Worthing railway station
Encyclopedia
Worthing railway station is the main station serving the town of Worthing
in West Sussex
. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by Southern
. The other operator is First Great Western
. It is one of the main stations on the West Coastway Line
; all timetabled trains stop here.
The main station entrance is on the south side in Station Approach. The passenger car park is on the north side of the station in Southcourt Road and has a separate entrance to the station. Parking is free only on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Some trains travelling from London to destinations west of Worthing (such as Southampton Central and Littlehampton) divide at Worthing. Passengers must ensure they are travelling in the correct portion of the train; platform and on-train announcements provide details. Similarly, some trains travelling from west to east towards London join at Worthing to form a single train. All three platforms are long enough to accommodate 12-coach trains.
At times in its history the station has been named Worthing Central. This name is sometimes incorrectly still used, either out of habit or intentionally to distinguish it from West Worthing and East Worthing stations.
The concourse and ticket office leads directly to the side platform
(Platform 3), which is used mostly for westbound services. The island platform
(Platforms 1 and 2) is connected to this platform by a subway, which also leads out to the car park.
In August 2007, ticket barriers were introduced separating the platforms from the ticket office. However, their effectiveness is compromised by the layout of the station insofar as the rear car park entrance leads directly to the subway connecting the platforms. A small ticket booth, frequently unmanned, has been installed in the subway in an attempt to address this issue.
Between November 2007 and February 2008, a refurbishment of the station took place, with it being re-painted it in the new Southern Trains colours. Replacement of the roof glass on the station canopies also took place.
In April 2009, the station was made fully accessible to disabled passengers, which new ticket windows which can be adjusted to height and a ramp was also provided. The station was also fitted with new folding doors.
Platform 1 Sometimes used in peak service only.
Platform 2 Used for services to Brighton
, London Victoria and London Bridge
.
Platform 3 Used for westbound services to Littlehampton
, Southampton Central
and Bristol Temple Meads
, Portsmouth, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Eastleigh, and Westbury.
(now known as the Thameslink Programme) contains proposals to extend the Thameslink network
to various additional routes in southern England; one of these would be the section of the West Coastway line between Hove and Littlehampton, with services running via the Cliftonville Curve from the Brighton Main Line. This will see services that currently terminate at London Bridge
continuing through Central London and northwards via the Midland Main Line
or East Coast Main Line
to destinations such as Luton or Cambridge. This however is not imminent, a Department for Transport
whitepaper states only that "the Thameslink Programme will be completed by the end of 2015" and that "interim outputs will be delivered by the end of 2011".
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. The station and the majority of trains serving it are operated by 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...
. The other operator is 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....
. It is one of the main stations 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....
; all timetabled trains stop here.
The main station entrance is on the south side in Station Approach. The passenger car park is on the north side of the station in Southcourt Road and has a separate entrance to the station. Parking is free only on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Some trains travelling from London to destinations west of Worthing (such as Southampton Central and Littlehampton) divide at Worthing. Passengers must ensure they are travelling in the correct portion of the train; platform and on-train announcements provide details. Similarly, some trains travelling from west to east towards London join at Worthing to form a single train. All three platforms are long enough to accommodate 12-coach trains.
At times in its history the station has been named Worthing Central. This name is sometimes incorrectly still used, either out of habit or intentionally to distinguish it from West Worthing and East Worthing stations.
The concourse and ticket office leads directly to the side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
(Platform 3), which is used mostly for westbound services. The island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
(Platforms 1 and 2) is connected to this platform by a subway, which also leads out to the car park.
In August 2007, ticket barriers were introduced separating the platforms from the ticket office. However, their effectiveness is compromised by the layout of the station insofar as the rear car park entrance leads directly to the subway connecting the platforms. A small ticket booth, frequently unmanned, has been installed in the subway in an attempt to address this issue.
Between November 2007 and February 2008, a refurbishment of the station took place, with it being re-painted it in the new Southern Trains colours. Replacement of the roof glass on the station canopies also took place.
In April 2009, the station was made fully accessible to disabled passengers, which new ticket windows which can be adjusted to height and a ramp was also provided. The station was also fitted with new folding doors.
Platform 1 Sometimes used in peak service only.
Platform 2 Used for services to 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...
, London Victoria and London Bridge
London Bridge station
London Bridge railway station is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the London Borough of Southwark, occupying a large area on two levels immediately south-east of London Bridge and 1.6 miles east of Charing Cross. It is one of the oldest railway stations in the...
.
Platform 3 Used for westbound services to Littlehampton
Littlehampton railway station
Littlehampton railway station is in Littlehampton in the county of West Sussex. The station and the trains serving it are operated by Southern....
, 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...
and Bristol Temple Meads
Bristol Temple Meads railway station
Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest railway station in Bristol, England. It is an important transport hub for public transport in Bristol, with bus services to various parts of the city and surrounding districts, and a ferry service to the city centre in addition to the...
, Portsmouth, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Eastleigh, and Westbury.
Facilities
- Booking hall
- Ticket Office (3 windows)
- Automatic Ticket Gates
- Lifts
- Espresso Coffee shop (also sells newspapers)
- Snack bar(in booking hall)
- Cash machine (not free)
- Waiting rooms
- Toilets (refurbished February 2007)
- Subway between platforms 1,2 & 3
- Departure boards: 2 on each platform and 4 in ticket hall(1 which only show direct services)
- Car Park
- 3 platforms
- Telephones
- Bicycle Storage
Services
- Taxi rank
- Bus stop, served by Stagecoach Buses and Compass
Future developments
The Thameslink 2000 projectThameslink Programme
The Thameslink Programme, originally Thameslink 2000, is a £6 billion project in south-east England to upgrade and expand the Thameslink rail network to provide new and longer trains between a wider range of stations to the north and to the south of London without requiring passengers to change...
(now known as the Thameslink Programme) contains proposals to extend the Thameslink network
Thameslink
Thameslink is a fifty-station main-line route in the British railway system running north to south through London from Bedford to Brighton, serving both London Gatwick Airport and London Luton Airport. It opened as a through service in 1988 and by 1998 was severely overcrowded, carrying more than...
to various additional routes in southern England; one of these would be the section of the West Coastway line between Hove and Littlehampton, with services running via the Cliftonville Curve from the Brighton Main Line. This will see services that currently terminate at London Bridge
London Bridge
London Bridge is a bridge over the River Thames, connecting the City of London and Southwark, in central London. Situated between Cannon Street Railway Bridge and Tower Bridge, it forms the western end of the Pool of London...
continuing through Central London and northwards via the Midland Main Line
Midland Main Line
The Midland Main Line is a major railway route in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system.The present-day line links London St...
or East Coast Main Line
East Coast Main Line
The East Coast Main Line is a long electrified high-speed railway link between London, Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Newcastle and Edinburgh...
to destinations such as Luton or Cambridge. This however is not imminent, a Department for Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
whitepaper states only that "the Thameslink Programme will be completed by the end of 2015" and that "interim outputs will be delivered by the end of 2011".