DMUs
.
. Immediately next door is the red brick building of 1902, now the main entrance where the ticket office and buffet are located.
The main platform adjacent to the entrance is platform 4 which is mainly used for trains towards Exeter
and Cardiff
, as is platform 3 opposite. This is one side of an island platform, the opposite side of which is platform 2 which is used by trains to London Waterloo and . Platform 5 is a bay platform at the west end which is no longer used by passenger trains, and terminal platform 6 is an eastwards extension of platform 4 and is predominantly used by local services to .
Beyond platform 2 is another disused platform, formerly platform 1. Behind this are the sidings of Salisbury TMD
where the trains form the West of England Main Line
are maintained. At the east end of this is an old water tank and the brick offices which once served the GWR station.
operate frequent services from London Waterloo through Salisbury to , and from Salisbury to via and . There are also a few services from London Waterloo to .
First Great Western
operate regular services between , Bristol Temple Meads, Southampton Central and .
Alongside the station is Salisbury Depot, where South West Trains maintain their fleet of diesel multiple unit
s.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of 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...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. Located 83.75 miles (135 km) southwest of London Waterloo, the station is the crossing point of the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
and the Wessex Main Line
Wessex 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...
. The station is 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
There have been a three different railway stations in the city of Salisbury, built by 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...
(LSWR) from 1847 and the Great Western Railway
Great 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...
(GWR) from 1856, as well as two further railway stations at Wilton
Wilton
- England :*Wilton, Cumbria, a place in the county of Cumbria*Wilton, Herefordshire, a village in south Herefordshire*Wilton, North Yorkshire, a place in the county of North Yorkshire*Wilton, Redcar and Cleveland, a place in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland...
, two and a half miles away.
London and South Western Railway
The LSWR opened their Milford station on the Eastern side of the city in 1 March 1847, with the opening of their branch lineEastleigh to Romsey Line
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...
from 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...
to passenger traffic. For nearly a decade this was the only rail route to the city, until 30 June 1856 when the GWR opened their branch line
Wessex 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...
from Westbury
Westbury railway station
Westbury railway station serves the town of Westbury, Wiltshire, England. The station is managed by First Great Western.The station is a major junction, serving the Reading to Plymouth Line with services to and from Penzance and London Paddington, the Wessex Main Line with services to and from...
, and 1 May 1857 when the LSWR extended their main line from London to Andover
Andover railway station
Andover station serves the town of Andover, Hampshire UK. The station is served and operated by South West Trains. The station is 107 km south west of London Waterloo on the West of England Main Line ....
.
On 2 May 1859 the LSWR opened a new station on the south side of the Great Western station, west of Fisherton Street, to coincide with the opening the first section of the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway
Salisbury and Yeovil Railway
The Salisbury and Yeovil Railway linked Salisbury , Gillingham and Yeovil in England. Opened in stages in 1859 and 1860, it formed a bridge route between the main London and South Western Railway network and its lines in Devon and Cornwall. Its trains were operated by the LSWR and it was sold to...
was opened as an extension of the LSWR’s line. As the two railways were built using different gauges through goods traffic had to be unloaded and transhipped in a transfer shed
Goods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
; a footbridge was opened in 1860 linking the two stations to allow passengers to change trains. The LSWR station had a single long platform served by trains in both directions and a second bay platform was provided at the London end.
In the 1870s the LSWR opened a second platform east of Fisherton Street for services towards London; it had an entrance from the street and was linked to the old platform by a subway. It too had another bay platform for trains to the East.
In the early morning of 1 July 1906 an overnight boat train derailed in Salisbury station
Salisbury rail crash
In the Salisbury rail crash of 1 July 1906, a London and South Western Railway boat train from Plymouth's Friary railway station to London Waterloo station failed to navigate a very sharp curve at the eastern end of Salisbury railway station. The curve had a speed limit of 30 mph, but the express...
, killing 24 passengers and 4 railwaymen.
Great Western Railway
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
Salisbury branch line from on 30 June 1856. The terminus was on the north side of Salisbury on the west side of Fisherton Street. Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
provided a brick-built station with a wooden train shed
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
to cover the tracks.
The GWR converted their line to standard gauge in 1874 and four years later a connecting line was laid between the two railways which allowed wagons to be shunted between the two stations. In 1896 a through service between Cardiff
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
on the GWR and Portsmouth
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
on the LSWR began operating over a junction line at Salisbury.
On 12 September 1932 the GWR’s passenger trains were transferred to the LSWR station, and the two railways were in common ownership by British Railways from 1 January 1948. Brunel’s passenger buildings are still used as offices by non-railway businesses. In October 2008, English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
gave the station building Grade II listed status.
Goods facilities
The former Salisbury Milford station was used as a goods station until it was closed in 1967 and demolished in 1968. Goods traffic was also handled in goods shedGoods shed
A goods shed is a railway building designed for storing goods before or after carriage in a train.A typical goods shed will have a track running through it to allow goods wagons to be unloaded under cover, although sometimes they were built alongside a track with possibly just a canopy over the door...
s at the west end of the station – north of the GWR station and south of the LSWR station – and also on the 460 yards (420.6 m) Market House branch from the east end of the LSWR station which opened in 1859. A new LSWR marshalling yard
Classification yard
A classification yard or marshalling yard is a railroad yard found at some freight train stations, used to separate railroad cars on to one of several tracks. First the cars are taken to a track, sometimes called a lead or a drill...
was opened on the site of the old platform east of Fisherton Street after it had closed in 1902, but the main LSWR goods depot was kept at the old Milford station until 1967. The former GWR station remained in use as a goods depot and was used until about 1991 as the base for British Rail’s exhibition trains.
Motive power depots
An engine shedMotive power depot
Motive power depot, usually abbreviated to MPD, is a name given to places where locomotives are stored when not being used, and also repaired and maintained. They were originally known as "running sheds", "engine sheds", or, for short, just sheds. Facilities are provided for refuelling and...
, water tower and turntable
Turntable
A turntable is generally a rotating platform, and may refer to:-Music:* Turntable, a motor-driven platform that normally rotates a gramophone record at a constant rotational velocity as part of a phonograph....
were erected on the Milford site from the January 1847 as the line was then open for freight traffic. A replacement engine shed was built by the LSWR at Fisherton Street in 1859. The GWR also built a small engine shed adjacent to their station in April 1858. This was demolished in 1899 to allow expansion of the LSWR station, and a replacement built on the north side of the line. This was closed by British Railways in 1950.
A large new and well equipped engine shed was opened by the LSWR on 12 January 1901. This remained in use until the end of steam in southern England on 9 July 1967. The shed lay derelict for some years before being demolished.
The sidings around the former GWR station were redeveloped in the 1960s as Salisbury TMD
Salisbury TMD
Salisbury TMD is the South West Trains traction maintenance depot in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, situated on the north side of Salisbury railway station. It opened in 1992 to maintain the fleet of DMUs used on the West of England Main Line.-History:...
where 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...
maintain their fleet of DMUs
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:...
.
Description
The approach road from the city is accessed from a road junction on the south side of the railway bridge across Fisherton Street. The large building on the right of this approach is the old LSWR buildings of 1859, which now houses the Salisbury signal panelSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
. Immediately next door is the red brick building of 1902, now the main entrance where the ticket office and buffet are located.
The main platform adjacent to the entrance is platform 4 which is mainly used for trains towards Exeter
Exeter St Davids railway station
Exeter St Davids station is the most important of seven National Rail stations in the city of Exeter in southwest England. Today the station is owned by Network Rail and operated by First Great Western.-History:...
and Cardiff
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
, as is platform 3 opposite. This is one side of an island platform, the opposite side of which is platform 2 which is used by trains to London Waterloo and . Platform 5 is a bay platform at the west end which is no longer used by passenger trains, and terminal platform 6 is an eastwards extension of platform 4 and is predominantly used by local services to .
Beyond platform 2 is another disused platform, formerly platform 1. Behind this are the sidings of Salisbury TMD
Salisbury TMD
Salisbury TMD is the South West Trains traction maintenance depot in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, situated on the north side of Salisbury railway station. It opened in 1992 to maintain the fleet of DMUs used on the West of England Main Line.-History:...
where the trains form the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
are maintained. At the east end of this is an old water tank and the brick offices which once served the GWR station.
Services
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...
operate frequent services from London Waterloo through Salisbury to , and from Salisbury to via and . There are also a few services from London Waterloo to .
First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
operate regular services between , Bristol Temple Meads, Southampton Central and .
Alongside the station is Salisbury Depot, where South West Trains maintain their fleet of diesel multiple unit
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.