Saturday 26 April marked a moment of railway history as the final steam train was signalled through the railway by three signal boxes between Farncombe and Petersfield.
The final steam train sent through by the retiring signal boxes was the Merchant Navy Class Clan Line No. 35028, hauling the first leg of the Great Britain XVII, a rail tour of the whole country. It departed London Victoria in the morning and will finish this first day in Bristol, having travelled via Haslemere, Southampton and Salisbury.
These three existing signal boxes are nearing 50 years of service and are becoming less reliable and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Later this year, a long-term programme of work to upgrade the signalling systems – the railway’s traffic lights – between Farncombe and Petersfield will be completed, with control of signalling being transferred from these three signal boxes to the Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre (ROC).
This new digital signalling technology is part of wider upgrades to the railway between London and Portsmouth and will make the railway more reliable and increase the future potential capacity of the line for more and faster train services.
Once control of the signalling has been moved to the ROC, Farncombe, Petersfield and Haslemere signal boxes will be decommissioned, with Haslemere signal box, which was first opened in 1895, being used as a small museum, which will be run by the Haslemere Community Station and Signal Box Trust.
Ashley Hillier, a signaller at Network Rail who signalled the final steam train through Haslemere, commented: “It’s a delight. It really is an honour to be part of this fantastic piece of history and to get to take part and to cherish that in your memories going forward as I take that into my career. It’s fantastic. I’m very very proud.”
Tom McNamee, Network Rail’s Wessex route infrastructure director, added: “We have been working for many years to modernise the signalling on the Portsmouth Direct Line and the Farncombe to Petersfield scheme is just one of the areas we have been improving.
“Once this vital work has been completed, we hope to have increased capacity to run more services connecting Hampshire, Surrey and London with reduced journey times. We know that signal boxes across the route are part of the romance of the railway and we are delighted that Haslemere’s signal box will be preserved for years to come.”
Haslemere signal box will be preserved through the efforts of The Haslemere Community Station and Signal Box Trust. This ensures the history of the route and its signalling legacy will continue to inspire and educate future generations. We’re proud and honoured to contribute to this moment in railway history.”
Image credit: Network Rail
