Place Devizes Post-grouping Great Western Railway 18 April 1966 Closed Platforms in use 1 | Area Wiltshire 1929 Renamed Pans Lane Halt Original company Great Western Railway | |
4 March 1929 Opened as Pans Lane Bridge Halt Similar Bromham and Rowde Halt railw, Collingbourne Kingston Halt railw, Oaksey Halt railway st, Midford Halt railway st, Woodborough railway station | ||
Pans Lane Halt railway station was the railway station serving the south easterly suburbs of Devizes in Wiltshire, England. The station was on the Devizes Branch Line, in between Devizes Station and the Reading-Taunton Line.
Contents
Opening
The station, originally named Pans Lane Bridge Halt, opened on 4 March 1929 for the residents of south Devizes, but more importantly for the nearby Roundway Hospital, during a time when the Great Western Railway was increasing the number of halts in the South West. The station name was simplified to Pans Lane Halt later in 1929. After completion of the eastern section of track, the Devizes line was a main line from London to Bristol, which meant passing through Pans Lane. However the line lost to competition and returned to a branch line whilst being used as back up line to the west country in case of emergency.
Closure
Much like the Devizes station, Pans Lane Halt lane suffered from reduced traffic after the completion of the Chirton-Westbury line, that by-passed Devizes to reduce the London to Bristol journey time by 5 miles.
Pans Lane Halt station was closed on 18 April 1966 and the entire Devizes Branch Line in 1966 under the Beeching cuts. Both Devizes Station and Pans Lane Halt were largely destroyed in 1970, however, at Pans Lane the clay-surfaced platform and retaining sleepers, stone walling and the brick chimney stack belonging to the permanent way hut situated at the down end of the platform survived until the site was infilled and used for gardens. Prior to this there was also the remains of one of the gas lamps that lined the pathway down from the gate at the side of Pans lane overbridge, however, this disappeared in mysterious circumstances. During the infilling process the original gas pipes leading to these lamps were damaged resulting in an emergency call out for the local gas board.
The 1960s rebuilt roadbridge over the Pans Lane Halt is still in use today but the past presence of a track is no longer visible after infilling in the late 1980s.