Havant railway station
Encyclopedia
Havant
railway station is a railway station near Portsmouth
.
It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line
which runs between London
(London Waterloo
) and Portsmouth
(Portsmouth Harbour
). Havant is served by trains operated by South West Trains
, Southern
, and First Great Western
.
and the Portsmouth Direct Line
. It therefore has services to Portsmouth, London Waterloo, London Victoria via Gatwick Airport
, Brighton
, Southampton
and less frequent long-distance services to Wales and the west country. As of 9 December 2007, South West Trains no longer serve the Brighton Line with the dominant train operator on this route, Southern, reworking its Coastway timetable to accommodate the move. A new service is also provided by First Great Western to and from Great Malvern
. Cross Country services also divert via Guildford
and Havant (but do not stop) when the Winchester line
is closed due to engineering works.
The Off Peak times start at 8:40am at the station, with trains getting into London Waterloo for 10:00am.
The Super Off Peak time starts at 10:40 at the station, with trains getting into London Waterloo for 12:00pm.
This is the third station to be named Havant. The first was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
(LBSCR) 500 m to the east - a small wayside station (called Havant Halt). It was demolished after a serious fire. A newer station was built 200 m west to serve the then new London and South Western Railway
(LSWR) Portsmouth Direct Line. This station was demolished so that a bigger station could be built 300 m further west to serve the new Hayling Island branch line. It had three platforms, one for Hayling Island
and two for the stopping main line services.
The "Battle of Havant" took place between the LB&SCR and the L&SWR. The two railway companies fought for the right to use LB&SCR tracks into Havant so the L&SWR could reach Portsmouth. For more details see Denvilles halt
.
Such battles were quite common in the United States where they were called frog war
s.
It was the terminus for the Hayling Island branch services until late in 1963. Apart from the platform there was a run round loop, a siding serving a warehouse and a water column supplied by a circular metal water tank located near the signal box. In the Spring of 1966 the Hayling Island tracks were removed. The space they occupied was later replaced with a car park and a fence on the south side of the platform.
As part of the Waterloo to Portsmouth electrification the station was completely rebuilt in 1938. The number of tracks was increased from two to four, two for stopping trains and the two for non-stop, generally express trains. The northernmost of the two fast tracks (as mentioned above) was later removed, and the remaining fast (through) track was also removed in late 2006. Judging by the new track layout east of the station, this arrangement seems to be permanent.
After the engineering work of 2007 was finally finalized after a lengthy delay that had lasted from the beginning of the year, the stations two platforms have become bi-directional platforms. This means that both platforms can be used for trains going in either direction. Such as when the fast Waterloo service, the xx34 is running late behind the slow Waterloo service xx40. This means that the Slower service may be placed on Platform 1, which services to London go on, and wait, while the faster service is brought onto Platform 2, and then over take the service, so that it can make up the time lost, and not lose more time while waiting to overtake the slower service up in Haslemere station.
Since July 2006, the Hayling Island platform face no longer exists and a new cycle centre has been built in place of the former platform. A new station name pole has been erected at the position also. As well as these, most of the signs within the station have also been changed and new seats have been installed on the platforms. This is in line with commitments made in the current South West Trains franchise. The signs are in the more traditional style (as seen at Clapham Junction, Wimbledon and across the Southern Railway network).
There has been some discussion about putting a third (terminating) platform in the gap, however this would have to be very short and narrow. There has also been discussion about reinstating the Hayling Island platform, and even the whole Hayling Island branch. Both of these proposals have now been completely abandoned.
New ticket barries have been constructed on both platforms making Havant a fully barriered station. As like all other South West Trains stations, ITSO Smartcard readers have been installed on the new ticket barriers, as well as a stand alone unit by the out of hours entrance on the south side.
Havant
Havant is a town in south east Hampshire on the South coast of England, between Portsmouth and Chichester. It gives its name to the borough comprising the town and the surrounding area. The town has rapidly grown since the end of the Second World War.It has good railway connections to London,...
railway station is a railway station near Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
.
It is located on the Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
which runs between 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...
(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....
) and Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
(Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth Harbour railway station
Portsmouth Harbour railway station is a railway station in Portsmouth, England. It is situated beside Gunwharf Quays in the city's harbour, and is an important transport terminal, with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. The station currently has four platforms:...
). Havant is served by trains 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...
, 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...
, and First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
.
Services
Havant is a junction station and provides passengers with an interchange between the West Coastway lineWest Coastway Line
The West Coastway Line is a railway line in England, along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, between Brighton and Southampton, plus the short branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis....
and the Portsmouth Direct Line
Portsmouth Direct Line
The Portsmouth Direct Line is the route of a railway service operated by South West Trains which runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour, England...
. It therefore has services to Portsmouth, London Waterloo, London Victoria via Gatwick Airport
Gatwick Airport railway station
Gatwick Airport station is the railway station at London Gatwick Airport that provides a direct rail connection to London 43 km away. The station platforms are located directly below the airport’s South Terminal, and the ticket office is adjacent to that terminal’s concourse...
, Brighton
Brighton railway station
Brighton railway station is the principal railway station in the city of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of England. The station master is Mark Epsom...
, 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 less frequent long-distance services to Wales and the west country. As of 9 December 2007, South West Trains no longer serve the Brighton Line with the dominant train operator on this route, Southern, reworking its Coastway timetable to accommodate the move. A new service is also provided by First Great Western to and from Great Malvern
Great Malvern railway station
Great Malvern railway station serves the line between Worcester and Hereford. It is situated close to the centre of Great Malvern, England. It is one of two stations serving the town of Malvern, the other being Malvern Link station...
. Cross Country services also divert via Guildford
Guildford (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....
and Havant (but do not stop) when the Winchester 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...
is closed due to engineering works.
The Off Peak times start at 8:40am at the station, with trains getting into London Waterloo for 10:00am.
The Super Off Peak time starts at 10:40 at the station, with trains getting into London Waterloo for 12:00pm.
Facilities
- Ticket Office
- Quick ticket
- Automatic ticket gates
- Waiting room
- automated teller machineAutomated teller machineAn automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
- Toilets
- Telephones
- Cafe/Shop
- Car Park
- Bicycle Storage
History
Referring to the main picture, the gap between the left two tracks was once occupied by another fast track. This four track arrangement was once typical for less well-used stations. Over time, as Havant grew in population, the usage of the station grew. It is now served by all passenger services.This is the third station to be named Havant. The first was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
(LBSCR) 500 m to the east - a small wayside station (called Havant Halt). It was demolished after a serious fire. A newer station was built 200 m west to serve the then new London and South Western Railway
London 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...
(LSWR) Portsmouth Direct Line. This station was demolished so that a bigger station could be built 300 m further west to serve the new Hayling Island branch line. It had three platforms, one for Hayling Island
Hayling Island railway station
Hayling Island station, was opened in 1867 as the terminus of the four and a half mile Hayling Island branch, a single track line from Havant which transported holidaymakers to the resort until its closure in 1963....
and two for the stopping main line services.
The "Battle of Havant" took place between the LB&SCR and the L&SWR. The two railway companies fought for the right to use LB&SCR tracks into Havant so the L&SWR could reach Portsmouth. For more details see Denvilles halt
Denvilles halt
Denvilles Halt was a station located between Havant and Rowlands Castle on the Portsmouth Direct Line. It was a temporary platform, erected by the L&SWR, as that company's adoption of the Portsmouth Direct line started a dispute with the LB&SCR....
.
Such battles were quite common in the United States where they were called frog war
Frog war
In American railroading, a frog war occurs when a private railroad company attempts to cross the tracks of another, and this results in hostilities, with the courts usually getting involved, but often long after companies have taken the matter in their own hands and settled, with hordes of workers...
s.
It was the terminus for the Hayling Island branch services until late in 1963. Apart from the platform there was a run round loop, a siding serving a warehouse and a water column supplied by a circular metal water tank located near the signal box. In the Spring of 1966 the Hayling Island tracks were removed. The space they occupied was later replaced with a car park and a fence on the south side of the platform.
As part of the Waterloo to Portsmouth electrification the station was completely rebuilt in 1938. The number of tracks was increased from two to four, two for stopping trains and the two for non-stop, generally express trains. The northernmost of the two fast tracks (as mentioned above) was later removed, and the remaining fast (through) track was also removed in late 2006. Judging by the new track layout east of the station, this arrangement seems to be permanent.
After the engineering work of 2007 was finally finalized after a lengthy delay that had lasted from the beginning of the year, the stations two platforms have become bi-directional platforms. This means that both platforms can be used for trains going in either direction. Such as when the fast Waterloo service, the xx34 is running late behind the slow Waterloo service xx40. This means that the Slower service may be placed on Platform 1, which services to London go on, and wait, while the faster service is brought onto Platform 2, and then over take the service, so that it can make up the time lost, and not lose more time while waiting to overtake the slower service up in Haslemere station.
Recent changes
There has been some discussion about putting a third (terminating) platform in the gap, however this would have to be very short and narrow. There has also been discussion about reinstating the Hayling Island platform, and even the whole Hayling Island branch. Both of these proposals have now been completely abandoned.
The last 'fast' track & other changes
The fast southbound through track was removed in December 2006 and both the entry and exit from the southbound platform were straightened out to allow a quicker entry and exit speed. New crossovers were put in place to allow bi-directional working on both platforms. From west to east the new layout will be: new NB->SB crossover, new SB->NB crossover, existing road bridge, platforms, new NB->SB crossover, existing SB->NB crossover, level crossing. The level crossing was also resurfaced and new crossing gates installed2008/2009 refurbishment
The western footbridge currently has hoardings up to protect transversing passengers while the installation of elevators are underway.New ticket barries have been constructed on both platforms making Havant a fully barriered station. As like all other South West Trains stations, ITSO Smartcard readers have been installed on the new ticket barriers, as well as a stand alone unit by the out of hours entrance on the south side.