Station code POK DfT category E Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SZ124924 Managed by South West Trains 2011/12 0.312 million | |
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Similar Hinton Admiral railway st, Brockenhurst railway station, Totton railway station, Branksome railway station, Ashurst (New Forest) ra | ||
Pokesdown railway station
Pokesdown railway station is a railway station serving the Pokesdown, Boscombe and Southbourne areas of Bournemouth in Dorset, England. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth.
Contents
The station is served by South West Trains, who operate semi-fast services from London Waterloo to Weymouth and London Waterloo to Poole stopping services.
Pokesdown railway station 3
The station
The station was opened on 1 July 1886 by the London and South Western Railway. It was originally named Boscombe, which was altered on 1 October 1891 to Pokesdown (Boscombe), since the station was closer to Pokesdown than Boscombe. On 1 May 1897, when Boscombe station was opened, the station was renamed again to just "Pokesdown".
In 1930, the station was again renamed, becoming Pokesdown for Eastern Bournemouth, although it reverted to Pokesdown under British Railways. In the 1930s the Southern Railway made the platform facilities considerably larger, allowing the station to accommodate longer trains. Although some facilities have since been removed, at the time they provided an asset for the non-stopping services because there were tracks to use as fast lines in the up and down direction.
During the 1970s two of the four tracks were removed, and the signal box was closed.
On 16 May 2009 the station signage was changed to Pokesdown for Boscombe with announcements at other stations and on trains changed later on but the station remains officially named Pokesdown. The station is a short bus journey or walk from Boscombe's main shopping area.
Some South West Trains services operated by two four- or five-carriage electric multiple units coupled together cannot be accommodated fully by the platforms and only selected doors open on such trains.
Disabled access
Lifts are present at Pokesdown station but are now disused albeit with evidence of their former existence still in place. A campaign involving the local MP Tobias Ellwood began calling for the restoration of lifts at the station appears to have been successful with a requirement for the next franchisee to "...work with Network Rail to install a lift on each Platform at Pokesdown Station" mentioned specifically in the Invitation to Tender document for the forthcoming South Western Franchise due to commence on 25th June 2017. Until lift access is restored, the only means of access to Pokesdown's platforms is via stairs from the bridge.
Services
The basic Mon-Sat service frequency at the station is two per hour each way (with weekday peak extras). One of these is a semi-fast service between Waterloo & Weymouth whilst the other is the local stopping service to/from Poole. On Sundays the Waterloo to Poole stopping trains call hourly in each direction.