Weymouth and Portland Railway
The Weymouth and Portland Railway was a railway running from Weymouth to Portland. It opened in 1865 and operated until 1965. For most of its life, the line, which ran between Weymouth and Portland's Victoria Square, was operated jointly by Great Western Railway and London and South Western Railway.
Two extensions of the line were made during its operational life. In 1878, the Admiralty's Breakwater Branch Railway opened to supply coal and other stores to naval ships in Portland Harbour. The Easton and Church Hope Railway line followed, opening in 1900, by connecting Easton with the existing Portland line via the Breakwater Branch.
The majority of the route of the Weymouth and Portland Railway is now a public footpath. The Rodwell Trail runs from the former Westham Halt through to Ferry Bridge, and another footpath runs along Portland's causeway towards Osprey Quay.
History
Construction of the Weymouth and Portland Railway
Rail transport in Britain expanded dramatically in the 1840s as many new lines were built across the country. As the biggest decade for railway growth, the onset of 'Railway Mania' saw over 272 Acts of Parliament passed in 1846 alone for the establishment of new railway companies and their proposed lines. A line to Weymouth was first suggested in 1836 and despite facing financial difficulties, it opened on 20 January 1857 as part of the Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth Railway. A line to Portland was included in preliminary plans, but did not materialise due to a lack of support. In 1861, two schemes were put forward for a line to Portland and both were considered at a meeting at Weymouth's Royal Hotel on 7 October. The meeting concluded that it was "highly desirable to extend the existing railway to Portland", with the scheme "most worthy of support" being the one that "cross[es] the Backwater above Arthur's Bridge". The scheme also included a tramway running from Weymouth Station to Weymouth Quay.
The Weymouth and Portland Railway was granted an Act of Parliament on 30 June 1862, which included an authorised capital of £75,000 (made up of 7,500 shares) and £25,000 in borrowing powers. Owned by the Weymouth and Portland Railway Company, an agreement was made to lease the line in perpetuity to the Great Western Railway and the London and South Western Railway, who would both work it jointly. British civil engineers Messrs Aird & Sons of Lambeth were given the building contract on 30 July 1862 for £90,000, which included the purchase of land. More land was acquired than necessary so that the track could be doubled in the future. Construction of the line began in December 1862 and was completed by April 1864.
The route of the line ran just over four miles, passing through Weymouth, along the northern edge of Portland Harbour, across Smallmouth Passage and then southwards along the causeway on the western edge of the harbour. The line terminated at a station at Victoria Square, itself a new development created to coincide with the arrival of the railway. It was made up of the Royal Victoria Lodge Hotel and a terrace opposite, all erected at the expense of Captain Charles Augustus Manning of Portland Castle. An extension of approximately half a mile from Portland Station led to a siding for use of the Merchants' Railway. Two viaducts were erected as part of the route: a 489.5 yard one at the Backwater in Weymouth and a 198 yard one at Small Mouth. Other major engineering features of the line included the 700ft-long Marsh embankment in Weymouth, which carried the line over a former harbour inlet, and a cut and cover tunnel at Wyke Road.
The first train to travel the line ran on 5 May 1864, carrying company personnel. A Board of Trade inspection by Colonel Yolland on 19 May condemned the two viaducts as "very unsatisfactory structures" and also criticised other aspects of the line. The sidings at Portland, the lack of fencing on the western fringe of Portland Harbour and the poor signalling arrangements at the junction connecting the main line to the Portland line, approximately 400 metres north of Weymouth station, were among the concerns raised. Under the existing arrangement, all Portland-bound trains arriving or departing Weymouth Station had to be shunted a considerable distance, something which Yolland considered to be an "objectionable and dangerous practice". Improvements were subsequently made, mainly the strengthening of the viaducts, but a follow-up inspection on 6 August also failed based on the other outstanding issues.
During this period, disagreements developed between GWR, LSWR and the Weymouth & Portland Railway Company over the operation of the line and Weymouth Station, which in turn prompted the delay of the line's opening. The W&PR Company had always intended to use the existing GWR station at Weymouth and believed the facilities there were adequate to handle their line's passengers. However, the GWR expected some form of payment for use of their station and the LSWR wanted the company to provide a new station in order to avoid Portland-bound trains having to reverse into the existing one. The line's owners did not wish to pay for a new building and the debate continued into 1865. Although an arbitration ruling failed to immediately resolve the issue, an agreement was settled in September 1865. No new station was to be built but the W&PR Company was to pay GWR £2,600 for use of their station, alongside a further £3,500 towards land and works at the junction.
Opening of the railway and its early years
With the Board of Trade's eventual approval of the working arrangements on the mixed gauge line, goods and mineral traffic began running on 9 October 1865. The broad gauge track was used only by GWR freight trains until June 1874 when it was replaced with a standard gauge one. Over the course of the railway's use, goods traffic dealt with coal as the main import and Portland stone as the main export. The line opened to passenger traffic on 16 October, but to little celebration as the Sherborne Mercury reported: "The arrival of the first train at Portland was not very warmly received, and no demonstration of any kind took place in honour of that place being connected to Weymouth by rail. This is owing to the opening of the line having been so long deferred, as it was contemplated, some time since, to have a public rejoicing when it was thought the line would be opened; but, as in this, the Portlanders were disappointed, and they determined not to get up one lest they should again suffer disappointment. As, however, rail communication with Portland is now an actual fact, it is not improbable that some kind of demonstration will be got up to celebrate such an important event in the history of Portland."
The ticket revenue for the opening day amounted to a promising £26, and November and December saw an estimated 35,000 passengers use the line. However, the number of trains running on a daily basis had to be lowered weeks after opening to match demand. Meanwhile, the line saw much use by goods traffic, but the facilities for the loading of stone at the Merchants' Railway siding and Portland station were quickly considered inadequate. Less than a year after the line's opening, residents of Wyke Regis began calling for a station to be opened at Rodwell. Construction commenced in January 1870 by the builder Mr E. C. Seaman and the station opened on 1 June. A sawmill was erected at "great expense" next to Portland Station around 1872 for the Portland Stone Company, with its own connection to the line, and it was later purchased by F. J. Barnes in 1891. With the opening of Whitehead's Torpedo Works at Wyke Regis in 1891, a siding was formed to provide goods and materials by rail. In 1898, the bridge at the bottom of Ryland's Lane was replaced.
Portland's railway saw continued growth in terms of both passenger numbers and goods traffic during the late 19th century. Passenger numbers for single journeys in 1890 was recorded as being 94,214 and this had increased to 291,349 in 1896. Goods traffic had seen an increase from 31,182 to 56,528 between the same years. Owing to this growth, the workings and operations of the line, along with the services provided, began facing increasing criticism from local parties, passengers and the Portland Local Board. The Portland station at Victoria Square was considered to have "unsatisfactory and deficient" accommodation and in 1898, the County Times described its platform as "narrow", "exposed" and a "positive death trap". Despite the continuous complaints from various parties, GWR and LSWR defended the existing station and considered the improvements they had made in recent years to the line and station to be adequate, including an extension of its platform in 1891, and the construction of a wall and cover on its west side in 1896.
Breakwater Branch Railway and Easton and Church Hope Railway extensions
The first extension of the line was made in the 1870s as a result of the creation of a harbour of refuge at Portland and the establishment of a coaling station and other replenishment facilities there for ships of the Royal Navy. The Admiralty wanted to provide a rail link to the future dockyard site to allow coal and other stores to be received there. In 1874, they made an agreement with the GWR and LSWR, who would also jointly work the extension, and construction of the one-and-a-half mile line via Castletown was carried out between 1874 and 1876. It opened in early 1878 once further minor works had been completed and small landslip damage remedied.
In 1883, proposals were made for the Easton and Church Hope Railway to connect Easton with the existing Portland line via the newly-built Admiralty extension. Work on the line took twelve years to complete and it opened to goods traffic in 1900 and passengers in 1902. Once again, the line was jointly operated by GWR and LSWR. They demanded that the E&CHR Company erect a new station at Victoria Square and construction of this new station was carried out in 1903-05. It fully opened on 7 May 1905, thus completing the connection of the Weymouth to Portland line to the Easton extension. Meanwhile, the original 1865 station was converted into a goods depot by the contractor Mr. J. H. Vickers of Nottingham, with the work being carried out in 1905.
Early 20th century improvements
In September 1907, the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company of Darlington began work on the replacement of the original timber viaduct at the Backwater with a steel one. The work was completed in January 1909 and the first train ran over it on 7 February. During the same period, GWR also had Melcombe Regis Station built on an embankment which had been reclaimed from the Backwater. Opened in April 1909, the new station eased rail congestion in Weymouth and removed the need for trains heading to Portland to reverse into or out of Weymouth Station.
Two new halts at Wyke Regis and Westham were opened on 1 July 1909 in the attempt to boost passenger numbers on the line. In addition to serving the growing community, the Wyke Regis halt aimed to attract use from the workforce of the nearby Whitehead's Torpedo Works. 1 July also saw a new and improved service timetable for the line, including the introduction of a rail-motor service to Portland.
The line's role in World War I
With the outbreak of World War I, the government requisitioned Britain's railways and gave control of them to the Railway Executive Committee on 5 August 1914. The line saw constant use during the war and included the transporting of coal, dockyard workers and soldiers to and from the naval station and military establishments in the area. The Wyke Regis Halt served over 1,000 employees from the Torpedo Works per day and a halt was established for use by the Royal Naval Hospital at Portland. Owing to its importance to the Royal Navy at Portland, a proposal was made to double the line but this did not come to fruition. The line (including to Easton) remained open to the public during the wartime effort and in 1918, over 300,000 passengers used it, discounting free warrants and return ticket holders.
Operations during the interwar period
After the war, the line faced increasing operational costs and competition, and passenger numbers remained inadequate. The most significant competition came from buses, who were able to run more frequently and stop at more convenient locations, as well as the use of goods lorries for the stone trade. Buses began operating between Weymouth and Victoria Square in 1921 and the service had extended to Tophill by 1927.
Under the Railways Act 1921, the LSWR was acquired by Southern Railway in 1922, but this did not change the joint running of the line until 1931 when Southern Railway became the sole operator. A new halt, Sandsfoot Castle Halt, was opened on 1 August 1932 in the attempt to counter road competition and attract tourists visiting the 16th century castle of the same name. The halt took only a few weeks to build and went on to serve the Southlands housing estate, built later that decade.
The line's role in World War II
On 24 August 1939, a week prior to the outbreak of World War II, the British Government passed the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act to enable them to prosecute the war effectively, including once again bringing all British railways under government control. As a precaution against air raids, passenger services on the line were greatly reduced, but most were reinstated by the beginning of 1940. With the presence of the naval base and torpedo works, Portland was the target of 48 air attacks between 1940 and 1944, some of which saw bombs fall on the railway, causing it to be closed thirteen times during the course of the war.
The first wartime incident on the line occurred on 11 August 1940 when a direct hit on a signal box near Portland Station killed the signalman. A temporary eight-lever ground frame was installed in its place until a new signal box was opened in September 1941. On 15 April 1941, Rodwell Station was hit in a raid, killing the porter and destroying the station building. It was never rebuilt and two huts were later erected in its place. Rodwell saw further damage from a raid on 2 April 1942. In effort to protect the railway, various field fortifications and defences were created in the vicinity of the line, including at the Marsh embankment and the torpedo works. An emplacement for a 40mm Bofors survives at the Marsh as a refurbished viewing platform.
Similar to its role during the Great War, the line played an important part in bringing supplies to the naval base and transporting soldiers, dockyard personnel and factory workers. In 1940, many soldiers returning from Dunkirk and evacuees of the Channel Islands used the line. With Portland and Weymouth later being selected as one of the country's embarkation points for Allied troops on D-Day, the line was in constant use transporting both troops and goods as part of preparations from March 1944 onwards. Later in the year, German prisoners-of-war began to arrive at a transit camp opened on Portland, from which they were taken by train to the POW camp at Le Marchant Barracks in Devizes.
Closure of the line to passengers
On 6 August 1947, all of Britain's railways were nationalised under the Transport Act 1947 and ownership of the entire line was handed over to British Railways from 1 January 1948. In 1950, the new owner recorded a loss of over £14,000 from the passenger services of the Weymouth to Easton line. As buses retained their advantage as a more convenient form of travel, the closure of the line to passengers soon became a serious consideration. Despite objections from Portland Urban District Council and Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Borough Council, the entire line closed to passengers on 3 March 1952, except for the Weymouth Quay tramway extension. In its final week, passenger numbers soared to 2,884 as local residents and railway enthusiasts travelled the line for the last time.
While goods trains continued to operate as before, the line was still used by special passenger trains from 1952, including those carrying naval personnel and others as part of works excursions and railtours. The last Royal Train to use the line was for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to HMS Eagle on 29 April 1959. The platforms of the 1905 Portland Station were retained only for the special passenger trains, while Melcombe Regis Station was retained as a relief platform to Weymouth Station into the early 1960s and dealt with excursion, pull-and-push, and special Saturday trains, as well as diesel railcars.
Closure of the line to goods traffic
Despite enjoying a boom in the late 1950s, the line's goods traffic began to decline during the early 1960s. Portland's recorded goods in 1962 amounted to 11,445 tons of outward goods, namely Portland stone, and 8,721 tons of inward goods, including coal and supplies for the naval base. In 1963, the line's revenue of £6,300 failed to match operating expenses of £12,500. Furthermore, major maintenance work, including the replacement of the Small Mouth viaduct, was considered essential over the next five years with an estimated cost of £92,450. Faced with these difficulties, the line's closure to goods traffic was announced in November 1964 and set for 1 February 1965 to coincide with the introduction of a new freight concentration scheme for Weymouth. The date was later postponed until work on the Weymouth Goods Depot was completed. The same period saw the station building of Melcombe Regis demolished and a workshop built on site (a provender store had also been built on the station's forecourt in 1963).
As the line's final week approached, the South & West Railway Society of Weymouth arranged three special passenger trains to run the entire route between Weymouth and Easton. The trains ran on 27 March, with all three filled to maximum capacity and a total 1,056 tickets sold. The line officially closed on 5 April 1965, although the following few days saw various trains and engines use the line to collect wagons, tools and other equipment. The Backwater viaduct was temporarily retained until 10 January 1966 for the storage of disused wagons. On 26 February, a stop block was installed on the line, at the Weymouth Goods Yard end, thereby completing the line's closure.
Demolition and removal of the line
The tracks between Weymouth to Victoria Square remained in place for a number of years after the line's closure. Once the Admiralty confirmed that the naval base had no need for a rail link, T. W. Ward of Sheffield was able to remove the track from the base to Westham Halt during 1970. The previous year had already seen the demolition of the original 1865 Portland Station and its replacement with a roundabout, and in December 1971 the Small Mouth viaduct was removed by Messrs Arthur Aldridge of Bloxwich. Weymouth & Portland Borough Council purchased the former line between Ferry Bridge and Melcombe Regis in November 1974. During the same month, work began on the demolition of the Backwater viaduct, which was completed the following year.
In circa 1976, the borough council opposed suggestions from Dorset County Council for a relief road to be laid along the route between Melcombe Regis and Ferry Bridge. Instead the route between Ferry Bridge and Abbotsbury Road, a distance of 3.5 kilometres, started to become a popular, but unofficial, footpath. A proposal was made for a miniature railway to run along the route in 1980, but the plans were soon withdrawn and a revised one was later rejected by the borough council, who wished to keep the route as a footpath. In 1985, part of Melcombe Regis' surviving platform, along with the 1960s-built store and workshop, were all demolished with the construction of a new roundabout. The station's last surviving features were removed in 2000 with the construction of Swannery Court. In early 1987, the railway bridge at Newstead Road was demolished as part of road improvement works.
Creation of the Rodwell Trail
The transformation of the Weymouth to Ferry Bridge route into an official footpath and cycleway stemmed from the 1997 Weymouth & Portland Local Plan. The borough council commenced work on the Rodwell Trail in 1999, with assistance from Dorset County Council, the West Weymouth Conservation Society and the South West Regional Development Agency. The trail, costing £186,500 to create, officially opened in April 2000. It continues to be used by thousands of people each year and is popular with cyclists and dog walkers. In 2012, a footbridge over Newstead Road, on the site of the railway bridge demolished in 1987, was opened as part of the trail.
The route today
Various features of the railway survive along the Rodwell Trail, including Westham Halt's platform, the bridge over Chickerell Road, the cut and cover Rodwell Tunnel under Wyke Road, platforms at Rodwell Station, the road bridge for Buxton Road, a bridge between Sudan Road and Old Castle Road, some timber remains at Sandsfoot Castle Halt, a bridge over a footpath at the bottom of Ryland's Lane, and the platform of Wyke Regis Halt. A concrete road alongside the halt and former track, built during World War II, survives too. In addition to the Rodwell Trail, the majority of the former line's route along the causeway to Portland is now used as a footpath.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Disused Stations - Portland Station (1st site) - Nick Catford - website page
2) Isle of Portland Railways - Volume Two - The Weymouth & Portland Railway/The Easton & Church Hope Railway - B. L. Jackson - The Oakwood Press - 2000 - ISBN: 978-0853615514 - book
3) Ordnance Survey - various maps, including 1864, 1902, 1929, 1960 and 1975
4) Parliamentary Papers - Accounts and Papers - Vol. LII. - Railway and Canal Bills - Weymouth and Portland Railway and Extension to Harbour Bill - 1862
5) Railways on the Isle of Portland - Martin Smith - Irwell Press - 1997 - ISBN: 978-1871608823 - book
6) The Branch Lines of Dorset - Colin G. Maggs - Amberley Publishing - 2012 - ISBN: 978-1848683525 - book
7) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles including the Southern Times, Sherborne Mercury, Weymouth Telegram, Dorset County Chronicle and Western Gazette - website page
8) Wikipedia - History of rail transport in Great Britain - website page
9) Wikipedia - Portland Branch Railway - website page
Two extensions of the line were made during its operational life. In 1878, the Admiralty's Breakwater Branch Railway opened to supply coal and other stores to naval ships in Portland Harbour. The Easton and Church Hope Railway line followed, opening in 1900, by connecting Easton with the existing Portland line via the Breakwater Branch.
The majority of the route of the Weymouth and Portland Railway is now a public footpath. The Rodwell Trail runs from the former Westham Halt through to Ferry Bridge, and another footpath runs along Portland's causeway towards Osprey Quay.
History
Construction of the Weymouth and Portland Railway
Rail transport in Britain expanded dramatically in the 1840s as many new lines were built across the country. As the biggest decade for railway growth, the onset of 'Railway Mania' saw over 272 Acts of Parliament passed in 1846 alone for the establishment of new railway companies and their proposed lines. A line to Weymouth was first suggested in 1836 and despite facing financial difficulties, it opened on 20 January 1857 as part of the Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth Railway. A line to Portland was included in preliminary plans, but did not materialise due to a lack of support. In 1861, two schemes were put forward for a line to Portland and both were considered at a meeting at Weymouth's Royal Hotel on 7 October. The meeting concluded that it was "highly desirable to extend the existing railway to Portland", with the scheme "most worthy of support" being the one that "cross[es] the Backwater above Arthur's Bridge". The scheme also included a tramway running from Weymouth Station to Weymouth Quay.
The Weymouth and Portland Railway was granted an Act of Parliament on 30 June 1862, which included an authorised capital of £75,000 (made up of 7,500 shares) and £25,000 in borrowing powers. Owned by the Weymouth and Portland Railway Company, an agreement was made to lease the line in perpetuity to the Great Western Railway and the London and South Western Railway, who would both work it jointly. British civil engineers Messrs Aird & Sons of Lambeth were given the building contract on 30 July 1862 for £90,000, which included the purchase of land. More land was acquired than necessary so that the track could be doubled in the future. Construction of the line began in December 1862 and was completed by April 1864.
The route of the line ran just over four miles, passing through Weymouth, along the northern edge of Portland Harbour, across Smallmouth Passage and then southwards along the causeway on the western edge of the harbour. The line terminated at a station at Victoria Square, itself a new development created to coincide with the arrival of the railway. It was made up of the Royal Victoria Lodge Hotel and a terrace opposite, all erected at the expense of Captain Charles Augustus Manning of Portland Castle. An extension of approximately half a mile from Portland Station led to a siding for use of the Merchants' Railway. Two viaducts were erected as part of the route: a 489.5 yard one at the Backwater in Weymouth and a 198 yard one at Small Mouth. Other major engineering features of the line included the 700ft-long Marsh embankment in Weymouth, which carried the line over a former harbour inlet, and a cut and cover tunnel at Wyke Road.
The first train to travel the line ran on 5 May 1864, carrying company personnel. A Board of Trade inspection by Colonel Yolland on 19 May condemned the two viaducts as "very unsatisfactory structures" and also criticised other aspects of the line. The sidings at Portland, the lack of fencing on the western fringe of Portland Harbour and the poor signalling arrangements at the junction connecting the main line to the Portland line, approximately 400 metres north of Weymouth station, were among the concerns raised. Under the existing arrangement, all Portland-bound trains arriving or departing Weymouth Station had to be shunted a considerable distance, something which Yolland considered to be an "objectionable and dangerous practice". Improvements were subsequently made, mainly the strengthening of the viaducts, but a follow-up inspection on 6 August also failed based on the other outstanding issues.
During this period, disagreements developed between GWR, LSWR and the Weymouth & Portland Railway Company over the operation of the line and Weymouth Station, which in turn prompted the delay of the line's opening. The W&PR Company had always intended to use the existing GWR station at Weymouth and believed the facilities there were adequate to handle their line's passengers. However, the GWR expected some form of payment for use of their station and the LSWR wanted the company to provide a new station in order to avoid Portland-bound trains having to reverse into the existing one. The line's owners did not wish to pay for a new building and the debate continued into 1865. Although an arbitration ruling failed to immediately resolve the issue, an agreement was settled in September 1865. No new station was to be built but the W&PR Company was to pay GWR £2,600 for use of their station, alongside a further £3,500 towards land and works at the junction.
Opening of the railway and its early years
With the Board of Trade's eventual approval of the working arrangements on the mixed gauge line, goods and mineral traffic began running on 9 October 1865. The broad gauge track was used only by GWR freight trains until June 1874 when it was replaced with a standard gauge one. Over the course of the railway's use, goods traffic dealt with coal as the main import and Portland stone as the main export. The line opened to passenger traffic on 16 October, but to little celebration as the Sherborne Mercury reported: "The arrival of the first train at Portland was not very warmly received, and no demonstration of any kind took place in honour of that place being connected to Weymouth by rail. This is owing to the opening of the line having been so long deferred, as it was contemplated, some time since, to have a public rejoicing when it was thought the line would be opened; but, as in this, the Portlanders were disappointed, and they determined not to get up one lest they should again suffer disappointment. As, however, rail communication with Portland is now an actual fact, it is not improbable that some kind of demonstration will be got up to celebrate such an important event in the history of Portland."
The ticket revenue for the opening day amounted to a promising £26, and November and December saw an estimated 35,000 passengers use the line. However, the number of trains running on a daily basis had to be lowered weeks after opening to match demand. Meanwhile, the line saw much use by goods traffic, but the facilities for the loading of stone at the Merchants' Railway siding and Portland station were quickly considered inadequate. Less than a year after the line's opening, residents of Wyke Regis began calling for a station to be opened at Rodwell. Construction commenced in January 1870 by the builder Mr E. C. Seaman and the station opened on 1 June. A sawmill was erected at "great expense" next to Portland Station around 1872 for the Portland Stone Company, with its own connection to the line, and it was later purchased by F. J. Barnes in 1891. With the opening of Whitehead's Torpedo Works at Wyke Regis in 1891, a siding was formed to provide goods and materials by rail. In 1898, the bridge at the bottom of Ryland's Lane was replaced.
Portland's railway saw continued growth in terms of both passenger numbers and goods traffic during the late 19th century. Passenger numbers for single journeys in 1890 was recorded as being 94,214 and this had increased to 291,349 in 1896. Goods traffic had seen an increase from 31,182 to 56,528 between the same years. Owing to this growth, the workings and operations of the line, along with the services provided, began facing increasing criticism from local parties, passengers and the Portland Local Board. The Portland station at Victoria Square was considered to have "unsatisfactory and deficient" accommodation and in 1898, the County Times described its platform as "narrow", "exposed" and a "positive death trap". Despite the continuous complaints from various parties, GWR and LSWR defended the existing station and considered the improvements they had made in recent years to the line and station to be adequate, including an extension of its platform in 1891, and the construction of a wall and cover on its west side in 1896.
Breakwater Branch Railway and Easton and Church Hope Railway extensions
The first extension of the line was made in the 1870s as a result of the creation of a harbour of refuge at Portland and the establishment of a coaling station and other replenishment facilities there for ships of the Royal Navy. The Admiralty wanted to provide a rail link to the future dockyard site to allow coal and other stores to be received there. In 1874, they made an agreement with the GWR and LSWR, who would also jointly work the extension, and construction of the one-and-a-half mile line via Castletown was carried out between 1874 and 1876. It opened in early 1878 once further minor works had been completed and small landslip damage remedied.
In 1883, proposals were made for the Easton and Church Hope Railway to connect Easton with the existing Portland line via the newly-built Admiralty extension. Work on the line took twelve years to complete and it opened to goods traffic in 1900 and passengers in 1902. Once again, the line was jointly operated by GWR and LSWR. They demanded that the E&CHR Company erect a new station at Victoria Square and construction of this new station was carried out in 1903-05. It fully opened on 7 May 1905, thus completing the connection of the Weymouth to Portland line to the Easton extension. Meanwhile, the original 1865 station was converted into a goods depot by the contractor Mr. J. H. Vickers of Nottingham, with the work being carried out in 1905.
Early 20th century improvements
In September 1907, the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company of Darlington began work on the replacement of the original timber viaduct at the Backwater with a steel one. The work was completed in January 1909 and the first train ran over it on 7 February. During the same period, GWR also had Melcombe Regis Station built on an embankment which had been reclaimed from the Backwater. Opened in April 1909, the new station eased rail congestion in Weymouth and removed the need for trains heading to Portland to reverse into or out of Weymouth Station.
Two new halts at Wyke Regis and Westham were opened on 1 July 1909 in the attempt to boost passenger numbers on the line. In addition to serving the growing community, the Wyke Regis halt aimed to attract use from the workforce of the nearby Whitehead's Torpedo Works. 1 July also saw a new and improved service timetable for the line, including the introduction of a rail-motor service to Portland.
The line's role in World War I
With the outbreak of World War I, the government requisitioned Britain's railways and gave control of them to the Railway Executive Committee on 5 August 1914. The line saw constant use during the war and included the transporting of coal, dockyard workers and soldiers to and from the naval station and military establishments in the area. The Wyke Regis Halt served over 1,000 employees from the Torpedo Works per day and a halt was established for use by the Royal Naval Hospital at Portland. Owing to its importance to the Royal Navy at Portland, a proposal was made to double the line but this did not come to fruition. The line (including to Easton) remained open to the public during the wartime effort and in 1918, over 300,000 passengers used it, discounting free warrants and return ticket holders.
Operations during the interwar period
After the war, the line faced increasing operational costs and competition, and passenger numbers remained inadequate. The most significant competition came from buses, who were able to run more frequently and stop at more convenient locations, as well as the use of goods lorries for the stone trade. Buses began operating between Weymouth and Victoria Square in 1921 and the service had extended to Tophill by 1927.
Under the Railways Act 1921, the LSWR was acquired by Southern Railway in 1922, but this did not change the joint running of the line until 1931 when Southern Railway became the sole operator. A new halt, Sandsfoot Castle Halt, was opened on 1 August 1932 in the attempt to counter road competition and attract tourists visiting the 16th century castle of the same name. The halt took only a few weeks to build and went on to serve the Southlands housing estate, built later that decade.
The line's role in World War II
On 24 August 1939, a week prior to the outbreak of World War II, the British Government passed the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act to enable them to prosecute the war effectively, including once again bringing all British railways under government control. As a precaution against air raids, passenger services on the line were greatly reduced, but most were reinstated by the beginning of 1940. With the presence of the naval base and torpedo works, Portland was the target of 48 air attacks between 1940 and 1944, some of which saw bombs fall on the railway, causing it to be closed thirteen times during the course of the war.
The first wartime incident on the line occurred on 11 August 1940 when a direct hit on a signal box near Portland Station killed the signalman. A temporary eight-lever ground frame was installed in its place until a new signal box was opened in September 1941. On 15 April 1941, Rodwell Station was hit in a raid, killing the porter and destroying the station building. It was never rebuilt and two huts were later erected in its place. Rodwell saw further damage from a raid on 2 April 1942. In effort to protect the railway, various field fortifications and defences were created in the vicinity of the line, including at the Marsh embankment and the torpedo works. An emplacement for a 40mm Bofors survives at the Marsh as a refurbished viewing platform.
Similar to its role during the Great War, the line played an important part in bringing supplies to the naval base and transporting soldiers, dockyard personnel and factory workers. In 1940, many soldiers returning from Dunkirk and evacuees of the Channel Islands used the line. With Portland and Weymouth later being selected as one of the country's embarkation points for Allied troops on D-Day, the line was in constant use transporting both troops and goods as part of preparations from March 1944 onwards. Later in the year, German prisoners-of-war began to arrive at a transit camp opened on Portland, from which they were taken by train to the POW camp at Le Marchant Barracks in Devizes.
Closure of the line to passengers
On 6 August 1947, all of Britain's railways were nationalised under the Transport Act 1947 and ownership of the entire line was handed over to British Railways from 1 January 1948. In 1950, the new owner recorded a loss of over £14,000 from the passenger services of the Weymouth to Easton line. As buses retained their advantage as a more convenient form of travel, the closure of the line to passengers soon became a serious consideration. Despite objections from Portland Urban District Council and Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Borough Council, the entire line closed to passengers on 3 March 1952, except for the Weymouth Quay tramway extension. In its final week, passenger numbers soared to 2,884 as local residents and railway enthusiasts travelled the line for the last time.
While goods trains continued to operate as before, the line was still used by special passenger trains from 1952, including those carrying naval personnel and others as part of works excursions and railtours. The last Royal Train to use the line was for Queen Elizabeth II's visit to HMS Eagle on 29 April 1959. The platforms of the 1905 Portland Station were retained only for the special passenger trains, while Melcombe Regis Station was retained as a relief platform to Weymouth Station into the early 1960s and dealt with excursion, pull-and-push, and special Saturday trains, as well as diesel railcars.
Closure of the line to goods traffic
Despite enjoying a boom in the late 1950s, the line's goods traffic began to decline during the early 1960s. Portland's recorded goods in 1962 amounted to 11,445 tons of outward goods, namely Portland stone, and 8,721 tons of inward goods, including coal and supplies for the naval base. In 1963, the line's revenue of £6,300 failed to match operating expenses of £12,500. Furthermore, major maintenance work, including the replacement of the Small Mouth viaduct, was considered essential over the next five years with an estimated cost of £92,450. Faced with these difficulties, the line's closure to goods traffic was announced in November 1964 and set for 1 February 1965 to coincide with the introduction of a new freight concentration scheme for Weymouth. The date was later postponed until work on the Weymouth Goods Depot was completed. The same period saw the station building of Melcombe Regis demolished and a workshop built on site (a provender store had also been built on the station's forecourt in 1963).
As the line's final week approached, the South & West Railway Society of Weymouth arranged three special passenger trains to run the entire route between Weymouth and Easton. The trains ran on 27 March, with all three filled to maximum capacity and a total 1,056 tickets sold. The line officially closed on 5 April 1965, although the following few days saw various trains and engines use the line to collect wagons, tools and other equipment. The Backwater viaduct was temporarily retained until 10 January 1966 for the storage of disused wagons. On 26 February, a stop block was installed on the line, at the Weymouth Goods Yard end, thereby completing the line's closure.
Demolition and removal of the line
The tracks between Weymouth to Victoria Square remained in place for a number of years after the line's closure. Once the Admiralty confirmed that the naval base had no need for a rail link, T. W. Ward of Sheffield was able to remove the track from the base to Westham Halt during 1970. The previous year had already seen the demolition of the original 1865 Portland Station and its replacement with a roundabout, and in December 1971 the Small Mouth viaduct was removed by Messrs Arthur Aldridge of Bloxwich. Weymouth & Portland Borough Council purchased the former line between Ferry Bridge and Melcombe Regis in November 1974. During the same month, work began on the demolition of the Backwater viaduct, which was completed the following year.
In circa 1976, the borough council opposed suggestions from Dorset County Council for a relief road to be laid along the route between Melcombe Regis and Ferry Bridge. Instead the route between Ferry Bridge and Abbotsbury Road, a distance of 3.5 kilometres, started to become a popular, but unofficial, footpath. A proposal was made for a miniature railway to run along the route in 1980, but the plans were soon withdrawn and a revised one was later rejected by the borough council, who wished to keep the route as a footpath. In 1985, part of Melcombe Regis' surviving platform, along with the 1960s-built store and workshop, were all demolished with the construction of a new roundabout. The station's last surviving features were removed in 2000 with the construction of Swannery Court. In early 1987, the railway bridge at Newstead Road was demolished as part of road improvement works.
Creation of the Rodwell Trail
The transformation of the Weymouth to Ferry Bridge route into an official footpath and cycleway stemmed from the 1997 Weymouth & Portland Local Plan. The borough council commenced work on the Rodwell Trail in 1999, with assistance from Dorset County Council, the West Weymouth Conservation Society and the South West Regional Development Agency. The trail, costing £186,500 to create, officially opened in April 2000. It continues to be used by thousands of people each year and is popular with cyclists and dog walkers. In 2012, a footbridge over Newstead Road, on the site of the railway bridge demolished in 1987, was opened as part of the trail.
The route today
Various features of the railway survive along the Rodwell Trail, including Westham Halt's platform, the bridge over Chickerell Road, the cut and cover Rodwell Tunnel under Wyke Road, platforms at Rodwell Station, the road bridge for Buxton Road, a bridge between Sudan Road and Old Castle Road, some timber remains at Sandsfoot Castle Halt, a bridge over a footpath at the bottom of Ryland's Lane, and the platform of Wyke Regis Halt. A concrete road alongside the halt and former track, built during World War II, survives too. In addition to the Rodwell Trail, the majority of the former line's route along the causeway to Portland is now used as a footpath.
References
The following is an A-Z list of references for this page.
1) Disused Stations - Portland Station (1st site) - Nick Catford - website page
2) Isle of Portland Railways - Volume Two - The Weymouth & Portland Railway/The Easton & Church Hope Railway - B. L. Jackson - The Oakwood Press - 2000 - ISBN: 978-0853615514 - book
3) Ordnance Survey - various maps, including 1864, 1902, 1929, 1960 and 1975
4) Parliamentary Papers - Accounts and Papers - Vol. LII. - Railway and Canal Bills - Weymouth and Portland Railway and Extension to Harbour Bill - 1862
5) Railways on the Isle of Portland - Martin Smith - Irwell Press - 1997 - ISBN: 978-1871608823 - book
6) The Branch Lines of Dorset - Colin G. Maggs - Amberley Publishing - 2012 - ISBN: 978-1848683525 - book
7) The British Newspaper Archive - various contemporary newspaper articles including the Southern Times, Sherborne Mercury, Weymouth Telegram, Dorset County Chronicle and Western Gazette - website page
8) Wikipedia - History of rail transport in Great Britain - website page
9) Wikipedia - Portland Branch Railway - website page
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