Knowle Halt railway station
Knowle Halt was a railway station in the county of Hampshire in England. It was served by trains on the Eastleigh to Fareham and Meon Valley lines.[1] The station opened in 1907 and closed in 1964.
Knowle Halt Railway Station | |
|---|---|
 Site of former Knowle Halt | |
| Location | Knowle, Winchester City Council England |
| Coordinates | 50.882°N 1.208°W |
| Grid reference | SU558095 |
| Platforms | One |
| Other information | |
| Status | Disused |
| History | |
| Pre-grouping | London & South Western Railway (1907-1923) |
| Post-grouping | Southern Railway (1923 to 1948) Southern Region of British Railways (from 1948) |
| Key dates | |
| 1 May 1907 | Opened |
| 6 April 1964 | Closed |
History
Opening
The station was opened on 1 May 1907[2] by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) to serve Knowle Hospital, then known as the Hampshire County Lunatic Asylum. Opened as Knowle Asylum Halt, its name was changed to Knowle Platform and then, from 1942, to Knowle Halt.
Facilities
From the beginning, this simple halt was fitted with electric lights, powered from the nearby hospital's generators. This made it one of the first rural stations in Hampshire to have electric lighting.
Closure
The station was originally closed on 12 August 1963, but was re-opened the following day due to objections from trade unions. The halt finally closed on 6 April 1964.[3]
The site today and future plans
The concrete supports of the former platform still exist alongside the now single track of the Eastleigh to Fareham Line. Due to the provision of much new housing on and around the former hospital site, on the outskirts of Fareham, it has been suggested that the station should be considered for reopening. In February 2017 it was reported that Network Rail had recently met with Fareham Borough Council to discuss various options for connecting the new Welborne development to the existing railway network, and had offered to work with the council to look at providing a new station at the site.[4]
Route
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wickham Line and station closed |
British Rail Southern Region Meon Valley Railway line |
Fareham Line and station open |
References
- Oppitz, L (1988). Hampshire railways remembered. Newbury: Countryside. ISBN 1-85306-020-8.
- Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
- Stone, R.A (1983). The Meon Valley Railway. Cheltenham: Runpast Publishing. ISBN 978-1-870754-36-1.
- Percival, Richard (21 February 2017). "New village development near Fareham in line to receive Hampshire's first new rail station in 25 years". Southern Daily Echo. Retrieved 6 March 2017.