Southampton Civic Centre Tunnel
Encyclopedia
Southampton Civic Centre Tunnel is a railway tunnel beneath the Civic Centre
in the centre
of the Hampshire
city of Southampton
, in England
. Opening in August 1847, its construction linked the stations of Southampton Terminus
and Southampton West End (later moved and now known as Southampton Central
). The construction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
linked London through Southampton to towns further west, such as Poole
and Dorchester. The through link also accelerated the expansion of Bournemouth
.
tunnel, which the railway tunnel crosses at an acute angle and slightly higher. Because the canal tunnel was lined with clay "puddle" it collects water which ends up in the rail tunnel making the latter very wet. This continues to cause problems: between 1983 and 1985 the tunnel underwent extensive engineering works http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8383000/8383071.stm, and the line through it was worked as a single line for long periods while remedial work was carried out.. A narrow gauge railway was set up as part of these works.
from London Waterloo to Bournemouth
and Weymouth, on the Wessex Main Line
from Portsmouth
to Bristol
, and for journeys on the local line from Portsmouth to Southampton. Additional journeys are made on the West Coastway Line
from Southampton to London Victoria via Gatwick Airport, and on the Cross Country services
from Bournemouth to various points in the north of England.
There is also extensive use for freight, most of which is containers to and from Southampton Container Terminal just to the west of Southampton Central.
claims this will allow freight containers to be transported by rail from the Port of Southampton across the country in a quicker, cheaper, greener and more practical way.
features the tunnel at Southampton, filmed from the rear of the train and reversed for showing.
Civic Centre, Southampton
The Civic Centre in Southampton is the home of Southampton City Council.It hosts a police station, council offices, the Guildhall venue, the well-endowed city art gallery, and the city library...
in the centre
Southampton City Centre
Southampton City Centre is the commercial and organisational centre of the City of Southampton, and the transport hub of the city. Because Southampton is on the South Coast of England, the city centre is not at the geometric centre of the city, but at the southern extremity.The traditional heart...
of the Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
city of Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, in 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...
. Opening in August 1847, its construction linked the stations of Southampton Terminus
Southampton Terminus railway station
Southampton Terminus railway station served the docks and city centre of Southampton, England. The station was first authorized on the 25 July 1834, it began as the terminus of the London and South Western Railway...
and Southampton West End (later moved and now known as Southampton Central
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...
). The construction of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway
Southampton and Dorchester Railway
-Planning and Construction:The Southampton and Dorchester Railway, operating in the counties of Hampshire and Dorset, received Parliamentary Assent in 1845 and opened in 1847. The railway was promoted by a Wimborne solicitor, Charles Castleman...
linked London through Southampton to towns further west, such as 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...
and Dorchester. The through link also accelerated the expansion of Bournemouth
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...
.
Construction and operating problems
Geological problems plagued the construction and delayed its opening. The fundamental issue was that the ground was already compromised by the partial construction of the Salisbury and Southampton CanalSalisbury and Southampton Canal
The Salisbury and Southampton Canal was intended to be a 13 mile long canal in southern England from Redbridge, now a western suburb of Southampton at the head of Southampton Water, to Salisbury connecting with the Andover Canal at a junction near Mottisfont...
tunnel, which the railway tunnel crosses at an acute angle and slightly higher. Because the canal tunnel was lined with clay "puddle" it collects water which ends up in the rail tunnel making the latter very wet. This continues to cause problems: between 1983 and 1985 the tunnel underwent extensive engineering works http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8383000/8383071.stm, and the line through it was worked as a single line for long periods while remedial work was carried out.. A narrow gauge railway was set up as part of these works.
Services using the tunnel
The tunnel is mostly used by trains on the South Western Main LineSouth 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 to Bournemouth
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...
and Weymouth, on the Wessex Main Line
Wessex Main Line
The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line from Westbury to Weymouth.- Places served :The places served are listed below.*Bristol*Keynsham*Oldfield Park*Bath...
from 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...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, and for journeys on the local line from Portsmouth to Southampton. Additional journeys are made on the West Coastway Line
West 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....
from Southampton to London Victoria via Gatwick Airport, and on the Cross Country services
Cross Country services
Cross Country services on the British rail network carry passengers on routes generally avoiding the London termini, instead travelling between other large centres of population.-History:...
from Bournemouth to various points in the north of England.
There is also extensive use for freight, most of which is containers to and from Southampton Container Terminal just to the west of Southampton Central.
Tunnel Development
During the period Sunday 27 December 2009 to Sunday 3 January 2010 the tunnel closed for the track to be lowered to achieve W10 (freight container) route clearance. 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...
claims this will allow freight containers to be transported by rail from the Port of Southampton across the country in a quicker, cheaper, greener and more practical way.
Film
Footage at the start of the film Oh, Mr Porter!Oh, Mr Porter!
Oh, Mr Porter! is a British comedy film starring Will Hay with Moore Marriott and Graham Moffatt and directed by Marcel Varnel. While not his most commercially successful, it is probably his best-known film to modern audiences...
features the tunnel at Southampton, filmed from the rear of the train and reversed for showing.