|
The Meon Valley Railway (MVR) was a cross-country railway in Hampshire, England that ran for between Alton and Fareham, closely following the course of the River Meon. At its northern (Alton) end, it joined with the Mid-Hants Railway to Winchester, the Alton Line to Brookwood and the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway. At Fareham it linked with the Eastleigh to Fareham Line, the West Coastway Line and the line to Gosport. The railway was authorised in 1896 and opened in 1903, making it one of the last railways of any size to be built to main-line standards in the United Kingdom. ==Background== The MVR was built by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), which had a virtual monopoly on railway services in southern Hampshire. It already operated services between London (from its Waterloo terminus) and Southampton and Portsmouth. The former destination was served by the South Western Main Line and the latter by the Portsmouth Direct Line, as well as the line from Eastleigh via Fareham. Despite this, the LSWR felt that it would be advantageous to build a more direct line between London and the Portsmouth area (especially Gosport). Alton was becoming an important railway junction and a thriving market town, as was Fareham. A line between the two that ultimately connected London and Portsmouth was an attractive proposition. Like many, the LSWR anticipated a growth in tourist and holiday traffic to the Isle of Wight, which had become a popular destination in the late 19th century. Steamer services to the Island departed from Stokes Bay, and the LSWR already had a small station there, connected to Gosport railway station by a short spur line. Since the 1880s Lee-on-the-Solent had developed as a small but promising resort, and the LSWR had constructed a branch line to the town from Gosport in the 1890s. A railway down the Meon Valley would allow a much shorter run to the Gosport peninsula – as things stood, services had to take either the South Western Main Line, which ran out to the west, or come from the east via the busy junction at Havant. There was also support from the military for another main-line from London to Portsmouth. During the late 19th century there was considerable unease between Britain and France, with some in the British government fearing a large naval attack on Portsmouth or even an invasion. This led to the construction of numerous forts and barracks in the area around Portsmouth, and the Admiralty openly supported any increase in railway capacity to ease the movement of troops and equipment to the South Coast if needed. There was also an element of railway politics in the decision to build the railway. Throughout the mid- and late- 19th century the LSWR's strongest rival was the Great Western Railway. The LSWR had extended its lines as far as Padstow in Cornwall, which was deep in GWR territory. The GWR had long sought to have its own line from the West Country to the booming ports of Southampton and Portsmouth. To this end, it had acquired running rights over the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway in the 1880s. However, this did not provide a fully independent route. In 1895 the GWR had made a basic proposal for the Portsmouth, Basingstoke and Godalming Railway, a line to the south coast from Reading, then south to Basingstoke, down the Meon Valley and then passing through Southwick and Bedhampton, where it would join the line into Portsmouth. Nothing came of this proposal, but the LSWR clearly believed that it should deny one of the last routes to the coast to its rivals. In 1896 the LSWR drew up plans for two railways- the Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway and the Meon Valley Railway, thus effectively blocking the entire length of the GWR's proposed route. Compared to many cross-country lines, the Meon Valley Railway project had an easy birth. The necessary Act of Parliament was quickly obtained, with the ''South Western (Meon Valley) Act'' receiving Royal Assent on 3 June 1897. A contractor was hired to carry out the work: Relf & Son of Plymouth. The LSWR's chief engineer of the works was W.R. Galbraith. T. P. Figgis was the line's architect for stations and other non- permanent way structures. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Meon Valley Railway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|