The branch leaves the main line at Pirbright Junction to the west of Brookwood station, Surrey, then turns to the southwest. The route crosses and recrosses the Surrey / Hampshire border, and serves the towns of Aldershot and Farnham before reaching its present-day terminus at Alton in East Hampshire. The line originally continued west to Winchester; the section between Alton and New Alresford is preserved as the heritage Watercress line.
The Alton line was electrified (750V DC third rail) during the late interwar years by Southern Railway. Aside from regular electric trains, freight trains operated by DB Cargo UK and steam trains connected to the Mid Hants Watercress Railway (by way of rolling stock supply or special excursion) operate on the line.
The first railway line to Farnham opened in 1849 and was a branch from Guildford via Tongham. The line from Farnham to Alton opened on 28 July 1852. On 2 October 1865 the Alton, Aldershot & Winchester Railway extended the line from Alton to Winchester, with Alton station moving to a new site. On 2 May 1870 the present-day line from Brookwood to Farnham opened.[n 1] Alton became a junction station on 1 June 1901 when the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway opened, temporarily closed 1917–1924 as the track was taken up for use in France during the First World War, but reopened after local pressure. Use was light and the line closed in 1933. On 1 June 1903 the Meon Valley Railway opened from Alton to Fareham on the south coast. This line closed to passengers in 1955.[n 2]
The section between Alton and Winchester was closed in 1973. The 10 mile stretch from Alton to Alresford was reopened in stages from 1977 to 1985 as the Watercress heritage railway. The route between Alresford and Winchester is unlikely to be reopened, as houses and the M3 motorway have since been built across the route.[1][2]
Temporary closures
August 2006
The line closed briefly in August 2006 between Brookwood and Ash Vale due to a landslip at Foxhills Tunnel, causing most commuter journeys to be diverted via Guildford.[3]
April 2016
Heavy rainfall destabilised the embankment near Wrecclesham causing closure of the line between 13 April 2016 and 3 May 2016.[4]Network Rail undertook further work to fully stabilise the earthworks.[5]
There are two trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Alton (Mondays to Saturdays). On Sundays, the service is hourly until the early afternoon when half-hourly. Peak time trains take between 67 and 71 minutes for the whole journey; off-peak trains take between 75 and 78 minutes for the journey and Sunday services take 79 to 85 minutes.
Passenger trains that serve this line during off-peak hours also stop at the following stations (from north to south):
During peak hours trains typically do not stop at Clapham Junction; some peak trains also omit calls at Surbiton, West Byfleet or Brookwood. On Sundays, the service also calls at Wimbledon.[n 3]
Historical timetables
From 1937 to 1967, Alton trains ran fast from Waterloo to Surbiton and then ran all stations to Alton. They formed the front (country) end of an 8-car train that split at Woking with the rear 4 cars running to Portsmouth. The trains ran throughout the day and left Waterloo at 27 and 57 minutes past the hour and took exactly 80 minutes to reach Alton.[6] Additionally, there were trains in the rush hours that ran fast to Woking and then all stations – at 16:17, 18:14, and 18:17 (also stopping at Surbiton) to Farnham, and at 16:47, 17:17, 17:47 to Alton taking between 72 and 76 minutes. Trains from Waterloo to Alton from 05:25 to 08:25 left two minutes earlier than the standard departures and called at Wimbledon. All trains took the fast line from Waterloo to Surbiton. The last train in the evening was the 22:57 to Farnham, which ran to Alton on Wednesday and Saturday nights only, arriving at 00:17. On Sundays there was a 23:27 that only ran to Farnham. On weekdays the 17:27 and 19:27 had connections at Bentley to Bordon with a five-minute connection at Bentley and a journey time to Bordon of 15 minutes. The diminutive army town of Bordon had a very regular service on Sunday nights from Bentley.[6]
On the up line the pattern was similar, with several departures from Farnham to Waterloo starting at 06:05 and then from Alton at 06:54, then every 30 minutes till 22:54 with three extra rush hour services in the morning. In those days the line from Farnham to Alton was double track.
In the 1980s the pattern was somewhat different: the off-peak trains ran half-hourly and stopped at Surbiton, Woking then all stations, being detached from the Bournemouth (hourly) or Basingstoke (hourly) stopping services. Around 1985 Alton lost its half-hourly service, with half the trains terminating at Farnham. Peak services were approximately every 20 minutes until 1985, half-hourly thereafter, generally going fast Waterloo to Woking, occasionally stopping at West Byfleet or Surbiton
In 1989 the service changed again with three trains an hour as far as Farnham: a fast train (Clapham Junction, Woking and all stations to Alton), a semi-fast (Surbiton, certain stations to Woking, then all to Farnham) and a slow (Clapham Junction, Wimbledon, Surbiton and all stations to Farnham).
Freight services
A daily service used to run to Holybourne Oil Terminal from Fawley, but this service has ceased. Oil tank wagons are stored in the terminal at Holybourne.
As of February 2024 most of the Holybourne Sidings have been lifted with very little remaining of how it once appeared. There is still the main aspect signal controlling movements back on to the Alton single line in the Up Direction.
Farnham Traincare Depot
Farnham Traincare Depot (51°12′18″N0°48′37″W / 51.2051°N 0.8102°W / 51.2051; -0.8102), in Weydon Lane, Wrecclesham, was opened by the Southern Railway at the time of the electrification of the Portsmouth and Alton lines in 1937. It was refurbished for the introduction of modern units when slam-door trains were replaced circa 2005. At the same time, disused quarry and ballast dump sidings behind the carriage shed were removed and a number of outdoor sidings were laid for overnight storage and servicing of units.
South Western Railway uses the depot under the five-to-ten year government franchise operated by the subsidiary. The depot houses mainly Class 450 trains, but also Class 458 and occasionally Class 444 trains as well.
More recently the depot has been used as sidings for the Class 701 fleet pending their introduction to passenger service.
↑ Timetables show the line as "suburban". It is in practice a regional line and for the purposes of South West Trains Passenger Charter discounts and Void Day refunds for season tickets it is a Mainline route. All journeys from Alton, Bentley and Farnham are Mainline journeys. Journeys from Aldershot and Ash Vale to London Terminals (i.e. all London stations) and Zone R1256 Zones (a journey to London with Underground included) are Mainline, the remainder suburban.
Further reading
Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN1-85260-508-1.
The Watercress Line is the marketing name of the Mid-Hants Railway, a heritage railway in Hampshire, England, running 10 miles (16 km) from New Alresford to Alton where it connects to the National Rail network. The line gained its popular name in the days when it was used to transport locally grown watercress to markets in London. The railway currently operates regular scheduled services, along with dining trains, real ale trains and numerous special events throughout the year.
Winchester railway station is a railway station in Winchester in the county of Hampshire, England. It is on the South West Main Line and was known as Winchester City from 1949–67 to distinguish it from Winchester (Chesil) station. It is 66 miles 39 chains (107.0 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
Farnham railway station serves the town of Farnham in Surrey, England.
The South West Main Line (SWML) is a 143-mile major railway line between Waterloo station in central London and Weymouth on the south coast of England. A predominantly passenger line, it serves many commuter areas including south western suburbs of London and the conurbations based on Southampton and Bournemouth. It runs through the counties of Surrey, Hampshire and Dorset. It forms the core of the network built by the London and South Western Railway, today mostly operated by South Western Railway.
Surbiton railway station is a National Rail station in Surbiton, south-west London, in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The station is managed and served by South Western Railway, and is in Travelcard Zone 6. It is 12 miles 3 chains (19.4 km) from London Waterloo and is situated between Berrylands and Esher on the main line.
Kingston railway station is in Kingston upon Thames in south-west London. It is 12 miles 9 chains (19.5 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway. It is in Travelcard Zone 6.
Aldershot railway station is located near the town centre of Aldershot in Hampshire, England. It is 35 miles (56 km) down the line from London Waterloo. It is on the Alton Line, part of the National Rail network, with train services and station facilities provided by South Western Railway.
Bentley railway station serves the village of Bentley in Hampshire, England. It is situated on the Alton Line, between Farnham and Alton. The station and all trains serving it are operated by South Western Railway.
The Mid-Hants Railway (MHR) originated when local people promoted a railway line between Alton and a junction near Winchester, connected to the larger London and South Western Railway at each end. It was authorised as the Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway in 1861, and changed its name to the Mid-Hants Railway in 1865. It was opened for traffic in 1865. It was a single track 18 miles long, and had some very steep gradients. It had been unable to raise much share capital and it was heavily indebted from the outset, incurring heavy interest outlays.
Weybridge railway station is near the established midpoint of Weybridge in Surrey, England and south of its town centre. It is on the South West Main Line and operated by South Western Railway.
Woking railway station is a major stop in Woking, England, on the South West Main Line used by many commuters. It is 24 miles 27 chains (39.2 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station is managed by South Western Railway, who operate all trains serving it.
Alton railway station is a station in the market town of Alton, in the English county of Hampshire. The station is the terminus for two railway lines: the Alton Line which runs to Brookwood and on to London Waterloo, and the Mid Hants Watercress Railway which runs to Alresford. The latter once ran through to Winchester but was closed to passengers in February 1973; it reopened as a heritage line in 1985. Two other routes, both now closed, also served the station – the Meon Valley line to Fareham and the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway.
West Byfleet railway station is a railway station serving the village of West Byfleet, which forms part of the borough of Woking in the English county of Surrey.
Byfleet & New Haw railway station is on the London to Woking line, operated by South Western Railway. The station is at the northern edge of Byfleet with the village of New Haw immediately to the north and the M25 motorway within 400 m (1,300 ft) to the west.
Brookwood is a National Rail railway station in Brookwood in the English county of Surrey. It is 27 miles 79 chains (45.0 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
Fleet railway station serves the town of Fleet in Hampshire, England. It is situated on the South West Main Line, which has four tracks through the station. There are two platforms on the outer pair of tracks, which are served by trains between London Waterloo and Basingstoke and Southampton. The centre pair of tracks have no platforms and are used by through-services.
Frimley railway station is in the town of Frimley in Surrey, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South Western Railway. It is situated on the Ascot to Guildford line, 37 miles 48 chains (60.5 km) from London Waterloo.
The Chertsey branch line connects Virginia Water station on the Waterloo to Reading main line to Weybridge station on the Waterloo to Woking main line. It is located in Surrey, England. Chertsey is an ancient market town and was first connected by a branch line from Weybridge in 1848. The line was continued to Virginia Water in 1866. Additional spurs were provided at each end of the line, forming triangular junctions. The southern junction to Byfleet proved useful for through trains from Windsor towards Woking and Portsmouth. The line was electrified in 1937.
The Ascot–Ash Vale line is an 11-mile-58-chain (18.9 km) railway line in Berkshire and Surrey, England. It runs from Ascot station, on the Waterloo–Reading line, to Ash Vale, on the Alton line. There are intermediate stations at Bagshot, Camberley and Frimley, all three of which are in the Borough of Surrey Heath.
South Western Railway is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise.
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