Maiden Newton railway station

Maiden Newton
Location
Place	Maiden Newton
Local authority	West Dorset
Coordinates	50°46′48″N 2°34′08″W / 50.780°N 2.569°W / 50.780; -2.569Coordinates: 50°46′48″N 2°34′08″W / 50.780°N 2.569°W / 50.780; -2.569
Operations
Station code	MDN
Managed by	First Great Western.
Number of platforms	2
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage
2002/03 *	22,133
2004/05 *	17,635
2005/06 *	18,252
2006/07 *	16,462
2007/08 *	17,600
2008/09 *	22,070
2009/10 *	22,680
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
1857	Opened
1975	Bridport branch closed
National Rail - UK railway stations
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Maiden Newton from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Maiden Newton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Maiden Newton in Dorset, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex line between Castle Cary and Weymouth.

History

The old signal box

Opened on 20 January 1857 by the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway with the section of their route from Yeovil Pen Mill to Weymouth. This completed their main line from Chippenham to Weymouth, the first part of which had opened in 1848. The railway was a part of the larger Great Western Railway which meant that through trains ran from London Paddington station.^[1]

The station consisted of two platforms with a flint station building and goods shed at the south end. A signal box was added later.

From 1857 to 1975 the station was the junction for the Bridport Railway and an extra bay platform was added at the north end of the station for these trains. This can still be seen at the west end of the station and this end of the trackbed is a footpath and cycleway.

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Cattistock		Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway		Grimstone and Frampton
Terminus		Bridport Railway		Toller

Description

Looking north

Although the signal box was closed during a rationalisation scheme, the station retains two platforms as it is a passing place on the single line between Dorchester and Yeovil. The entrance is on the northbound platform, the side closest to the village. Access to the southbound platform is normally by the footbridge but there is a level crossing at the south end of the station for passengers who are unable to use the bridge. The station building, and goods shed survive but are no longer used by the railway.

The electric key token instruments for the block sections either side are now operated by the train crew under the supervision of the signal operator based at Yeovil Pen Mill.

Services

The station is served by First Great Western. Services originate from Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads (apart from one early morning service from Westbury) and are operated by Class 150, Class 153 or Class 158 diesel multiple units. Eight trains in each direction call Mondays to Saturdays and three each way on Sundays all year (plus two additional trains in the summer months).

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Chetnole		First Great Western Heart of Wessex Line		Dorchester West

References

1. ^ MacDermot, E T (1927). History of the Great Western Railway. 1 (1833-1863) (1 ed.). London: Great Western Railway. 

Further reading

• Butt, RVJ (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 85260-508-1. 
• Lucking, JH. Railways of Dorset. Railway Correspondence and Travel Society 1968. 

External links

• Bridport Trailway