Wareham railway station

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This article is about the railway station in Dorset. For the station in Massachusetts, see Wareham Train Station.

Wareham
National Rail
Wareham Station.jpg
Main building at Wareham station, on the westbound platform.
LocationWareham, Dorset Council
England
Grid referenceSY919881
Managed bySouth Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeWRM
ClassificationDfT category D
History
Opened4 April 1887
Passengers
2016/17Increase 0.342 million
2017/18Decrease 0.340 million
2018/19Decrease 0.331 million
2019/20Decrease 0.303 million
2020/21Decrease 73,038
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Wareham railway station serves the town of Wareham in Dorset, England. It is situated about 0.6 miles (1 km) north of the town centre. It is 120 miles 70 chains (194.5 km) down the line from London Waterloo. On tickets it is printed "Wareham Dorset" to avoid confusion with Ware railway station.

History[]

A Swanage branch train in 1966

The current station opened in 1887, replacing the original station which opened in 1847 and was sited east of what is now only a pedestrian crossing but was once a busy road level crossing (the road now bridges the railway)[1] This station had two bay platforms which served the branch line to Swanage from 1885 until 1972, when the branch closed.[2]

The branch line to Swanage is now the preserved Swanage Railway, a steam locomotive operated heritage railway that currently operates between Swanage and a Park and Ride site at Norden just north of Corfe Castle.

The rail connection between the Swanage Railway and the Network Rail tracks at Worgret Junction has been restored,[3] restoring a connection with the National Rail network. On Summer Saturdays trains run through from a number of South Western Railway stations, including London Waterloo and Salisbury through Wareham to Corfe Castle to link with Swanage Railway services.[4]

Services[]

A Class 444 going to London

Wareham station is served by two South Western Railway services an hour from London Waterloo to Weymouth, usually a Class 444 or Class 450. Prior to 9 December 2007 it was the terminus for an hourly local service from Brockenhurst, but this has now been partially replaced by the additional Weymouth service.[5]

Until 1967, trains through the station were normally steam hauled. Class 205 (2H) diesel electric multiple units were used during the final years of British Rail operation on the Swanage branch. Between 1967 and 1988, passenger services on the London-Weymouth line were normally provided by Class 33/1 diesel locomotives with Class 438 coaching stock (also known as 4-TC units). The line was electrified in 1988, using the standard British Rail Southern Region direct current third rail at 750 volts. After electrification, Class 442 electric multiple units were initially used, but these were replaced by Class 444 electric multiple units in 2007.

Heritage[]

The Swanage Railway is connected and fully accessible from the main line at Worgret Junction, although the normal steam service on the line still runs from Swanage and terminates at Norden station near Corfe Castle. Certain services were extended to terminate at Wareham, allowing interchange with the main line. This was achieved on 13 June 2017 when a four-coach diesel-hauled trial service began running to Wareham. This was the first train to work between the two towns since the Swanage branch closed in 1972. [6] Special services operated between Wareham and Swanage on some dates during the summer of 2017 as a trial, a further trial is planned but no dates announced as yet (Nov 2021).

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Holton Heath   South Western Railway
South West Main Line 		  Wool
Corfe Castle   South Western Railway
London Waterloo to Corfe Castle
Summer Saturdays only 		 
Heritage Railways  Heritage railways
Norden   Swanage Railway
(Special services only) 		  Terminus

References[]

  1. ^ "Purbeck Townscape Character Appraisal". Dorsetforyou.com. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Steam train runs from town again". BBC News. 29 November 2009. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Project Wareham / The Purbeck Line"Swanage Railway
  4. ^ "Direct Trains to Corfe Castle from Across Dorset Somerset and Wiltshire this summer". Swanage Railway. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  5. ^ Table 158 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  6. ^ London to Swanage train arrives after 37-year wait Dorset Echo, 2 April 2009

Coordinates: 50°41′35″N 2°06′54″W / 50.693°N 2.115°W / 50.693; -2.115

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