SOUTHAMPTON CENTRAL

The Southampton area is controlled from Eastleigh box.

The simulation is based on the track plan of 1994.

The Southampton Up Yard, Mount Pleasant Yard (Bevois Park Yard) which was closed in the 1990s and the line lifted, also there is the Southampton Down Yard (Northam Yard) which in 2003 opened as a maintenance depot (Northam Depot), the Up Sidings on the east end (London end) of platform 1 were removed in the late 1990s.
All are still shown on this simulation.

Lyndhurst Road station was re-named in 1997 to Ashurst New Forest.

There is no re-fuelling point at Millbrook FLT or Western Docks, so locos have to run LE from Millbrook FLT over to Maritime FLT to use the fuelling point there, and from Western Docks via Southampton station to Maritime FLT

ELECTRIFIED LINES by 3rd Rail

Up Main
Dn Main
Up Fast
Up Slow
Dn Fast
Dn Slow
Up Netley
Dn Netley
All Southampton Platforms & Dn Bay Sdg
Up Goods Loop
Dn Loop
(Northam Yard 1&2, No1 & No2 Rec lines, Shunting line and Runround line would have been electrified when the yard was re-opened in 2003)

The Dn Siding, Bay Sdg East and between S929 & S926 are not electrified, plus all other lines not in the list above.

Track speeds around Southampton Station are 25mph Up Main between sig 724 & 716, also 25mph Dn Main between sig 722 & 714, 40mph in the tunnel then 30mph from the tunnel to Southampton Station and the platforms, then 30mph over the points straight or 15mph through the points on the Millbrook side of Southampton Station, main and slow lines are max of 75mph or 85mph.

History

Southampton Central station was opened as Southampton West in 1895, to replace the original Blechynden/West End station. As built, the station was on the seafront (specifically the stretch of water known as West Bay) with the water reaching right up to the southern edge of the platforms at high tide. A series of land reclamation projects to expand the docks, largely funded by the London and South Western Railway culminated in the building of the vast Western Docks between 1927 and 1934, which led to all of West Bay being reclaimed and the station becoming landlocked. The new land allowed the station to be enlarged and redeveloped in 1934-1935 (from two platforms to four), and became Southampton Central. Soon after the closure of Southampton Terminus station near the docks in 1966, the station was rebuilt in 1967, losing its clocktower, which was replaced with an office block. At this point it was renamed Southampton, although many years later it was once again renamed to Southampton Central.

Description

All the platforms are split into two sections, a and b, allowing two services to occupy a platform at the same time or to account for trains dividing into two portions. Platform 1 is, however, rarely used in this manner.

Platform 1 is used for services to London Waterloo from Weymouth and services to the north of England, predominantly Manchester from Bournemouth.

Platform 2 is used for services to Portsmouth and the stopping service to Romsey via Eastleigh. It is the usual platform for the stopping service to London Waterloo, originating from Poole, the stopping service to Portsmouth and the service to Brighton.

Platform 3 is used for local services to Salisbury via Redbridge (Hampshire). Services to London Victoria usually depart from platform 3a. Platform 3 is also used for the stopping service to Poole where it is overtaken by a faster service.

Platform 4 is used for services to Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth as well as services to Cardiff Central.

There is also an ex-Red Star Parcels bay on the Bournemouth end of Platform 4. Previously branded as Platform 5 (Dn Bay Sdg), stopping services to Brockenhurst used this platform, but the platform can no longer be used for passenger services due to the lack of a proper starting signal. It is now used for the stabling of spare units. A number of goods loops are located a short distance away allowing terminating trains to clear the platforms for through services if required, and also to allow passenger services to pass freight trains.

Platform Lengths in number of coaches

Lyndhurst Rd        13
Totton              13
Redbridge           13
Millbrook           13
Southampton P1      17
            P2      17
            P3      17
            P4      17
Dn Bay Sdg           6
St.Denys            13
Swaythling          13
Southampton Airpot  13
Bitterne            13
Woolston            13
Sholing             13

Take off one coach for each loco

Start up screen picture

The photograph was taken from the internet and shows Southampton station from the east end (London end)

Acknowledgments

Thanks go to Richard Wade for his help in getting the simulation up and running, Martin Elms for his help with the track plan, Peter Dean for all his help, Alan Sugden and all other testers for their help.

David Palmer
