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Maiden Newton railway station is a railway station serving the village of Maiden Newton in Dorset, England. The station is located on the Heart of Wessex, 154.12 miles (248.03 kilometres) from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Swindon and Westbury.[2]

Maiden Newton
General information
Location	Maiden Newton, Dorset England
Coordinates	50.780°N 2.569°W / 50.780; -2.569
Grid reference	SY599979
Managed by	Great Western Railway
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	MDN
Classification	DfT category F1
History
Original company	Great Western Railway
Key dates
1857	Opened
1975	Bridport branch closed
Passengers
2016/17	20,714
2017/18	19,904
2018/19	19,536
2019/20	20,242
2020/21	5,168
Listed Building – Grade II
Feature	Maiden Newton Station
Designated	26 April 1999
Reference no.	1386820[1]
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

History

Opened on 20 January 1857 by the Great Western Railway with the section of their route from Yeovil Pen Mill to Weymouth. This completed the Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line from Chippenham, the first part of which had opened in 1848.[3]

The station consisted of two platforms with a flint station building and goods shed at the south end. A signal box was added later - it was closed in the summer of 1988, when the "no signalman token system" was introduced between Maiden Newton and Yeovil.[4] From 1857 to 1975 the station was the junction for the Bridport Railway and an extra bay platform was added at the north end of the station for these trains.[5] This can still be seen at the west end of the station and this end of the trackbed is a footpath and cycleway.

The station is Grade II listed.[1] The main station building was built for the opening of the station and although in the style of Isambard Kingdom Brunel is most likely to designs by his assistant Robert Pearson Brereton. It is constructed of flint with Hamstone dressings and an artificial slate roof. The other buildings within the listing include a smaller shelter with Welsh slate roof, and the footbridge of reinforced concrete installed in the 1950s by the Western Region of British Railways.

The station building survives but is no longer used by the railway.

Preceding station	Historical railways			Following station
Cattistock		Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway		Grimstone and Frampton
Terminus		Bridport Railway		Toller

Stationmasters

Description

The station retains two platforms as it is a passing place on the single line between Dorchester West and Yeovil. The entrance is on the northbound platform, the side closest to the village. Access to the southbound platform is normally by the footbridge but there is a level crossing at the south end of the station for passengers who are unable to use the bridge.

Services

Great Western Railway operate services from Great Malvern, Worcester Shrub Hill, Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads to Weymouth.[21] South Western Railway used to run additional services between Weymouth and Yeovil Junction on Summer Saturdays.[22]

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Chetnole		Great Western Railway Heart of Wessex Line		Dorchester West

Signalling

The electric key token instrument for the block section to Yeovil are now operated by the train crew under the supervision of the signal operator based at Yeovil Pen Mill.^{[citation needed]} The block section to Dorchester West is operated under the "tokenless single line" principle with track circuiting.

References

Further reading

• Butt, RVJ (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 1-85260-508-1.
• Lucking, JH. Railways of Dorset. Railway Correspondence and Travel Society 1968.

External links

• Bridport Trailway

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