THE SWANAGE BELLE - LONDON VICTORIA -> SWANAGE [Thursday 9th September 2021]

The Swanage Belle
  Thursday 9th September 2021

A unique experience awaits those who join this day trip by steam train to Swanage. It uses the re-opened rail link from Wareham to the ‘Heritage’ Swanage Railway, which is available only to specially chartered trains. Swanage is a superb seaside destination where the railway station is situated close to the town centre.

Steam hauled, Black 5 [44871]
London Victoria (dep 08:45) - Staines (pu) - Woking (pu) - Basingstoke (pu) - Swanage

Return under Diesel from Swanage (pu) - Southampton Central.

Then Steam hauled again from Southampton Central - Redbridge - Romsey - Andover - Basingstoke (sd) - Woking (sd) - Staines (sd) - London Victoria

Due to leave London Victoria station at around 08:45, hauled by our LMS Black 5 steam locomotive [No 44871], and cross the river Thames at Battersea and at Barnes. We pass through Feltham and stop at Staines to pick up more passengers and then re-cross the river Thames. We join the South Western Main Line at Byfleet Junction and stop at Woking to pick up further passengers. At Winchfield, we stop for our steam locomotive to take on water. Our final stop to pick up passengers is at Basingstoke. 

We leave the West of England Main Line at Worting Junction and head through Winchester and Southampton to Bournemouth. We pass through Poole, where there are spectacular views of Poole Harbour, and continue to Wareham. We leave the Weymouth Line at Worgret Junction and take the re-opened link to Norden and the Swanage Railway. There are magnificent views of Corfe Castle as we head towards Swanage along this attractive Heritage Railway. There will be more than three hours for passengers to explore the pleasant seaside resort of Swanage, with its sandy beach and Victorian pier. Durlston Castle is in Durlston Country Park & Nature Reserve from where there are stupendous views along the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Park contains Anvil Point Lighthouse, the 40-ton stone Great Globe, fascinating artefacts from London, and an amazing diversity of wildlife. The Park is one mile from the town and can be reached by bus from the railway station or by walking via public footpaths. 

Our train leaves Swanage for the return journey at around 16:55 and is diesel hauled to Southampton where our steam locomotive takes over. We then take a different route from the outward journey, via Romsey to the outskirts of Salisbury where we join the West of England Main Line at Laverstock North Junction. We travel up the main line through Andover and then stop at Basingstoke, Woking, and Staines, to set down passengers. The train is due to arrive in London Victoria soon after 23:00.

Swanage Heritage Railway

Stations located at Swanage, Herston Halt, Harmans Cross, Corfe Castle and Norden, with a connection to the National Main Line network to Wareham which hopefully will be a regular operation from 2022?

To look at it now, you would never believe that the Swanage Railway has been rebuilt from nothing since 1976 – after almost seven miles of the line was demolished in 1972. The volunteer-led heritage railway that you see today has been the work of several generations of dedicated railway and community volunteers.

Now contributing more than £15 million a year to the Isle of Purbeck economy, the Swanage Railway was demolished in just seven weeks and it took volunteers 30 years to relay it. After the line to Corfe Castle Swanage was closed and demolished in 1972, British Rail ran oil, clay and gas trains to Furzebrook – on the remaining three-mile stub of the branch line – until 2005. A signalled connection between the Swanage Railway and the national railway network near Furzebrook came into use from 2007 with the first excursion trains running from London to Corfe Castle and Swanage during 2009. The summer of 2017 saw the Swanage Railway run a 60-day trial diesel train service from Swanage and Corfe Castle to the main line at Wareham. Sadly Covid brought an interruption to plans to run more regular services to Wareham itself but hopefully that will be something to look forward to in the near future.