Ludgershall railway station, Wiltshire

Ludgershall
Ludgershall
	The station in the 1900s
General information
Location	Ludgershall, Wiltshire; England
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway
Pre-grouping	Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Key dates
1 May 1882	Opened
11 Sep 1961	Closed

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

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 opened to the public 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. The 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 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 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

^ 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.
^ Mike Oakley (October 2004). Wiltshire Railway Stations (2004 ed.). Dovecote Press, Wimborne. pp. 79–82. ISBN 1-904349-33-1.
^ Historic England. "Tidworth Military Railway (1359011)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^ Crawford, T.S. (1 August 2012). Wiltshire and the Great War. Crowood. ISBN 978-1-84797-447-1.
^ "Passenger train idea 'on track' for Ludgershall". Spire FM. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2021.

51°15′17″N 1°37′17″W / 51.2548°N 1.6215°W / 51.2548; -1.6215

[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. pp. 79–82. 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.

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v t e Closed railway stations in Wiltshire
Bristol and North Somerset Railway	Midford Halt Monkton Combe Halt Limpley Stoke
Salisbury branch line	Heytesbury Codford Wylye Langford Wishford Wilton North
Devizes branch line	Semington Halt Seend Bromham and Rowde Halt Devizes Pans Lane Halt
Reading–Taunton line	Patney and Chirton Woodborough Manningford Halt Wootton Rivers Halt Savernake Low Level
Chippenham and Calne line	Stanley Bridge Halt Black Dog Halt Calne
Midland and South Western Junction Railway	Cricklade Moredon Halt Rushey Platt Swindon Town Chiseldon Chiseldon Camp Ogbourne Marlborough Low Level Marlborough High Level Savernake High Level Grafton and Burbage Collingbourne Kingston Halt Collingbourne Ludgershall Tidworth
Great Western Main Line	Box Box (Mill Lane) Halt Corsham Christian Malford Halt Dauntsey Wootton Bassett Junction Wootton Bassett Road Stratton Park Halt
Highworth branch line	Stratton Stanton Hannington Highworth
Golden Valley line	Oaksey Halt Minety and Ashton Keynes Purton
Wessex Main Line	Lacock Halt Beanacre Halt Broughton Gifford Halt Holt Junction Staverton Halt
Bulford Camp branch	Bulford Amesbury Newton Tony
South Wales Main Line	Hullavington Little Somerford Brinkworth Great Somerford
West of England line	Dinton Idmiston Halt Porton Semley Wilton South
Other lines	Downton Edington and Bratton Fovant Lavington Malmesbury Milford
Railway Stations in Wiltshire Disused Railway Stations in Wiltshire