Lymington Branch Line
| Lymington branch line | |
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View of the remains of Ampress Halt from passing train, looking towards Lymington.
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| Overview | |
| Type | Suburban rail, Heavy rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale |
Hampshire South East England |
| Termini |
Brockenhurst Lymington Pier |
| Operation | |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | South West Trains |
| Rolling stock |
Class 158 Sprinter or Class 159 Turbo (on weekdays) Class 450 Desiro (on weekends) |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Operating speed | 50 miles per hour |
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The Lymington branch line is a railway that runs from Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier, both in the New Forest. The railway line is around 9 km (5.6 mi) long, and is single track throughout its length. It diverges from the South Western Main Line at Lymington Junction; and, at Lymington Pier, trains connect with Wightlink ferry services to Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight. The Lymington branch line is electrified using the 750 V DC third-rail system – common in the former Southern Region of British Railways, even though the weekday service is operated by a diesel unit.
The line had been constructed by the Lymington Railway Company, which was authorised on 7 July 1856, with a capital of £21,000. It was to be built from the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) at Brockenhurst to Lymington Town Quay. The company was authorised to purchase the Quay and the Town Bridge, and to build a jetty.
The short line was constructed quickly, and an inaugural passenger train ran on 8 May 1858. However this was before the visit of the Board of Trade inspecting officer, and when he made he inspection, he expressed his satisfaction, but now the LSWR required additional work on the track before it would start operations. After this work was done, the line opened on 12 July 1858, with the LSWR working it. Goods traffic probably started on 23 July 1858. The jetty was not opened until 1 June 1861.
Independent ferry operators crossed from Lymington to the Isle of Wight, and the Company tried to interest the LSWR in using Lymington as a ferry terminal, but without success. At the time there was bitter competition between the LSWR and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway, resulting in extremely cheap fares via Portsmouth.
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Wikipedia