Disused Stations: Northam Station

Station Name: NORTHAM

[Source: Dave Marden]

Date opened:	2.12.1872
Location:	South side of Northam Road
Company on opening:	London & South Western Railway
Date closed to passengers:	5.9.1966
Date closed completely:	5.9.1966
Company on closing:	British Railways (Southern Region)
Present state:	Demolished - no trace remains
County:	Hampshire
OS Grid Ref:	SU428122
Date of visit:	Not visited

Notes: The main line from London to Southampton was opened to a temporary terminus called Northam Road on 10th June 1839. This was made necessary by a dispute over crossing Northam Road. Once the dispute was resolved the line was extended into Southampton adjacent to the docks on 11th May 1840. The station was initially known as Southampton

but was renamed Southampton Docks in 1858, Southampton Town and Dock in 1896 and finally Southampton Terminus in 1923.

The area of Northam was some distance short and the local inhabitants campaigned for an intermediate station. Representations were made in the late 1860s and a site was considered in the vicinity the present Mount Pleasant level crossing but eventually the station was built on the south side of Northam Road bridge close to the earlier temporary terminus.

The work was carried out by the firm of Joseph Bull & Sons who were associated with much of the early railway construction in the Southampton area. Bull’s already had their own tramway from just north of the site to their premises at Belvidere Wharf on the River Itchen. The station was duly completed and opened on 2nd December1872. Initially tickets were only

available from the station, passengers to the station bought tickets to Southampton with Northam acting as a ticket platform.

Although situated at the junction of the line from Southampton West (now Central) the two platforms at Northam served only trains to and from the Terminus. The original offices at the London end of the station were built of wood. These were adjacent to the road bridge and each platform had a separate entrance accessed by steps from the bridge above. Northam also had a very large engine shed - for the time. It was14 roads wide, but short in length, with probably room enough for only 2 locos under cover. It opened in October 1840 and closed 1st January 1903, when Eastleigh came into use.

The bridge itself was rebuilt 1908 with just one station entrance retained and new buildings and a footbridge were added. With most main line services running from Southampton Central, passenger traffic from the Terminus via Northam were in decline and by the late 1950s services were running only to local destinations and rural locations such as Alton via Winchester.

The electrification of the Waterloo to Bournemouth line was not extended to the Terminus and the lingering three car DMU trains were withdrawn. Closure of passenger services took place on 5th September 1966. The station never had goods facilities and was closed completely on this date. The derelict station was demolished in 1969 and today virtually no trace

remains, although a single line still runs through the site carrying traffic to the Eastern Docks, together with a shunt loop for the nearby Siemens train care depot for SWT.

Tickets from Michael Srewart

Northam Station looking north in c.1907
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection

Northam Station looking north in the early 20th century

Northam Station looking north in September 1930
Copyright photo from John Alsop collection

Northam Station looking north in September 1966
Photo by John Bird

Northam Station looking north in June 1964. Note the reduction in length of the 'up platform.
Photo by Bert Moody

The site of Northam Station looking north in 1974
Photo by Dave Marden

The site of Northam Station looking south in 1993. 56073 having run round its load from Hamworthy - Cardiff Tidal after picking up empties from Northam Yard. The Eastern docks branch is disused and overgrown on the far right.
Photo by Rob Daly

The site of Northam Station looking south in April 2008. The train is a car transporter bringing wagons from the wheel lathe in the SWT depot at Northam. It is reversing down to use the crossover just visible below the footbridge to gain access to the middle road and then use the crossover directly below the bridge to rejoin the mainline. On the left, the line of cars marks the route of the old 'Bull's Run' tramway to Belvidere Wharf (latterly diverted to Dibles Wharf before closure). The 'Main Line' is now single track by the time it reaches Chapel Road and Canute Road crossings just to the south of the photo.
Photo by Rob Daly from Robbo's Photos web site