Place Ropley Grid reference SU629324 Phone +44 1962 733810 Platforms in use 2 | Area East Hampshire 2 October 1865 (1865-10-02) opened Original company Watercress Line | |
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Pre-grouping London and South Western Railway Post-grouping Southern Railway
Southern Region of British Railways Address The Railway Station, Station Hill, Ropley Dean, Alresford SO24 0BL, United Kingdom Similar Mid‑Hants Railway 'Watercre, Alresford (Hampshire) railway st, Medstead and Four Marks rail, Alton railway station, Bramley (Hampshire) railway st | ||
Ropley railway station
Ropley railway station is a railway station in Ropley, Hampshire, England, which opened in 1865 and reopened in 1977 after four years' closure, to be served by steam and select diesel trains on the Watercress Line which shares its terminus at Alton railway station along with the more major Alton Line.
Contents
Mhr steam gala wadebridge arrives at ropley railway station
History
The station was opened by the Mid-Hants (Alton Lines) Railway (MHR) on 2 October 1865. The MHR was leased to the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in August 1880, which fully absorbed the MHR in June 1884. The LSWR amalgamated with other railways to form the Southern Railway on 1 January 1923.
The station was closed by British Rail on 5 February 1973.
Preservation
Ropley railway station was reopened by the Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line) on 30 April 1977. It is an intermediate station on the 10-mile (16 km), four-station route which runs from Alton to New Alresford, also in Hampshire.
The main locomotive shed and workshops for the Mid Hants Railway are just to the east of Ropley station.
The station gardens feature notable yew topiary, which has been in situ for over 100 years (an 1898 postcard shows the topiary well established).
A footbridge was added to the western end of the station in 1986. This was recovered from the closed station at North Tawton in Devon in August 1983, restored and installed by volunteers.
Footbridge
In 2012/13, a footbridge, originally at King's Cross station in London, was dismantled to connect instead the raised picnic area, orchard and children's play areas to the buildings at Ropley station taking in for part of its length the maintenance shed, where passengers can walk over and view the works below.