Wilton South railway station
Encyclopedia
Wilton South railway station is a disused railway station which formerly served Wilton
in Wiltshire
, England. It was situated on the West of England Main Line
from London Waterloo station to Exeter
and close to the Great Western Railway
’s Wilton station on its Salisbury branch
from .
It was opened in 1859 as just Wilton railway station, was renamed as Wilton South in 1949, and closed in 1966.
on 2 May 1859. At first just used for passenger traffic, goods were also handled from 1 September the next year. The Salisbury and Yeovil Railway was amalgamated
into the London and South Western Railway
(LSWR) in 1878. In 1923 the LSWR became part of the Southern Railway
(SR) in 1923 in turn was nationalised in 1948 to become the Southern Region of British Railways
.
This was the second station in Wilton, the Great Western Railway
(GWR) having opened one on their adjacent route in 1856. To avoid confusion between the two stations the former SR station became "Wilton South" in September 1949, and at the same time the former GWR station became "Wilton North". The North station closed to passengers in 1955 but goods continued to be handled there until 1965. In the meantime, here at the South station goods traffic ceased on 6 July 1964 and then passenger services were also finally withdrawn on 7 March 1966.
Fast expresses such as the Devon Belle
that were not scheduled to stop at nearby sometimes changed locomotives here at Wilton so as to avoid congestion at Salisbury. The stop was not advertised in the timetables and passengers could not join or alight from trains at Wilton.
was provided at the east end of the eastbound platform. It was kept in use after the station closed as the line westwards was single. Alterations in 1981 saw control of the area transferred to signal box. Now redundant, the signal box was taken down and rebuilt at on the Mid Hants Railway.
, were on the northern platform
which was served by trains towards Salisbury and London. A footbridge linked this with the westbound platform where there was a smaller shelter for passengers. A goods yard was situated on the north side of the line at the Salisbury end of the station.
line.
Wilton, Wiltshire
Wilton is a town in Wiltshire, , England, with a rich heritage dating back to the Anglo-Saxons. Today it is dwarfed by its larger and more famous neighbour, Salisbury, but still has a range of notable shops and attractions, including Wilton House.The confluence of the rivers Wylye and Nadder is at...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England. It was situated on the West of England Main Line
West of England Main Line
The West of England Main Line is a British railway line that runs from , Hampshire to Exeter St Davids in Devon, England. Passenger services run between London Waterloo station and Exeter...
from London Waterloo station to Exeter
Exeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
and close to the 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...
’s Wilton station on its Salisbury branch
Wilts, 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...
from .
It was opened in 1859 as just Wilton railway station, was renamed as Wilton South in 1949, and closed in 1966.
History
Wilton station was opened with the first section of the Salisbury and Yeovil RailwaySalisbury and Yeovil Railway
The Salisbury and Yeovil Railway linked Salisbury , Gillingham and Yeovil in England. Opened in stages in 1859 and 1860, it formed a bridge route between the main London and South Western Railway network and its lines in Devon and Cornwall. Its trains were operated by the LSWR and it was sold to...
on 2 May 1859. At first just used for passenger traffic, goods were also handled from 1 September the next year. The Salisbury and Yeovil Railway was amalgamated
Consolidation (business)
Consolidation or amalgamation is the act of merging many things into one. In business, it often refers to the mergers and acquisitions of many smaller companies into much larger ones. In the context of financial accounting, consolidation refers to the aggregation of financial statements of a group...
into the 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) in 1878. In 1923 the LSWR became part 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...
(SR) in 1923 in turn was nationalised in 1948 to become the Southern Region of British Railways
Southern Region of British Railways
The Southern Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992. The region covered south London, southern England and the south coast, including the busy commuter belt areas of Kent, Sussex...
.
This was the second station in Wilton, the 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...
(GWR) having opened one on their adjacent route in 1856. To avoid confusion between the two stations the former SR station became "Wilton South" in September 1949, and at the same time the former GWR station became "Wilton North". The North station closed to passengers in 1955 but goods continued to be handled there until 1965. In the meantime, here at the South station goods traffic ceased on 6 July 1964 and then passenger services were also finally withdrawn on 7 March 1966.
Fast expresses such as the Devon Belle
Devon Belle
The Devon Belle was a luxury express passenger train in England which ran between London Waterloo station and Ilfracombe and Plymouth in Devon in the years from 1947 to 1954.-The train:...
that were not scheduled to stop at nearby sometimes changed locomotives here at Wilton so as to avoid congestion at Salisbury. The stop was not advertised in the timetables and passengers could not join or alight from trains at Wilton.
Signalling
A signal boxSignal 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 provided at the east end of the eastbound platform. It was kept in use after the station closed as the line westwards was single. Alterations in 1981 saw control of the area transferred to signal box. Now redundant, the signal box was taken down and rebuilt at on the Mid Hants Railway.
Description
The main station buildings, including a house for the station master and a signal boxSignal 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...
, were on the northern platform
Railway platform
A railway platform is a section of pathway, alongside rail tracks at a train station, metro station or tram stop, at which passengers may board or alight from trains or trams. Almost all stations for rail transport have some form of platforms, with larger stations having multiple platforms...
which was served by trains towards Salisbury and London. A footbridge linked this with the westbound platform where there was a smaller shelter for passengers. A goods yard was situated on the north side of the line at the Salisbury end of the station.
Services
The station was served by trains on the London Waterloo to ExeterExeter Central railway station
Exeter Central railway station is the most centrally located of the railway stations in Exeter, Devon, England. It is smaller than St Davids which is on the west side of the city but it is served by trains on the London Waterloo to Exeter main line, and is also by local services to , and . From...
line.