Port Soderick railway station
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Port Soderick Railway Station
Stashoon Purt Soderick |
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| The Isle of Man Railway Co., Ltd. | ||
The 1898 Station (Now Privately Owned)
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| Location | Off Santon Road, Braddan, Isle of Man, IM2 4FK. |
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| Coordinates |
Ordnance Survey National Grid 54.126°N 4.537°W |
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| Owned by |
Isle of Man Government Department of Infrastructure |
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| Line(s) |
Port Erin Line Between Douglas & Port Erin |
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| Platforms |
Two, Raised Down Platform Added 2002 |
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| Tracks |
Two Running Lines Long Passing Loop |
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| History | ||
| Opened | 1 August 1874 | |
| Closed | Seasonally Since 1965 | |
| Rebuilt | 1898 - Station Building Erected 1981 - Platform Hut Built 2002 Down Platform Added 2003 - Waiting Shelters Erected |
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| Previous names | Isle Of Man Railway Company | |
| Traffic | ||
| Passenger Only | ||
| Services | ||
| Waiting Shelter
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Port Soderick Railway Station is the first station on the Port Erin line of the Isle of Man Railway and is located near the settlement of the same name on the Isle of Man. It forms part of the sole remaining section of the railway which once served a 46-mile network across the island.
The B23 road between Douglas and the village provides vehicular access to the station and passes through a tunnel underneath the line after which the station driveway is directly to the left of the road.
To the eastern end of the station the railway passes over the main road by means of a large stone bridge; at the southerly end the line passes into Crogga Woods from where can be seen the large house and miniature railway.
The station was originally provided with a basic wooden building but by 1898 it had become clear that the popularity of the nearby resort demanded a more substantial building; to this end, the current grandiose station was erected and included station masters' residence, refreshment rooms and booking facilities; the latter has been retained as part of the private house but only as a feature and the station is no longer manned.
The station was built primarily to serve the popular coastal resort which is a short walk from the station via one of the Manx National Glens. Although largely derelict today, this resort was once a hugely popular destination for tourists
The resort was also once served by the Douglas Head Marine Drive and Electric Tramway which took a spectacular coastal route from Douglas Head to a point above the beach; this tramway was established in 1896 and closed in 1939 upon the outbreak of war. A landslide on part of the route saw that it never opened again although the route was modified and operated by ominbuses for a number of years.
Owing to the popularity of the venue it was also served by ferry boats, charabancs and of course the railway. So popular was the place that the station boasts the only full-height platform at an intermediate station on the south line other than Port St. Mary which, at one time, was intended as the southern terminus.
In 2002 all stations received platforms, and the little used passing loop at this station received another (seldom used) full-height platform on the "down" side, together with waiting shelter, indicative of the management policy to provide passenger facilities at each station, seemingly regardless of how well patronised the stations were.
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Wikipedia