Bournemouth railway station
Encyclopedia
Bournemouth railway station, originally known as Bournemouth East (1885 to 1899) and then Bournemouth Central (1899 to 1967), is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth
in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line
from London Waterloo
to Weymouth. British Transport Police
maintain a complement of Rail Community Officers at the station.
As Bournemouth East station, it was previously on another site (1870 to 1885) – see Bournemouth East original railway station
.
, and opened on 20 July 1885 as Bournemouth East replacing the original station of the same name which was located on the other side of Holdenhurst Road. The station was located some distance away from the town centre on the insistence of town authorities of the time. It was renamed Bournemouth Central on 1 May 1899 and became Bournemouth on 10 July 1967 following the closure of Bournemouth West
. By 1967 third rail electrification had reached Bournemouth and continued beyond to Branksome
and Bournemouth Depot
but no further. From the end of steam most trains were formed of 4REP
EMU
s coupled up with one or more unpowered 4TC
units. The 4TC units would be uncoupled at Bournemouth and attached to a Class 33/1
diesel locomotive for the onward journey to Weymouth
. This continued until the electrification of the line from Branksome to Weymouth and the introduction of Wessex Electric
units in 1988. The end of steam also saw the removal of the station's centre tracks which ran between the up and down lines serving platforms 2 and 3 respectively and the demolition of the locomotive sheds located to the west; the station car park is now located on this site.
The station roof was severely damaged by the Great Storm of 1987
that hit the South of England. It was extensively refurbished in 2000 by Railtrack
after many years of disrepair and being surrounded by scaffolding to protect people from falling debris.
Ticket barriers were installed in 2008.
Platforms 3 and 4 are continuous, and both can accommodate full-length trains. This means Bournemouth has one of the longest platforms in the country. Other stations with this arrangement include Gloucester
and Cambridge
.
, who operate fast and semi-fast trains from Waterloo to Weymouth, and stopping services from London Waterloo to Poole
. In addition, CrossCountry
operate services from Bournemouth to Manchester
. There is one CrossCountry service Monday to Saturday only from Nottingham
but no return service. On Sundays the CrossCountry services are to and from Edinburgh.
Connex South Central
used to operate a London Victoria-Bournemouth service, but this was truncated at Southampton
and is now operated by Southern
. The service was one of the few regular services to use platform 1.
and Yellow Buses, both companies operate frequent services to the town centre. A regular bus service to Bournemouth Airport
, the Bournemouth Airport Shuttle, is operated by Discover Dorset. It is also a stop on National Express coach routes which serve the town.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line
South Western Main Line
The South Western Main Line is a railway line between London Waterloo and Weymouth on the Dorset coast, in the south of England. It is a major railway which serves many important commuter areas, as well as the major settlements of Southampton and Bournemouth...
from London Waterloo
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
to Weymouth. British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
maintain a complement of Rail Community Officers at the station.
As Bournemouth East station, it was previously on another site (1870 to 1885) – see Bournemouth East original railway station
Bournemouth East original railway station
Bournemouth East was the first railway station to be built in Bournemouth, England. Completed on 14 March 1870, it was sited at the south-east side of the Holdenhurst Road bridge, opposite the current station, at the end of an extension of an existing branch from Ringwood to Christchurch which had...
.
History
The station was designed by William Jacob, chief engineer of 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...
, and opened on 20 July 1885 as Bournemouth East replacing the original station of the same name which was located on the other side of Holdenhurst Road. The station was located some distance away from the town centre on the insistence of town authorities of the time. It was renamed Bournemouth Central on 1 May 1899 and became Bournemouth on 10 July 1967 following the closure of Bournemouth West
Bournemouth West railway station
Bournemouth West railway station was a railway station in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It closed on 4 October 1965. The station was the southern terminus of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, as well as being the terminus for trains from London Waterloo and other local trains.-Closure:The...
. By 1967 third rail electrification had reached Bournemouth and continued beyond to Branksome
Branksome railway station
Branksome railway station is a railway station serving the Branksome and Branksome Park areas of Poole in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth.-History:...
and Bournemouth Depot
Bournemouth West railway station
Bournemouth West railway station was a railway station in Bournemouth, Dorset, England. It closed on 4 October 1965. The station was the southern terminus of the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway, as well as being the terminus for trains from London Waterloo and other local trains.-Closure:The...
but no further. From the end of steam most trains were formed of 4REP
British Rail Class 432
The British Rail 4-REP electric multiple units were built by BR at York Works from 1966-1967 and 1974. The units were built to power the 4-TC trailer units on services on the South Western Main Line. Fifteen four-car units were eventually built. The motor coaches were new build, but the trailers...
EMU
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s coupled up with one or more unpowered 4TC
British Rail Class 438
The British Rail TC multiple units were un-powered fixed formations of 3 or 4 carriages with a driving position at each end of the set, converted by BR at York Works from locomotive-hauled Mark 1 carriages in 1966-1967 and 1974. The units built on experience gained from the prototype 6TC unit...
units. The 4TC units would be uncoupled at Bournemouth and attached to a Class 33/1
British Rail Class 33
The British Rail Class 33 also known as the BRCW Type 3 or Crompton is a class of Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives ordered in 1957 and built for the Southern Region of British Railways between 1960 and 1962....
diesel locomotive for the onward journey to Weymouth
Weymouth railway station
Weymouth railway station is a railway station serving the town of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The station is the terminus of both the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo and the Heart of Wessex Line from and .-History:...
. This continued until the electrification of the line from Branksome to Weymouth and the introduction of Wessex Electric
British Rail Class 442
The British Rail Class 442 Wessex Electric electrical multiple units were introduced in 1988 on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Twenty-four of these 5-car units were built in 1988/89 by BREL at its Derby works...
units in 1988. The end of steam also saw the removal of the station's centre tracks which ran between the up and down lines serving platforms 2 and 3 respectively and the demolition of the locomotive sheds located to the west; the station car park is now located on this site.
The station roof was severely damaged by the Great Storm of 1987
Great Storm of 1987
The Great Storm of 1987 occurred on the night of 15/16 October 1987, when an unusually strong weather system caused winds to hit much of southern England and northern France...
that hit the South of England. It was extensively refurbished in 2000 by Railtrack
Railtrack
Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from its formation in April 1994 until 2002...
after many years of disrepair and being surrounded by scaffolding to protect people from falling debris.
Ticket barriers were installed in 2008.
Layout
The station has four platforms:- Platform 1 – east facing bay platformBay platformBay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
capable of accommodating trains of up to 4 coaches. Currently (2010) there are no scheduled services from this platform - Platform 2 – for through services to the east towards Southampton & London.
- Platforms 3 and 4 – for terminating services from London and through services towards Poole and Weymouth. Platform 4 is rarely used by trains in passenger service.
Platforms 3 and 4 are continuous, and both can accommodate full-length trains. This means Bournemouth has one of the longest platforms in the country. Other stations with this arrangement include Gloucester
Gloucester railway station
Gloucester railway station serves the city of Gloucester in England. The station was originally built as the terminus of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway in 1840, but the arrival of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway and Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in 1844, and then conversion...
and Cambridge
Cambridge railway station
Cambridge railway station is a railway station serving the city of Cambridge in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located at the end of Station Road, off Hills Road, 1 mile south-east of the city centre...
.
Rail
The station is primarily served by South West TrainsSouth 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...
, who operate fast and semi-fast trains from Waterloo to Weymouth, and stopping services from London Waterloo to Poole
Poole
Poole is a large coastal town and seaport in the county of Dorset, on the south coast of England. The town is east of Dorchester, and Bournemouth adjoins Poole to the east. The Borough of Poole was made a unitary authority in 1997, gaining administrative independence from Dorset County Council...
. In addition, CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
operate services from Bournemouth to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. There is one CrossCountry service Monday to Saturday only from Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
but no return service. On Sundays the CrossCountry services are to and from Edinburgh.
Connex South Central
Connex South Central
Connex South Central was a short-lived train operating company in the United Kingdom. It was owned by the Connex Group, and operated under the Connex brand between October 1996 until mid-2001....
used to operate a London Victoria-Bournemouth service, but this was truncated at Southampton
Southampton Central railway station
Southampton Central railway station is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the Wessex Main Line, the South Western Main Line and the West Coastway Line...
and is now operated by Southern
Southern (train operating company)
Southern is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Officially named Southern Railway Ltd., it is a subsidiary of Govia, a joint venture between transport groups Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, and has operated the South Central rail franchise since October 2000 and the Gatwick Express service...
. The service was one of the few regular services to use platform 1.
Bus
Bournemouth railway station also serves as a hub for local bus services. On the down side of the station is Bournemouth Travel Interchange which is served by Wilts & DorsetWilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
and Yellow Buses, both companies operate frequent services to the town centre. A regular bus service to Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport
Bournemouth Airport is an airport located north-northeast of Bournemouth, in southern England...
, the Bournemouth Airport Shuttle, is operated by Discover Dorset. It is also a stop on National Express coach routes which serve the town.