Sherborne railway station
Sherborne | |
---|---|
General information | |
Location | West Dorset |
Managed by | South West Trains |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Station code | SHE |
History | |
Original company | Salisbury and Yeovil Railway |
Pre-grouping | London and South Western Railway |
Post-grouping | Southern Railway |
Key dates | |
1860 | Opened |
Sherborne railway station serves the town of Sherborne in Dorset, England. It is situated on the London Waterloo to Exeter line, 118 miles (190 km) from London. Opened in 1860, it is currently operated by South West Trains.
History
The station was opened by the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway (S&YR) on 7 May 1860, when the company extended its line from Gillingham to Sherborne. A level crossing across the line was at the east end of the platforms, and the goods yard with a goods shed at the west end; this and the main buildings were on the north side of the line to be nearer the town. Another siding on the other side of the line served the town’s gas works which had been established in 1836. A signal box was erected on the east side of the level crossing and to the south of the line in 1875.[1]
The S&YR never operated any trains, instead they were provided by the London and South Western Railway, which bought out the S&YR in 1878. In 1923 this became part of the Southern Railway, which in turn was nationalised in 1948 to become the Southern Region of British Railways.
In 1960 the signal box was replaced by a new one on the opposite side of the line, but after this a decline set in. From 1963 the line was transferred to the Western Region, and in that year the Reshaping of British Railways report was published. The smaller stations were soon closed, and most trains beyond Exeter St Davids were diverted to other routes. The gas works had stopped receiving coal in 1957 and all goods traffic was stopped from 18 April 1966. On 7 May 1967[1] the 21 miles (34 km)[2] to Chard Junction, but this proved a mistake and the double track was restored as far as Yeovil Junction on 1 October. The signal box was closed on 4 January 1970 when the level crossing was converted to lifting barriers, the controls for these now being in a conrol panel at the end of the eastbound platform.[1]
Description
The entrance and offices are on the northern platform which is served by trains going towards London. A large canopy covers much of the other platform. This is normally reached by crossing a footbridge, but people who find this difficult to use can cross the track under the supervision of the signaller who operates the level crossing. The old signal box still stands on the other side of this, and at the other end of the station can be seen the old goods shed.[1]
The station buffet appeared in a list of "highly commended" station cafes published in The Guardian in 2009.[3]
Services
South West Trains operate hourly throughout most of the week between Exeter St Davids, Sherborne, Salisbury and London Waterloo station. Services are timetabled to pass at Sherborne but the double track provides some flexibility should one of them be running late.[4]
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Templecombe | South West Trains West of England Main Line |
Yeovil Junction |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Phillips, Derek (1997). The Salisbury to Exeter Line. Sparkford: Oxford Publishing Company. ISBN 0-86093-525-6.
{{cite book}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Jacobs, Gerald (2005). Railway Track Diagrams Book 3: Western. Bradford-on-Avon: Trackmaps. ISBN 0-954986-61-X.
- ^ Wills, Dixe (2009-05-12). "Ten of the best railway cafes". Guardian. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "Table 160: London to Salisbury and Exeter" (PDF). Electronic National Rail Timetable. Network Rail. December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-14.