Sandown railway station

Sandown railway station is a railway station serving Sandown on the Isle of Wight, England. It is located on the Island Line from Ryde to Shanklin.

Sandown
Location	Sandown, Isle of Wight England
Grid reference	SZ593844
Managed by	Island Line
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	SAN
Classification	DfT category F1
History
Opened	23 August 1864
Passengers
2015/16	0.194 million
2016/17	0.183 million
2017/18	0.162 million
2018/19	0.151 million
2019/20	0.123 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

Sandown station is a double platform-faced through station. However, from the mid 19th until the mid 20th century it was a junction station, also served by trains to and from Horringford, Merstone, Newport and Cowes. These lines used to be run by separate companies, the Isle of Wight Railway (Ryde-Ventnor) and the Isle of Wight Central Railway (Newport-Sandown).

The adjacent land, which used to be occupied by coal-yards, is now a housing estate and the former Terminus Hotel pub opposite has long been a private house. The line from Ryde to Shanklin was constructed between 1862 and 1864, and opened to passenger traffic on 23 August 1864.[1] The original station building was extended between 1870 and 1871 through the addition of a two-storey extension to act as station offices.[2]

In 1923, with the Grouping, came the formation of the Southern Railway. This brought all the railway services on the island under one management, and considerable modernisation. At first, it did not affect the services offered, but eventually the line from Ryde gained a more frequent service whilst the Merstone line declined. One particular feature of the Merstone line was the School Train, which was subsidised by the local authority, and for a significant time meant that the line remained viable. When the line was closed, children from outlying villages going to the Sandown Schools were then transported by bus, the current situation.

Services

The level of service until January 2021, when Island Line closed for upgrade work, was normally two trains per hour (tph) each way, which must pass at Sandown. However, due to the reduced trackwork at Brading, the frequency did not produce a predictable 30-minute service. Instead, in common with the rest of Island Line, trains ran separated by a 20 or 40 minute gap.

This generally meant that every hour, trains passed at Sandown once. A journey from Sandown to Shanklin generally takes 6 minutes (although the published timetable allows 7), with a bus connection to Ventnor adding another 20 minutes. Trains to Ryde take about 10 minutes (to St. John's Road) or just under 20 minutes (to Ryde Pier Head).

When services resume in April 2021, there will be a passing loop at Brading, which will become the normal crossing point when services are operating normally. This will allow a regular service to operate at 30-minute intervals.

Gallery

• 
  Looking north
• 
  Main entrance
• 
  Entrance from other side
• 
  Looking south
• 
  Shelter on "To Ryde (North)" platform
• 
  Canopy on "To Shanklin (South)" side

References

1. R.J. Maycock and R. Silsbury (1999). The Isle of Wight Railway. The Oakwood Press. pp. 25–29. ISBN 0-85361-544-6.
2. R.J. Maycock and R. Silsbury (1999). The Isle of Wight Railway. The Oakwood Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-85361-544-6.

External links

• Train times and station information for Sandown railway station from National Rail