Maiden Newton railway station


Maiden Newton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Maiden Newton in Dorset, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex line between and.

History

Opened on 20 January 1857 by the Great Western Railway with the section of their route from to. This completed the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line from, the first part of which had opened in 1848.
The station consisted of two platforms with a flint station building and goods shed at the south end. A signal box was added later. From 1857 to 1975 the station was the junction for the Bridport Railway and an extra bay platform was added at the north end of the station for these trains. This can still be seen at the west end of the station and this end of the trackbed is a footpath and cycleway.

Description

Although the signal box was closed during a rationalisation scheme, the station retains two platforms as it is a passing place on the single line between Dorchester and Yeovil. The entrance is on the northbound platform, the side closest to the village. Access to the southbound platform is normally by the footbridge but there is a level crossing at the south end of the station for passengers who are unable to use the bridge. The station building survives but is no longer used by the railway.
The electric key token instrument for the block section to Yeovil are now operated by the train crew under the supervision of the signal operator based at Yeovil Pen Mill. The block section to Dorchester West is operated under the 'tokenless single line' principle with track circuiting.
Scenes for the 'Station Closing' episode of the BBC series To the Manor Born were filmed at the station.

Services

operate services from,, and to. South Western Railway runs additional services between and Yeovil Junction on Summer Saturdays.