[otd] 5th February - closures Alton to Fareham (1955) and Winchester (1973)

[whole diary]

[grahame]

On this day in 1955, the final timetabled passenger train ran from Alton to Fareham, and the middle section of the line was closed completely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meon_Valley_Railway . The Alton to Basignstoke line had been closed as early as 1932 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingstoke_and_Alton_Light_Railway ) and the Alton to Wincherster line closed in 1973 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watercress_Line )  - also on 5th February.  My age is such that I have a memory of travelling on that latter line in a "Thumper".   Alton was left with just one railway connection - towards London, which remains in service to this day.

Early, through services were provided from Waterloo to Gosport via Woking, Alton, and Fareham:

Waterloo to Gosport through trains were mostly hauled by Adams "Jubilee" Class 0-4-2 locomotives and the Alton-Fareham only were firstly Adams 4-4-2 Radial Tanks - the engines were turned on the triangle at Gosport and at Alton a turntable was provided.

and I find myself wondering whether the line - had it survived another 20 years - might still be with us today. Perhaps fanciful - though I do note an hourly electric through train beween Woking and Fareham these days - "round the houses" via Basingstoke, Winchester and Eastleigh.  I suppose the important thing is round the houses - reaching people's residences, though I suspect a railway in the latter half of the 20th Centrury would have brought substantial development and perhaps an extension of commuter land to the Hampshire countryside

[Electric train]

There are so many lines that "if they had survived another" 10 - 20 years the story may be different to day.  The Bourne End High Wycombe line closed 1970 perhaps if it had survived to 1980?

In 10 or 20 years folk will look back a ask why did they not build HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) to Manchester ........ decisions are made on the economics (and may be the political agenda) at the time.

At least with the closure of the Alton / Winchester line we now have a thriving heritage railway take its place

[grahame]

There are so many lines that "if they had survived another" 10 - 20 years the story may be different to day.  The Bourne End High Wycombe line closed 1970 perhaps if it had survived to 1980?

In 10 or 20 years folk will look back a ask why did they not build HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) to Manchester ........ decisions are made on the economics (and may be the political agenda) at the time.

At least with the closure of the Alton / Winchester line we now have a thriving heritage railway take its place

Indeed ... a personal view is that at least a quarter of the lines we have lost are really unfortunate.   There are around 10,000 route miles where there were once 30,000 so, yes, I'm suggesting that the network should be 50% bigger.   You then have the very intestesting questions of which, and how many stations!

[CyclingSid]

I seem to remember there is a thread somewhere talking about the new developments and possibly new station on the eastern end of the Fareham - Eastleigh line. There is certainly a fair amount of housing being built south of the line between Fareham and Botley.

[paul7575]

I seem to remember there is a thread somewhere talking about the new developments and possibly new station on the eastern end of the Fareham - Eastleigh line. There is certainly a fair amount of housing being built south of the line between Fareham and Botley.

‘Welborne’. I saw a plan a few years ago which showed a potential station site, it was intended to be on the single track section, about half a mile south of the former Knowle Asylum Halt.  Just across from the northernmost parts of the expanded Funtley village.

Paul

[grahame]

I seem to remember there is a thread somewhere talking about the new developments and possibly new station on the eastern end of the Fareham - Eastleigh line. There is certainly a fair amount of housing being built south of the line between Fareham and Botley.

http://www.passenger.chat/19325 and the pre-GRIP^▸ (Guide to Railway Investment Projects - Network Rail's process for project management of schemes through development and implementation) report is mirrored for members at
http://www.passenger.chat/WelborneStationPre-GRIPFeasibilityStudy.pdf