Farnborough (Main) railway station

Farnborough (Main)
Farnborough Main Station
Location
Place	Farnborough
Local authority	Borough of Rushmoor
Grid reference	SU868560
Operations
Station code	FNB
Managed by	South West Trains
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	C2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	2.360 million
2005/06	2.413 million
2006/07	2.748 million
2007/08	2.654 million
2008/09	2.868 million
2009/10	2.737 million
2010/11	2.970 million
2011/12	3.021 million
2012/13	2.860 million
2013/14	2.930 million
History
Key dates	Opened 24 September 1838
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Farnborough (Main) from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Farnborough (Main) railway station serves the town of Farnborough in Hampshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by South West Trains. It is one of two stations serving Farnborough: the other, Farnborough North, is situated on the North Downs Line. The station is mostly known as Farnborough (Main) in order to distinguish it from Farnborough North, including by National Rail^[1] and South West Trains,^[2] although often signposted as simply Farnborough.

The station is situated on the South Western Main Line, which has four tracks running through the station. There are two platforms on the outer pair of tracks, while the centre pair of tracks are used by fast trains.

History

Farnborough railway station was opened in 1838 by the London and South Western Railway (then the London and Southampton Railway), on the line from London to Winchfield (then Shapley Heath).^[3] The next year, the line was extended to Basingstoke, then the next year it was connected to Southampton.^[3] Throughout its life, Farnborough was a through station.

In 1849, South Eastern Railway built the North Downs Line, and opened a station also known as Farnborough, but it was not renamed as its existing name Farnborough North until 1923. The main line railway station was often known as Farnborough (Main) and this has become its official name. It is referred to as simply 'Farnborough' on platform and road signs, but National Rail and South West Trains officially use the suffix^[1][2] (though not on timetables). It was sometimes advertised as 'Farnborough for Aldershot' at an early stage.

As with Hook and Winchfield, there is a wide gap between the tracks. Originally, an island platform stood between them. When the railway was quadrupled, the existing up track became the down fast. The former up platform, an island which had a loop line running behind it was demolished with the loop line becoming the up fast. The new up slow line and a new platform for up services were built at this time (early 1900s).

One source suggests that it may have been used by Queen Victoria to get to Windsor Castle, though the main station she used for Windsor was Slough until Windsor got its own station.^[3]

In 2011, the forecourt underwent refurbishment to add two lifts to the platforms plus a new transport interchange complete with taxi rank, three new bus stops and a large bicycle shelter. In 2012, the station booking hall underwent an extensive refurbishment and the booking hall was modernised and enlarged as a result. Furthermore, a double level car park was built in the station during 2014, which has greatly increased car parking capacity at the station.

Accidents and incidents

• On 26 November 1947, a passenger train was in a rear-end collision with another due to a signalman's error. Two people were killed.^[4]
• On 5 April 2016, the "country" side waiting room was targeted by arsonists, causing damage to the interior and attempting to set fire to the ticket office. ^[5]

Services

• 4tph to London Waterloo, of which:
  • 1tph calls at Clapham Junction Only
  • 1tph calls at Woking Only
  • 2tph call at Brookwood, Woking, Weybridge, Walton on Thames and Surbiton, of which:
    • 1tph call at Clapham Junction,
• 4tph towards Basingstoke, of which:
  • 2tph stopping local services to Basingstoke
  • 1tph stopping regional service to Poole
  • 1tph via Eastleigh to Portsmouth Harbour

Station announcements

Currently, the voice of Phil Sayer and Celia Drummond is played at this station, used for automated station announcements.

Facilities

On site, there are three coffee shops, a waiting room on each platform, a ticket office, Self Service Ticket Machines, smartcard travel facilities, and cycle parking facilities.^[1]

Gallery

• 

  The station in 2006

• 

  The Station in 1914

• 

  Air Display Special in 1950

External links

1. "Station Facilities for Farnborough (Main)". National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
2. "Farnborough (Main) – Train Station Information". South West Trains. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
3. Tolley, Christopher (4 January 2001). "On The Main Line". Basingstoke's Railway History. Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
4. Hoole, Ken (1982). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 3. Redruth: Atlantic Books. p. 38. ISBN 0-906899-05-2.
5. http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/farnborough-main-railway-station-arson-11138132 Farnborough Main railway station 'arson attack' sees windows smashed and bins set on fire

• Train times and station information for Farnborough (Main) railway station from National Rail

Coordinates: 51°17′49″N 0°45′22″W / 51.297°N 0.756°W