Ascot railway station (Berkshire)

Ascot railway station serves the town of Ascot in Berkshire, England. It is 28 miles 79 chains (46.7 km) down the line from London Waterloo. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South Western Railway. It is at the junction of the Waterloo to Reading line with the Ascot to Guildford line.

Not to be confused with Ascott-under-Wychwood railway station.

Ascot
National Rail
General information
LocationAscot, Windsor and Maidenhead
England
Grid referenceSU921682
Managed bySouth Western Railway
Platforms3
Other information
Station codeACT
ClassificationDfT category C2
Key dates
4 June 1856Opened
1 February 1857Renamed Ascot & Sunninghill
10 July 1921Renamed Ascot
Passengers
2017/18Decrease 1.213 million
 Interchange Decrease 0.287 million
2018/19Increase 1.235 million
 Interchange Decrease 0.278 million
2019/20Decrease 1.119 million
 Interchange Decrease 0.268 million
2020/21Decrease 0.155 million
 Interchange Decrease 71,831
2021/22Increase 0.551 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

The station has three active platforms. The London-bound track is a single track with platform faces on either side, both of which are called Platform 1. Until some time prior to 2008, both faces could be used to board London-bound trains, but now only the doors on the ticket office side of the train open with the other side now being fenced off. Platform 2 serves the Reading-bound line, and Platform 3 serves the Guildford line for trains starting and terminating their journeys at Ascot. Where trains are running from London through to Guildford, or vice versa, they use Platform 2. All lines are bi-directional.

History

The Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway opened the station when it reached Ascot on 4 June 1856. On 9 July the line was extended to Wokingham. On 18 March 1878[1] Ascot became a junction when the line towards Ash Vale was opened. Later the London and South Western Railway took over the SWWJR. In the Grouping of 1923 the L&SWR became part of the Southern Railway, which electrified both lines using a third rail system on 1 January 1939. Under nationalisation in 1948 Ascot station became part of the Southern Region of British Railways.

The L&SWR opened Ascot Race Course Platform or Ascot West in 1922 to serve Ascot Racecourse. BR closed it in 1965.[1]

Ascot had four signal boxes until the 1960s – "A" and "B" boxes controlled the main station, West box controlled the racecourse station and "Drake & Mount's Siding" the carriage sidings east of the station.[2][3][4] The line through the station is now under the control of the panel box at Feltham.

When BR sectorised itself in the 1980s, the station was made part of Network SouthEast.

In 1982 a fire severely damaged the station buildings on the "up" (London-bound) side.[5]

Services

Ascot is served by trains between London Waterloo and Reading with a basic service every 30 minutes Monday to Sunday (there are more frequent trains in the morning and evening peaks – around 4 per hour). Trains to Aldershot operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and every 60 minutes on Sundays (to Guildford). Most of these trains start or terminate at Ascot, but there are through trains from London Waterloo to Aldershot during Monday to Friday peak periods.[6]

During Royal Ascot week, train services from London Waterloo to Reading through Ascot are significantly increased, with trains running every 15 mins in either direction.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Sunningdale   South Western Railway
Waterloo to Reading Line		   Martins Heron
Terminus   South Western Railway
Ascot to Guildford Line		   Bagshot

Notes
  1. Body 1984, p. 36
  2. Ascot 'A' Signal Box diagramSignalling Record Society; retrieved 13 April 2016
  3. Ascot 'B' Signal Box diagramSignalling Record Society; retrieved 13 April 2016
  4. Ascot West Signal Box diagramSignalling Record Society; retrieved 13 April 2016
  5. Body 1984, p. 35.
  6. GB eNRT 2015-16 Edition, Table 149 (Network Rail)

References
  • Body, G (1984). PSL Field Guides – Railways of the Southern Region. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens Ltd. pp. 35–36. ISBN 0-85059-664-5.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (October 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. OL 11956311M.
  • Jowett, Alan (2000). Jowett's Nationalised Railway Atlas (1st ed.). Penryn, Cornwall: Atlantic Transport Publishers. ISBN 978-0-906899-99-1. OCLC 228266687.
  • Jowett, Alan (March 1989). Jowett's Railway Atlas of Great Britain and Ireland: From Pre-Grouping to the Present Day (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-086-0. OCLC 22311137.
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