Fareham railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Fareham
code = FRM


caption = Fareham station platforms 2 and 3
manager = South West Trains
locale = Fareham
borough = Fareham (district)
usage0405 = 1.236
usage0506 = 1.301
usage0607 = 1.351
platforms = 3
start = 29 November 1841

Fareham railway station is a railway station in the town of Fareham in Hampshire.

History

Fareham station was first opened by the LSWR in 1841 on the line from Eastleigh to Gosport. Later additions connected Fareham station with Southampton, Portsmouth and along the coast towards Brighton. These later lines are now the most valuable, but as a consequence of the later construction there is a sharp curve upon exiting the station to Portsmouth, and a lesser one towards Southampton. The original line, now singled through Fareham Tunnel, to Eastleigh and London, is dead straight, as is the former Gosport route, which closed in the 1950s to passengers. Track remains overgrown in place on the Gosport route, which saw freight services into the 1990s, but the pointwork connecting it to the main line has been lifted in recent years.

There was also a line to Alton via the Meon Valley, branching from the Eastleigh route at Knowle, north of the tunnel. It was build initially as a fast route to the Isle of Wight - to express standards though only a single line on double track earthworks - at a time when Stokes Bay, not Portsmouth Harbour, was the primary rail-connected ferry terminus for the Island. That route closed to passengers in 1955.

The station is located about 1km (0.6 miles) from the town centre.

Future developments

A new footbridge is to be erected to the north of the station buildings and canopies, with through service lifts i.e.ones that have doors on different sides on the different levels so wheelchairs don't have to reverse or turn in the lift. This will allow the station to comply with the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act, allowing wheelchair access to all platforms.Plans to rebuild the station have also gone forwards, with new barriers being put in place inside the station. Due to the building being Grade II listed, Work is still being planned onto where and when work will commence.

ervices

Fareham station is located on the West Coastway Line which runs between Brighton and Southampton. It is now served by South West Trains, Southern and First Great Western.

Fareham station has regular services to London Waterloo, London Victoria (a much longer route to London via Gatwick Airport), Brighton, Portsmouth, and Southampton. There are also less frequent long-distance services to Reading and to Wales and the west country.

The station compromises of three platforms:

Platform 1 serves the west. Trains head to Southampton, Cardiff Central and London Waterloo via Winchester and Basingstoke.

Platform 2 is a terminal line and on average receives very few trains, normally from Basingstoke. It was formerly the second main platform, before the stone arched bridge over the A27 immediately south of the station was replaced, and the opportunity taken to ease the radius of the curve from Portsmouth by aligning the route into platform 3.

Platform 3 serves the east and heads towards Portsmouth, Brighton and London Victoria. It was formerly the bay platform for services to Alton via the closed Meon Valley Line.

External links

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