Ascot railway station
Encyclopedia
Ascot railway station is a railway station in the town of Ascot
in Berkshire
, England
. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains
. It is at the junction of the Waterloo to Reading line
with the Ascot to Guildford line
.
The station has three tracks and four platform faces. The London
-bound track is a single track with platform faces on either side, both of which are called Platform 1. Until recently, both faces could be used to board London-bound trains, but now only the doors on the ticket office side of the train open. Platform 2 serves the -bound line, and Platform 3 serves the Guildford
line for trains starting and terminating their journeys at Ascot. Where trains are running from London through to Guildford, or vice versa, they use Platform 2. All lines are bi-directional.
, it became part of the Southern Railway
during the Grouping of 1923
. Both lines were converted to electrified operation using the third rail system on 1 January 1939. The station then became part of the Southern Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948.
In the days when race traffic for the nearby Ascot Racecourse
warranted it, a separate racecourse station known as Ascot Race Course Platform or Ascot West operated nearby from 1922 to 1965. There were also four signal box
es.
When Sectorisation
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Network SouthEast
until the Privatisation of British Rail
ways.
A fire in 1982 severely damaged the station buildings on the Up (London) side.
via operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 60 minutes on Sundays. Most of these trains start or terminate at Ascot, but there are through trains from London Waterloo to Aldershot during Monday to Friday peak periods.
During Royal Ascot week, train services from London Waterloo to Reading through Ascot are significantly increased, with trains running every 15 mins in either direction. Even with this increase in service the trains are still crowded.
Ascot, Berkshire
Ascot is a village within the civil parish of Sunninghill and Ascot, in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is most notable as the location of Ascot Racecourse, home of the prestigious Royal Ascot meeting...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
. It is at the junction of the Waterloo to Reading line
Waterloo to Reading Line
The Waterloo to Reading Line is a National Rail suburban electric railway line running generally westwards from London, England. It is operated by South West Trains...
with the Ascot to Guildford line
Ascot to Guildford line
The Ascot to Guildford Line is a railway line operated by South West Trains.The name refers both to a service between Ascot and Guildford and a physical railway line between Ascot to Ash Vale....
.
The station has three tracks and four platform faces. The London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-bound track is a single track with platform faces on either side, both of which are called Platform 1. Until recently, both faces could be used to board London-bound trains, but now only the doors on the ticket office side of the train open. Platform 2 serves the -bound line, and Platform 3 serves the Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
line for trains starting and terminating their journeys at Ascot. Where trains are running from London through to Guildford, or vice versa, they use Platform 2. All lines are bi-directional.
History
The station was opened when the Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway reached there on 4 June 1856; on 9 July the line was extended to . On 18 March 1878 Ascot became a junction when the line towards was opened. Absorbed by the London and South Western RailwayLondon and South Western Railway
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Its network extended from London to Plymouth via Salisbury and Exeter, with branches to Ilfracombe and Padstow and via Southampton to Bournemouth and Weymouth. It also had many routes connecting towns in...
, it became part of the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
during the Grouping of 1923
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
. Both lines were converted to electrified operation using the third rail system on 1 January 1939. The station then became part of the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
on nationalisation in 1948.
In the days when race traffic for the nearby Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK's 32 annual Group 1 races...
warranted it, a separate racecourse station known as Ascot Race Course Platform or Ascot West operated nearby from 1922 to 1965. There were also four signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
es.
When Sectorisation
British Rail brand names
British Rail was the brand image of the nationalised railway owner and operator in Great Britain, the British Railways Board, used from 1965 until its breakup and sell-off from 1993 onwards....
was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast
Network SouthEast was one of three passenger sectors of British Rail created in 1982. NSE principally operated commuter trains in the London area and inter-urban services in densely populated South East England, although the network reached as far west as Exeter...
until the Privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
ways.
A fire in 1982 severely damaged the station buildings on the Up (London) side.
Services
Ascot is served by trains between and with a basic service every 30 minutes Monday to Sunday (there are more frequent trains in the morning and evening peaks - around 4 per hour). Trains to GuildfordGuildford (Surrey) railway station
Guildford railway station is an important railway junction on the Portsmouth Direct Line serving the town of Guildford in Surrey, England. It is 30.3 miles from London Waterloo....
via operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 60 minutes on Sundays. Most of these trains start or terminate at Ascot, but there are through trains from London Waterloo to Aldershot during Monday to Friday peak periods.
During Royal Ascot week, train services from London Waterloo to Reading through Ascot are significantly increased, with trains running every 15 mins in either direction. Even with this increase in service the trains are still crowded.