DATE SET FOR FIRST PASSENGER TRAIN TO RUN FROM WAREHAM TO SWANAGE SINCE 1972!
LONDON TO SWANAGE RAILWAY RAILTOUR - 1st April 2009

News Item and Press Release from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 26th Jan 2009
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright.
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Historic Corfe Castle station before decades of volunteer effort restored services.

By Andrew P.M. Wright.

History is to be made with a date being set for the first passenger train to run from Wareham down to Corfe Castle and Swanage - a day that several generations of Swanage Railway volunteers have been working towards for almost 40 years.

The special train will depart London for Swanage 37 years on from when the last British Rail passenger train ran between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage on the night of Saturday, 1st January, 1972.

Swanage station in September 1975 before the railway was rebuilt. (Photo by George Moon, courtesy of the Andrew P.M. Wright collection.)

Now that a date has been set - Wednesday 1 April, 2009 - it is hard to believe that the achievement of a long-held dream is actually going to happen but it is and it is certainly no April Fool!

The special train will be making Dorset railway history on two counts - being the first passenger train to run between Wareham, Corfe Castle and Swanage since New Year’s Day 1972.

Before and after tracklaying started at Corfe castle

It will also be the first train to run from London down to Swanage since teatime on 1st January 1972 when the final rail tour to visit the Swanage branch line ran down to the seaside resort on the final operating day of British Rail’s Swanage branch.

The first train from Wareham to Swanage since 1972 will be departing from London just before 9am and the historic working will be routed via Bournemouth before the run down the branch from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage.

There will be a stay of more than two hours in Swanage - during which passengers can enjoy the delights of the town and its beach - before the historic train returns to London at the end of one of the most historic days in Dorset’s railway history.

The motive power is set to be a Class 66 diesel locomotive and the carriages are likely to be Mark One stock.

Swanage Railway Trust chairman Mike Whitwam said: "This no April Fool. The running of the first passenger train from Wareham down to Corfe Castle and Swanage is the achievement of a long-held and treasured dream by everyone involved with the Swanage Railway over more than 30 years.

The last gas train from Furzebrook in 2005 approaches Worgret Junction (left) and, two years later, the first non-passenger carrying train from Wareham to Swanage passes from Network Rail to Swanage Railway metals at Motala near Furzebrook for the relaid Purbeck Line's Grand Diesel Gala in May, 2007.

"It has been a long time but all the pieces of the jigsaw have fallen into place.

"I would like to thank the operators of the train - as well as our other supporters and, of course, Network Rail - for their help in making this historic day actually happen.

"I am sure that the atmosphere on the train, as well as the lineside, will be similar to that on Wednesday, 20th May, 1885, when the very first train ran on the newly built Swanage branch line. It will be a very big day indeed and rightly so because it is such an achievement."

Swanage Railway volunteers pause from their labours while relaying the tracks at Corfe Castle in 1991 (left) while January 2002 saw the Swanage Railway's relaid track join up with Network Rail at Motala.

Mike Whitwam explained: "It is sad that so many people who contributed to the building and development of the Swanage Railway over so many years - and who have since died - will not be there to see the fruits of their labours and delight in the sight and sound of the first passenger train running down from Wareham.

The tracks are relaid out of Swanage goods shed in 1977 (photo courtesy of Mick Stone via the Andrew P.M. Wright collection) while nine years later in 1986 the railhead was at the one and a half mile mark between Herston and New Barn.

"Hopefully, those pioneers and others who helped make the Swanage Railway the success that it is today will be there in spirit. What I know for sure is that they will never be forgotten," explained Mr Whitwam.

The first locomotive arrives on the Swanage Railway in June, 1976, while August, 1979, saw the very first passenger train at Swanage since January, 1972. (Photos by John Kellaway and Mick Stone, both courtesy of the Andrew P.M. Wright collection)

The final rail tour to visit the Swanage branch at teatime on Saturday, 1st January, 1972, was the ‘Purbeck Piper’ organised by the Southern Electric Group. Composed of a six-coach ‘Hastings’ class diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) No. 1019, it also visited the ‘Old Road’ to West Moors and the Hamworthy branch.

Bridge No. 18 south of Corfe Castle is replaced in 1990 before the tracks can be relaid into Corfe Castle, and a view of Swanage Railway pioneers in 1977 (Photos by Andrew P.M. Wright and Mick Stone both courtesy of the Andrew P.M. Wright collection)

The train departed Blackfriars station in London at 9.28am, pulling into Corfe Castle’s ‘down’ platform at 5.28pm where it waited for the 5.32pm to run into the passing loop from Swanage. Departing Corfe Castle at 5.44pm, the special train from London arrived at a depressingly decaying Swanage station at 5.53pm.

Bound for Victoria station in London, the rail tour accelerated out of Swanage station at 5.58pm before arriving at Corfe Castle at 6.10pm where it passed the 6pm branch train from Wareham. The ‘Purbeck’ Piper accelerated past the castle ruins at 6.13pm bound for Wareham and London.

The final passenger train on the Swanage branch - for which passengers paid 25 pence for children and 50 pence for adults and were issued with a special commemorative ticket - was formed of two three-coach ‘Hampshire’ DEMUs No. 1110 and No. 1124.

A sad night indeed on January 1st, 1972 as the last train prepares to leave Wareham with driver Johnny Walker at the controls (left) before arriving at Swanage to be welcomed by crowds of local people. (Photos by Arthur Grant, courtesy of the Andrew P.M. Wright collection.)

With 500 passengers aboard, it moaned and juddered its way out of Wareham’s ‘down’ bay platform No. 1 at 9.45pm, reaching Corfe Castle at 10pm and Swanage at 10.10pm.

After a five minute stop under the rusting canopy of the almost derelict station, the train departed at 10.15pm to the accompanying crack of detonators placed on the remaining single line track.

A special Swanage to Herston Halt train seen passing under the Victoria Avenue bridge marked the 100th anniversary of the Swanage Railway in May, 1985, (left) while train services at Swanage between 1979 and 1984 ran over a few hundred yards of track at the terminal station. (Photo by Nick Hanham, courtesy of the Andrew P.M. Wright collection)

The six-coach ‘Hampshire’ DEMU pulled into Corfe Castle for the last time at 10.24pm before arriving at Wareham’s ‘up’ platform No. 3 at 10.40pm. The last train from Swanage then stopped at all stations on its return to Bournemouth before running empty back to Eastleigh depot.

Less than a mile from Motala and the national railway system, the track is relaid towards the A351 Catseye bridge in 2001 (left) while 1986 saw the track being relaid up the bank from Herston towards New Barn.

Officially, British Rail closed the Swanage branch line to passenger traffic on Monday, 3rd January, 1972, as there was no winter train service on Sundays. The official closure time was 7.08am, the time that the first train of the day from Wareham to Swanage would have passed Worgret Junction signal box en route for Corfe Castle and Swanage had closure not taken place.

Swanage Railway Trust members are set to receive details of this special ‘first’ train since 1972 - and how they can book a seat to be part of railway history - in a special mail shot due to be sent out in the next couple of days.

All photographs are copyright Andrew P.M. Wright unless otherwise noted.
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Last Updated 3rd Feb 2009
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