Maiden Newton railway station
Encyclopedia
Maiden Newton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Maiden Newton
in Dorset
, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex line between and .
with the section of their route from to . This completed their main line from to Weymouth, the first part of which had opened in 1848. The railway was a part of the larger Great Western Railway
which meant that through trains ran from London Paddington station.
The station consisted of two platforms with a flint station building and goods shed at the south end. A signal box
was added later.
From 1857 to 1975 the station was the junction for the Bridport Railway and an extra bay platform was added at the north end of the station for these trains. This can still be seen at the west end of the station and this end of the trackbed is a footpath and cycleway.
and Yeovil
. The entrance is on the northbound platform, the side closest to the village. Access to the southbound platform is normally by the footbridge but there is a level crossing at the south end of the station for passengers who are unable to use the bridge. The station building, and goods shed survive but are no longer used by the railway.
The electric key token instruments for the block sections either side are now operated by the train crew under the supervision of the signal operator based at Yeovil Pen Mill.
. Services originate from and (apart from one early morning service from ) and are operated by Class 150
, Class 153
or Class 158
diesel multiple unit
s. Eight trains in each direction call Mondays to Saturdays and three each way on Sundays all year (plus two additional trains in the summer months).
Maiden Newton
Maiden Newton is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, north of Dorchester. Located on the River Frome, the village has a population of 952 , of whom 29.7% are retired. Maiden Newton railway station, which serves the village, is situated on the Heart of Wessex Line...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex line between and .
History
Opened on 20 January 1857 by the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth RailwayWilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway
The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Chippenham in 'Wilts' with Weymouth in Dorset, England. Branches ran to Devizes, Bradford-on-Avon and Salisbury in Wiltshire, and to Radstock in Somerset. The majority of the line survives...
with the section of their route from to . This completed their main line from to Weymouth, the first part of which had opened in 1848. The railway was a part of the larger Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
which meant that through trains ran from London Paddington station.
The station consisted of two platforms with a flint station building and goods shed at the south end. A 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...
was added later.
From 1857 to 1975 the station was the junction for the Bridport Railway and an extra bay platform was added at the north end of the station for these trains. This can still be seen at the west end of the station and this end of the trackbed is a footpath and cycleway.
Description
Although the signal box was closed during a rationalisation scheme, the station retains two platforms as it is a passing place on the single line between DorchesterDorchester West railway station
Dorchester West railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town of Dorchester in Dorset.The station is located on the Heart of Wessex Line between and and is at the southern end of a single track section from...
and Yeovil
Yeovil Pen Mill railway station
Yeovil Pen Mill railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Yeovil, Somerset. The station is situated just under a mile to the east of the town centre.The station is located south of Bristol Temple Meads, on the Heart of Wessex Line...
. The entrance is on the northbound platform, the side closest to the village. Access to the southbound platform is normally by the footbridge but there is a level crossing at the south end of the station for passengers who are unable to use the bridge. The station building, and goods shed survive but are no longer used by the railway.
The electric key token instruments for the block sections either side are now operated by the train crew under the supervision of the signal operator based at Yeovil Pen Mill.
Services
The station is served by First Great WesternFirst 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 originate from and (apart from one early morning service from ) and are operated by Class 150
British Rail Class 150
The British Rail Class 150 "Sprinter" diesel multiple units were built by BREL from 1984-87. A total of 137 units were built in three main subclasses, replacing many of the earlier first-generation "Heritage" DMUs.- Background :...
, Class 153
British Rail Class 153
The British Rail Class 153 Super Sprinter is a single car diesel multiple unit converted from British Rail Class 155s.-Description:These units were originally built as two-car Class 155 units by British Leyland from 1987–88, but were converted by Hunslet-Barclay at Kilmarnock from 1991-92...
or Class 158
British Rail Class 158
British Rail Class 158 Express Sprinter is a diesel multiple-unit train, built for British Rail between 1989 and 1992 by BREL at its Derby Works. They were built to replace many locomotive-hauled passenger trains, and allowed cascading of existing Sprinter units to replace elderly 'heritage' DMUs...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. Eight trains in each direction call Mondays to Saturdays and three each way on Sundays all year (plus two additional trains in the summer months).