General information | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Location | Portsmouth, Hampshire, England | ||||
Grid reference | SU629000 | ||||
Managed by | South Western Railway | ||||
Platforms | 5 (4 in use) | ||||
Other information | |||||
Station code | PMH | ||||
Classification | DfT category C1 | ||||
History | |||||
Opened | 2 October 1876 | ||||
Original company | Portsmouth and Ryde Joint Railway | ||||
Pre-grouping | Portsmouth and Ryde Joint Railway | ||||
Post-grouping | Southern Railway | ||||
Passengers | |||||
2019/20 | 2.036 million | ||||
Interchange | 0.121 million | ||||
2020/21 | 0.540 million | ||||
Interchange | 14,576 | ||||
2021/22 | 1.455 million | ||||
Interchange | 41,024 | ||||
2022/23 | 1.747 million | ||||
Interchange | 12,920 | ||||
2023/24 | 1.776 million | ||||
Interchange | 45,145 | ||||
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Portsmouth Harbour railway station serves the city of Portsmouth,in Hampshire,England. It is situated in Portsmouth Harbour,between the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre and the Historic Dockyard. It is an important transport terminal,with a bus interchange and ferry services to Gosport and the Isle of Wight. Unusually for a main line railway station,it is built over water as the station was originally constructed on wooden piles,which were later replaced by iron supports. [1]
The station opened on 2 October 1876 [1] as the terminus of Chief Engineer Frederick Banister's Portsmouth Waterside Extension to the Portsmouth Direct line,which runs between this station and London Waterloo station. [2] The construction of the station superseded an earlier pier on the site called the Albert Pier that was used for passenger steamships in the mid-Victorian era. [1]
The station was rebuilt in 1937 when the route was electrified but was almost totally destroyed during World War II by fire after German bombing,then rebuilt after the war.
A short branch line built on piles used to connect the station to the neighbouring dockyard,but this was taken out of service when a German bomb damaged the swing bridge in 1941.
The station is owned by Network Rail and is managed by South Western Railway. It currently has four platforms in use:numbered 1,3,4 and 5. Platform 2 is no longer in use,having been decommissioned in the early 1990s following major repair and refurbishment work to the pier that the platforms sit on. [5]
The ticket office is located in the booking hall,at the entrance from the ferry terminal. It is open seven days a week,until 19:00. When closed,tickets must be bought prior to travel at the ticket machines or on-line. There are customer help points. The station has 38 bicycle spaces,but no car park. [6]
Railways in the Portsmouth area |
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The station is served by a number of train operators. South Western Railway operate two services to London Waterloo, one on the Portsmouth Direct Line (via Guildford) and the other via Fareham, Winchester and Basingstoke. They also operate local trains to Southampton Central.
There are train services along the West Coastway route, operated by Southern to Brighton, Littlehampton, Gatwick Airport, East Croydon and London Victoria. Great Western Railway operate trains via Southampton, Salisbury and Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central, via the Wessex Main Line.
The ferry from Portsmouth Harbour Station to Ryde on the Isle of Wight is operated by Wightlink. National Rail tickets between the Isle of Wight and stations on Great Britain include travel on the ferry.
The Monday-Saturday off peak rail service in trains per hour (tph) and trains per day (tpd) is as follows:
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Portsmouth & Southsea | South Western Railway Portsmouth Direct Line | Terminus | ||
Southern West Coastway Line | ||||
Great Western Railway West Coastway Line | ||||
Ferry services | ||||
Terminus | Wightlink ferry | Fishbourne | ||
Terminus | Wightlink high-speed catamaran | Ryde Pier Head | ||
Terminus | Gosport Ferry Passenger ferry | Gosport | ||
Connection to Portsmouth International Port for Brittany Ferries to France/Spain and Condor Ferries to the Channel Islands |
The station was served by Virgin CrossCountry until May 2003 with services to and from Liverpool and Manchester with InterCity 125 sets and in its last years, Class 220 Voyagers and Class 221 Super Voyagers. [10]
The station was also served by Wessex Trains with one train a day to and from Penzance, as well as the services that are now run by its successor Great Western Railway.
With the award of the South West Region franchise to South Western Railway in 2017, Portsmouth City Council announced the intention to "spruce up" the station as part of a £90 Million investment by the new operating company. Potential improvements could include a direct walking route in to the Gunwharf Quays shopping complex. [11]
Stagecoach South Western Trains Limited, trading as South West Trains (SWT), was an English train operating company owned by Stagecoach, which operated the South Western franchise between February 1996 and August 2017.
The London and South Western Railway was a railway company in England from 1838 to 1922. Originating as the London and Southampton Railway, its network extended to Dorchester and Weymouth, to Salisbury, Exeter and Plymouth, and to Padstow, Ilfracombe and Bude. It developed a network of routes in Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire, including Portsmouth and Reading.
The Island Line is a railway line on the Isle of Wight which runs along the island's east coast and links Ryde Pier Head with Shanklin. Trains connect at Ryde Pier Head with passenger ferries to Portsmouth Harbour, and these ferries in turn connect with the rest of the National Rail network via the Portsmouth Direct Line. The line also connects to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, a heritage railway, at Smallbrook Junction. For much of its length the line runs alongside the A3055, criss-crossing this road by means of the Ryde Tunnel and bridges at Rowborough, Morton Common, Lake Hill and Littlestairs.
Winchester railway station serves the city of Winchester, in the county of Hampshire, England. It is a stop 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.
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.
Newport is the second-busiest railway station in Wales. It is situated in Newport city centre and is 133 miles 13 chains (214.3 km) from London Paddington measured via Bristol Parkway, and 158 miles 50 chains (255.3 km) via Stroud.
East Worthing railway station is one of five stations serving the town of Worthing in the county of West Sussex.. It is 9 miles 55 chains (15.6 km) down the line from Brighton. The station is operated by Southern, who operate all of the services.
Lymington Pier railway station serves the harbour area of Lymington in Hampshire, England. It is 98 miles 15 chains (158.0 km) measured from London Waterloo and is the terminus of the Lymington Branch Line from Brockenhurst and provides a connection with ferry services to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. It has one platform.
Walton-on-Thames railway station is at the southern edge of the town of Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, England and borders Burwood Park, Hersham. It is 17 miles 6 chains (27.5 km) from London Waterloo and is situated between Hersham and Weybridge.
Portsmouth & Southsea railway station is a Grade II listed building and the main railway station in the city of Portsmouth in Hampshire, England. It is in the Landport area close to the Commercial Road shopping area. British Transport Police maintain a presence at the station. There is a taxi rank at the front of the building and regular local buses within five minutes' walking distance.
Hilsea railway station is a railway station on Airport Service Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth, England serving the northern end of Portsea Island, including a large industrial estate nearby. The station was once the closest to Portsmouth Airport, which was closed in 1973.
Fareham railway station is on the West Coastway Line, situated about 0.62 miles (1 km) from the town of Fareham in Hampshire, England. It is 84 miles 21 chains (135.6 km) down the line from London Waterloo.
Eastleigh railway station serves the town of Eastleigh in the English county of Hampshire. It is located on the South West Main Line and is the junction station for two other routes, the Eastleigh-Fareham Line and the Eastleigh-Romsey Line. It is 73 miles 35 chains (118.2 km) from London Waterloo. South of the station are Eastleigh Railway Works and Eastleigh Depot.
Southampton Central is a main line railway station serving the city of Southampton in Hampshire, southern England. It is on the South West Main Line and also serves the Wessex Main Line and the West Coastway Line. The station is approached from the London direction by passing through Southampton Tunnel and is 79 miles 19 chains (127.5 km) measured from London Waterloo. It is the busiest station in Hampshire and the fifth busiest in South East England.
Hamilton West railway station serves the Hamilton West area of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, in Scotland, lying on the Argyle Line.
Ryde Pier Head railway station is one of three stations in the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Situated at the end of the town's pier, it is adjacent to the terminal for the Wightlink fast catamaran service connecting the island with Portsmouth on the English mainland. Passengers can use this to connect with the rest of the National Rail network at Portsmouth Harbour station, which is adjacent to the Portsmouth terminal. Through rail tickets for travel via Pier Head station are available to and from other stations on the Isle of Wight. These include travel on the catamaran service to or from Portsmouth as appropriate.
Ryde Esplanade railway station serves the town of Ryde on the Isle of Wight, and forms part of the Ryde Transport Interchange. Located on the sea front, it is the most convenient station for the majority of the town. Ryde Esplanade is also the location of the principal ticket office and all lost property facilities for the Island Line. The larger St John's Road station houses the area office and is next to Ryde Traincare Depot, where all in-house maintenance for the line takes place.
The Stokes Bay line was a short railway branch line in Hampshire, England, near Gosport. Associated with a new pier, it was intended to give direct and easy access from trains to steamers to the Isle of Wight in comparison to the conventional route through Portsmouth, which required a road transport connection though the town. Railway operation to the Stokes Bay pier started in 1863.
South Western Railway is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup (70%) and MTR Corporation (30%) that operates the South Western franchise.
South Hampshire is the term used to refer to the conurbation formed by the city of Portsmouth, city of Southampton and the non-metropolitan boroughs between them. As a result of the area's high population density, it has a developed public transport network. However, due to the area being controlled by different Authorities, most notably Southampton City Council, Portsmouth City Council and Hampshire County Council, there is little coordination of the system.