Ludgershall railway station, Wiltshire

Ludgershall railway station was a railway station which served the town of Ludgershall in Wiltshire, England from 1882 to 1961.

Ludgershall
The station in the 1900s
General information
LocationLudgershall, Wiltshire
England
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companySwindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway
Pre-groupingMidland and South Western Junction Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1 May 1882Opened[1]
11 Sep 1961Closed

History

The station was opened on 1 May 1882, on the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway[2] By 1894, the operator was the Midland and South Western Junction Railway. running services between Cheltenham and Southampton. In 1901, a branch from Ludgershall was built to serve Tidworth Camp, carrying military personnel, and was open to the public passengers in 1902.[3][4] In 1943 a short spur was added to serve the military depot at Ludgershall, to the south of the main road.

As a whole, traffic on the M&SWJR fell steeply after the Second World War and Ludgershall Station closed to passengers in 1961, along with the northern section of the line up to Swindon, while the branch to Tidworth closed to passengers in 1955, and fully closed in 1963. The spur at Ludgershall and line south to Andover remain open, to allow the Army to transport tanks and other equipment to and from the depot, until its closure in 2015, and onwards to the Salisbury Plain Training Area. There is a level crossing on Tidworth Road.

Possible reopening

Ludgershall Town Council and the pressure group Railfuture have been campaigning for the line between Ludgershall and Andover to be reopened for passenger services, due to the massive growth in population in Tidworth.[5]

Routes
Preceding station   Disused railways   Following station
Collingbourne
Line and station closed		   Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway		   Weyhill
Line and station closed

References
  1. 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.
  2. Mike Oakley (October 2004). Wiltshire Railway Stations (2004 ed.). Dovecote Press, Wimborne. p. 42. ISBN 1-904349-33-1.
  3. Historic England. "Tidworth Military Railway (1359011)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 11 September 2021.
  4. Crawford, T.S. (1 August 2012). Wiltshire and the Great War. Crowood. ISBN 978-1-84797-447-1.
  5. "Passenger train idea 'on track' for Ludgershall". Spire FM. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2021.

51.2548°N 1.6215°W / 51.2548; -1.6215

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