Portsmouth Direct line

Portsmouth Direct line
Portsmouth Direct line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	Hampshire West Sussex Surrey South East England
Service
Type	Suburban rail, Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	South Western Railway
Rolling stock	Class 444 Class 450 Class 455[1]
History
Opened	1858
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Operating speed	90 mph (145 km/h) max.

v t e Portsmouth Direct Line
Legend
South West Main Line Woking Woking carriage sidings Worplesdon North Downs Line New Guildford line Guildford Guildford Chalk Tunnel St Catherine's Hill Tunnel North Downs Line Cranleigh line Farncombe Godalming original location River Wey Godalming Milford Witley Haslemere Liphook Longmoor Military Railway Liss Midhurst Railways Petersfield Buriton Tunnel Woodcroft Halt Rowlands Castle Havant New West Coastway line Hayling Island branch line Havant Bedhampton A3(M) Farlington Halt West Coastway line Portsbridge Creek Hilsea Lines Hilsea to East Southsea Fratton Portsmouth & Southsea Portsmouth Harbour

The Portsmouth Direct line is a railway route between Woking in Surrey and Portsmouth Harbour in Hampshire, England. It forms the principal route for passenger trains between London, Guildford and Portsmouth; connections are made to the ferry services which operate between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. The final section of line from Havant to Portsmouth is shared with other passenger routes.

The line was opened in stages, in part by the Portsmouth Railway, independently of the established railway companies, the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) and the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBCSR), both of which had rather circuitous routes to Portsmouth. Both of those companies were antagonistic to the direct line, but in 1859 a through train service was operated in the face of obstructive tactics. The LBSCR controlled the route from Havant into Portsmouth, but eventually acquiesced in granting running powers, and making its line on Portsea Island, where the Portsmouth conurbation is situated, joint with the LSWR. The latter company took over the Portsmouth Railway in 1859.

The gradients on the line made it difficult to operate in steam days, but it was electrified on the third rail system in 1937. There was heavy traffic connected with the Royal Navy at Portsmouth, and with the holiday traffic to Hayling Island, Southsea and the Isle of Wight. While the former dominance of those traffics has reduced, the extension of London commuting has greatly increased, and the line conducts a busy passenger business.