The
West Coastway Line is a railway line in
EnglandEngland 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...
, along the south coast of
West SussexWest Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
and
HampshireHampshire 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...
, between
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and
SouthamptonSouthampton 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...
, plus the short branches to
LittlehamptonLittlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
and
Bognor RegisBognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...
.
At the eastern end, the
East Coastway LineEast Coastway is the name used by the train operating company, Southern , for the routes it operates along the south coast of Sussex and Kent to the east of Brighton, England. Those to the West of Brighton are named the West Coastway Line...
continues the route from
SouthamptonSouthampton 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 Ashford International, via
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
,
LewesLewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
,
EastbourneEastbourne is a large town and borough in East Sussex, on the south coast of England between Brighton and Hastings. The town is situated at the eastern end of the chalk South Downs alongside the high cliff at Beachy Head...
,
BexhillBexhill-on-Sea is a town and seaside resort in the county of East Sussex, in the south of England, within the District of Rother. It has a population of approximately 40,000...
,
HastingsHastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
and
OreOre, a former village, is a suburb of the urban area of the town and borough of Hastings in East Sussex. It is located to the north-east of the town on the main road to Rye...
.
The line was
electrifiedRailway 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...
(750v DC third rail) by the
Southern RailwayThe Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
during the inter war years in two stages, stage one being Brighton to West Worthing, Stage two being from West Worthing to
HavantHavant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
(where it joined up with the electrified
Portsmouth Direct LineThe Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
), including the Littlehampton and Bognor branches.
For the purposes of this article, all the stations from Brighton to Southampton are included, although the ex LSWR lines west of Farlington Junction were not originally part of the West Coastway line, some only being electrified in the 1980s.
Services
SouthernSouthern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
is the main operator of passenger services and stations on the line. Their primary route is a slow service (calling at most or all stations) from
BrightonBrighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
to
PortsmouthPortsmouth 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:...
. They also operate regular services from London Victoria via Gatwick both of which avoid Brighton by using the tunnel between
Preston ParkPreston Park railway station serves the northern suburban areas of Brighton in East Sussex, England. It is on the Brighton Main Line and Thameslink 2 km north of Brighton railway station, and train services are provided by Southern and First Capital Connect...
and Hove. Both services now run to Littlehampton with onward connections to Chichester, Portsmouth and Southampton (change at Worthing). There is also a service from London Victoria via Gatwick and the
Arun Valley lineThe Arun Valley Line, also known as the Mid Sussex Line, is part of the Southern-operated railway services. For the initial part of the route trains follow the Brighton Main Line, and at a junction south of Three Bridges the route turns westwards...
that runs along the West Coastway line between Ford and Chichester. All of the Southern services are operated by electric multiple-units.
First Great WesternFirst 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 two services a day to the west country.
SouthernSouthern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
now operate hourly services between
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
and Southampton Central and
Portsmouth HarbourPortsmouth Harbour is a large natural harbour in Hampshire, England. Geographically it is a ria: formerly it was the valley of a stream flowing from Portsdown into the Solent River. The city of Portsmouth lies to the east on Portsea Island, and Gosport to the west on the mainland...
with one of the
SouthernSouthern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
services to
SouthamptonSouthampton 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...
operating via
EastleighEastleigh 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...
. These are new service patterns that have been introduced in the 10th December 2007 timetable as
South West TrainsSouth 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...
were not required by their renewed franchise to operate their
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
services which left free train paths which were quickly filled by
SouthernSouthern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
. However, this has resulted in a whole new west coastway timetable to be introduced and it has suffered many teething problems with numerous cancellations and delays.
South West TrainsSouth 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...
also operate regular services from Portsmouth to Southampton and from Portsmouth to London Waterloo via Fareham.
History
The lines now operated under the banner
West Coastway Line have a complex history and were built in stages by five different companies between 1840 and 1889.
The line from Brighton to Shoreham was a branch of the
London and Brighton RailwayThe London and Brighton Railway was a railway company in England which was incorporated in 1837 and survived until 1846. Its railway runs from a junction with the London & Croydon Railway at Norwood - which gives it access from London Bridge, just south of the River Thames in central London...
which opened 12 May 1840, before the completion of the
main lineThe Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
. The extensions of this line to
WorthingWorthing railway station is the main station serving the town of Worthing in West Sussex. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern. The other operator is First Great Western. It is one of the main stations on the West Coastway Line; all timetabled trains stop...
(opened 24 November 1845), to a temporary station at
LittlehamptonLittlehampton is a seaside resort town and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, on the east bank at the mouth of the River Arun. It lies south southwest of London, west of Brighton and east of the county town of Chichester....
(opened 18 March 1846) and to
ChichesterChichester railway station is a railway station in the city of Chichester in West Sussex, England. The station is a short walk from the city centre, and about a 10 minute walk from the university....
(opened 9 June 1846) were built by the
Brighton and Chichester RailwayThe Brighton and Chichester Railway was an early railway in southern England running between the towns of Shoreham and Chichester in Sussex, which operated between 1845 and 1846.-History:...
. In July 1846 these two companies merged with others to form the
London, Brighton and South Coast RailwayThe London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LBSCR) which continued the line to
HavantHavant railway station is a railway station near Portsmouth.It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth...
(opened 15 March 1847) and
PortsmouthPortsmouth and Southsea railway station is the main railway station in central Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It is close to the Commercial Road shopping centre....
(opened 14 June 1847). Part of this section became jointly owned with the
London and South Western RailwayThe 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), following the opening of the LSWR line from
FarehamFareham railway station is a railway station on the West Coastway Line situated about from the town of Fareham in Hampshire.- History :Fareham station was first opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1841 on the line from Eastleigh to Gosport. Later additions connected Fareham station...
to Portcreek Junction on 1 October 1848 (connecting to the
Eastleigh to Fareham lineThe Eastleigh-Fareham Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Fareham in the United Kingdom. At Eastleigh, trains join the South Western Main Line for onward travel to Basingstoke, Reading or to London Waterloo. At Fareham trains join the West Coastway line for onward travel to Portsmouth or...
).
The
Southampton and Netley Railway built a line to connect with the Victoria Military Hospital at
NetleyNetley, sometimes called Netley Abbey, is a village on the south coast of Hampshire, England, situated on the east side of the city of Southampton...
which opened 5 March 1866 and was operated by the LSWR. The final connecting link from Netley to Fareham was opened by the LSWR 2 September 1889.
In the meanwhile the LBSCR opened the
Littlehampton branchLittlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
from Ford Junction on : 17 August 1863 and the
Bognor Regis branchBognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...
from Barnham Junction 1 June 1864.
The routes
- Brighton
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
Trains serving the West Coastway leave from platforms 1, 2 and 3 which curve round to leave the Brighton Main LineThe Brighton Main Line is a British railway line from London Victoria and London Bridge to Brighton. It is about 50 miles long, and is electrified throughout. Trains are operated by Southern, First Capital Connect, and Gatwick Express, now part of Southern.-Original proposals:There were no fewer...
route to pass through
- here was Holland Road Halt opened 1905 and closed 1956, when closed it was the only station on the West Coastway line to retain timber decking. This station was sited just west of the Holland Road over bridge.
- Note: To the east of the Holland Road bridge lay the site of a first Hove station, 1840 to 1880, the site was later used as a commercial coal yard
- Aldrington
Aldrington railway station, sometimes known by its former names of Aldrington Halt and Dyke Junction, is a railway station in Hove, in East Sussex, England...
opened as Dyke Junction Halt 1905 to serve the Devil's DykeDevil's Dyke is a V-shaped valley on the South Downs Way in southern England, near Brighton and Hove. It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation.Devil's Dyke is on the way to Brighton and is a big hill at the side of the road.-Geological history:...
single line branch (3.5 miles (5.6 km) in length) opened 1887, closed 1938
- here is the now closed branch to Kingston Wharf, serving Shoreham
Shoreham-by-Sea is a small town, port and seaside resort in West Sussex, England. Shoreham-by-Sea railway station is located less than a mile from the town centre and London Gatwick Airport is away...
Harbour
- here was the junction for the line to Horsham
Horsham railway station serves the town of Horsham in West Sussex, England. It is on the Arun Valley Line 61 km south of London Victoria and the Sutton & Mole Valley Lines, and train services are provided by Southern...
, opened 16 September 1861 and closed 7 March 1966. The line followed the valley of the River AdurThe Adur is a river in Sussex, England; it gives its name to the Adur district of West Sussex. The river was formerly navigable for large vessels up as far as Steyning, where there was a large port, but over time the river valley became silted up and the port moved down to the deeper waters nearer...
- here was Bungalow Town Halt opened 1910, later to serve Shoreham Airport
- Sussex Police Air Operations Unit :The Sussex Police Air Operations Unit is headquartered at Shoreham Airport. The unit has been equipped since February 2000 with a MD Explorer, registered as "G-SUSX". The unit is headed by a Police Inspector, assisted by a Police Sergeant and two Police...
, closed in 1940 for national security reasons (Shoreham Airport became an RAF base during WWII).
- Littlehampton
Littlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
branch
- This is a 2 miles (3.2 km) branch line opened as a single line in 1863 and doubled in 1887
- Ford, was Ford Junction
Ford railway station is a railway station in Ford, West Sussex.It is located on the West Coastway Line which runs between Brighton and Southampton. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
: at the third node of the triangle
- Barnham
Barnham railway station is in West Sussex, serving the village of Barnham, around 5 miles north of Bognor Regis.It is located on the West Coastway Line which runs between Brighton and Southampton. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern...
was Barnham Junction until 1929 opened 1864 as the junction for
- Bognor Regis
Bognor Regis railway station is in the town of Bognor Regis, in the English county of West Sussex, England. It is approximately 65 miles south of London Victoria. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern railway company...
branch
- This a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) branch line
- Drayton station - closed
- Chichester
Chichester railway station is a railway station in the city of Chichester in West Sussex, England. The station is a short walk from the city centre, and about a 10 minute walk from the university....
Original terminus of the Brighton and Chichester Railway on 6 June 1846; present station opened 1847 when the line was extended to Havant. Junction for the West Sussex RailwayThe West Sussex Railway opened in 1897 as the Hundred of Manhood and Selsey Tramway, so named to save having to build the railway to regulations that normally covered railways, later changing its name to the WSR. It closed on 19th January 1935 in the face of intensive road bus competition...
opened in 1897, closed 1935; and for the LBSCR branch to MidhurstMidhurst is a market town and civil parish in the Chichester district of West Sussex, England, with a population of 4,889 in 2001. The town is situated on the River Rother and is home to the ruin of the Tudor Cowdray House and the stately Victorian Cowdray Park...
, opened 1881 and closed to passengers 1951.
- Havant
Havant railway station is a railway station near Portsmouth.It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth...
: Junction for the L&SWR Portsmouth Direct lineThe Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
through PetersfieldPetersfield railway station is a railway station serving the market town of Petersfield, Hampshire, England. It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line which runs between London and Portsmouth ....
and also for the LBSCR Hayling Island branch line opened 16 July 1867, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in length with two intermediate stations serving LangstoneLangston was a small station on the Hayling Island branch. The station along with the rest of the line closed in 1963, and it served the Langstone area of Havant, a former village which had become contiguous with the larger town to its north...
and North Hayling. The line closed in 1966
- here there is a triangular junction for the two routes to Southampton and Portsmouth Harbour. After Farlington Junction and Portcreek Junction (between which was the now closed Farlington station) Portsmouth Direct line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
trains use the joint L&SWR/LBSCR metals to Portsmouth. The main West Coastway route travels across the triangle to Cosham Junction where the L&SWR section, opened on 2 September 1889, begins:
- Fareham
Fareham railway station is a railway station on the West Coastway Line situated about from the town of Fareham in Hampshire.- History :Fareham station was first opened by the London and South Western Railway in 1841 on the line from Eastleigh to Gosport. Later additions connected Fareham station...
First opened in 1841 as part of the Eastleigh-Fareham lineThe Eastleigh-Fareham Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Fareham in the United Kingdom. At Eastleigh, trains join the South Western Main Line for onward travel to Basingstoke, Reading or to London Waterloo. At Fareham trains join the West Coastway line for onward travel to Portsmouth or...
. The east and west Coastway routes opened 1848 and 1889 respectively (see dates above). Here were also junctions for GosportGosport is a town, district and borough situated on the south coast of England, within the county of Hampshire. It has approximately 80,000 permanent residents with a further 5,000-10,000 during the summer months...
(the original connection from London to the Portsmouth area) and to AltonAlton railway station is a railway station in the town of Alton, in the English county of Hampshire. The station is the terminus for two railway lines; the Alton Line which runs to Brookwood and onto London Waterloo and the Mid Hants Watercress Railway, which runs to Alresford. The latter once ran...
via the Meon valleyThe River Meon is a river that flows through an area of Hampshire in southern England known as the Meon Valley, it flows generally southwards from the South Downs to the Solent. For most of its route it is a chalk stream, with a length of 21 miles .The River Meon rises approximately...
- both closed.
- Swanwick
Swanwick railway station is a railway station serving Park Gate, Locks Heath, Whiteley and Swanwick, in the borough of Fareham, in Hampshire, England. Despite the name, the station is actually in Park Gate and not Swanwick .The station opened on 2 September 1889, and was specially built for the...
- Bursledon
Bursledon railway station serves the village of Bursledon in Hampshire, England. It is on the West Coastway Line. The station is operated by South West Trains, who provide the majority of trains serving it .The station itself is located near a quay side on the River Hamble where a number of yachts...
- Hamble
Hamble railway station is an unstaffed railway station near the village of Hamble-le-Rice, England. It is served by a 2-track electrified line which joins the Southampton to London main line, in the direction of Southampton at St Denys in Southampton, and joins the line running east from Eastleigh...
- Netley
Netley railway station is a railway station near the village of Netley in Hampshire, England. The station is run by South West Trains and is on the West Coastway Line. Near to the station is Royal Victoria Country Park. In former times a branch from the station conveyed patients to nearby Netley...
Original terminus of the Southampton and Netley Railway, built to serve the Military Hospital, which had its own short railway and station. The line from here to St Denys was originally single track (later doubled)
- Sholing
Sholing railway station is a railway station serving the village of Sholing, on the edge of Southampton operated by South West Trains.- Services :...
- Woolston
Woolston railway station is a grade II listed railway station serving the suburb of Woolston in the city of Southampton, England. The station is operated by South West Trains. Just past Woolston station the line rounds the River Itchen giving a view into the city of Southampton, including...
- Bitterne
Bitterne railway station is located in eastern Southampton. It is on the main Southampton to Portsmouth coastal line, and serves the suburbs of Bitterne, Bitterne Manor, Bitterne Park and Midanbury.- History :...
on the outskirts of Southampton. Here was a passing point when the line was single track.
With the junction at
St DenysSt Denys railway station is a railway station serving the St. Denys and Portswood suburbs of Southampton in Hampshire, England.Built in 1865, it is named after the surrounding area, which in turn is named after the Priory of St Denys, a major landmark in medieval Southampton.The station is at the...
the West Coastway Line joins the route of the
South Western Main LineThe 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...
External links
- Southern Railway map, including the West Coastway Route
- Brighton to Hove cab ride video produced by British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
(on YouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
)