Newport railway station was established in 1862 with the opening of the Cowes and Newport. It was enlarged in December 1875 when the lines to Ryde and Ventnor were opened. The station was also used by the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway from its opening in 1888 until 1913, when that company opened its own station nearby. Upon the formation 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...

 in 1923 reverted to using this station. The station was closed by British Railways in 1966. It was then used as a base for the Wight Locomotive Society

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the Isle of Wight. The railway passes through 5½ miles of unspoiled countryside from to station, passing through the small village of Havenstreet, where the line has a station, headquarters and a depot...

 until January 1971, when it was demolished.

Isle of Wight Central Railway Station

Newport railway station was a pivotal station within the unique railway network

Railways on the Isle of Wight

There once existed a 55½ mile network of railway lines on the Isle of Wight. They were opened by several companies between 1862 and 1901, and all but the 8½ mile-long Island Line closed between 1952 and 1966. A further 5½ miles have reopened as the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.- Early beginnings...

 on the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

, that began in 1862 when the Cowes and Newport Railway railway opened for business. Situated in the centre of the town . The station was enlarged in 1875 with the opening of the Ryde and Newport Railway in December 1875,, which also connected the station to Ventnor. Traffic was also increased with the opening of the branch to Sandown in 1879, by the Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway. In July1887 The Cowes and Newport Railway, the Ryde and Newport Railway, and the Isle of Wight (Newport Junction) Railway were merged to form the Isle of Wight Central Railway

Isle of Wight Central Railway

The Isle of Wight Central Railway was a railway company on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. At its peak the company owned 21½ miles of railway line, and it also operated trains on some additional lines it did not own. Trains were first run on what became its lines in 1862, although the company...

 (IWCR).

A major employer on the island

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

,, it was noted for its busy and purposeful camaraderie. Closed in 1966, the station served as a base for the Wight Locomotive Society

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage railway on the Isle of Wight. The railway passes through 5½ miles of unspoiled countryside from to station, passing through the small village of Havenstreet, where the line has a station, headquarters and a depot...

 until January 1971, when the site was demolished by scrap merchants. The station site is now built over with much of it now lost under the A3054

A3054 road

The A3054 is an A-Class Road on the Isle of Wight in Southern England. It forms the Northern half of the circular around-the-Island A-class loop, the southern half being the A3055...

, Medina Way.

Freshwater Yarmouth & Newport Railway Station

The trains of the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway's terminated at the IWCR station from the opening of that line in 1888 until 1913, when a separate FYN station opened nearby. However, upon the formation 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...

, all trains to Newport reverted to using the IWCR station.

Motive Power Depots

The Ryde and Newport Railway opened a wooden engine shed, with coaling and watering facilities at on the eastern side of Newport station on 20 December 1875 The Freshwater Yarmouth and Newport Railway also opened a small shed close to the site of Newport Priory, but this was closed upon the formation of the Southern Railway.

External links

• Enthusiasts’ photos
• Subterranea Britannica web-site
• http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/10399621 “Geograph”- photo and grid reference of station site