Swaythling railway station

Swaythling
National Rail
Swaythling station platforms (the station building is out of the picture to the right)
General information
LocationSwaythling, City of Southampton
England
Coordinates50°56′28″N 1°22′35″W / 50.9411°N 1.3765°W / 50.9411; -1.3765
Grid referenceSU439159
Managed bySouth Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeSWG
ClassificationDfT category E
History
Opened15 October 1883
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 93,226
2020/21Decrease 23,694
2021/22Increase 57,640
2022/23Increase 63,280
2023/24Increase 74,006
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Swaythling railway station is on the South West Main Line on the northern edge of Southampton in Hampshire, England, serving the area of Swaythling. It is 75 miles 56 chains (121.8 km) down the line from London Waterloo.

History

Swaythling railway station.

Swaythling station was initially constructed in 1883 in an elaborate Neo-Flemish style[1] and is a grade II listed building.[2] The left side has a Flemish gable with central pediment and ball finials and includes a date tablet. The station building was set back to the east of the down platform - and connected to the platform canopy structure by a passageway - so that it would not have to be rebuilt in the event of the double track being widened to quadruple tracking,[3] which was envisaged in 1883 but has never taken place.

On 19 January 1941, during the Second World War, a 2,000-pound (907 kg) bomb fell on the station, through both the roof and floor of the booking office. The bomb did not explode, but the impact killed the leading porter's dog (who was asleep in a cupboard) and scattered burning coals from the hearth, causing a fire. The fire led officials to believe the bomb had exploded and the station was declared safe for reoccupation the next day, until the landlord of the nearby Mason's Arms pub raised the alarm since he had not heard the bomb explode. The bomb was then dug up and made safe.[4]

Train services

Currently operated by South Western Railway, it is served by the hourly Salisbury to Romsey via Southampton and Eastleigh service. There are additional services at peak times to Basingstoke, Winchester, London Waterloo, Southampton and Brockenhurst.[5]

Facilities

Step-free access is available only to the down platform (usually for trains to Salisbury via Southampton Central and Romsey). This platform has the ticket office (open weekday mornings only), a ticket vending machine and step-free access to a footbridge crossing the railway. The up platform contains steps to the footbridge and steps down to Stoneham Way.

Friends of Swaythling Station

A community group, the Friends of Swaythling Station, was formed in October 2009 [6] and won first prize in the Best Station Adoption Group category at the 2011 Association of Community Rail Partnerships awards.[7]

References

  1. ^ Sites and Monuments Archived 1 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Southampton City Council: Listed buildings in Southampton Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 17 September 2007.
  3. ^ "Three Rivers Rail: Swaythling". Three Rivers Rail. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
  4. ^ Williams, Michael (2013). Steaming to Victory: How Britain's Railways Won the War. Random House. ISBN 978-0099557678.
  5. ^ Table 158 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  6. ^ "Friends of Swaythling Station" (PDF). Southampton City Council. November 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 September 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  7. ^ "ACORP Community Rail Awards 2011 winners". Archived from the original on 21 October 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Swaythling railway station.
Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Southampton Airport
Parkway 		  South Western Railway
Salisbury to Romsey via Southampton and Eastleigh 		  St Denys