Bridport West Bay railway station
Disused railway station in Dorset, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Bay railway station was the terminus of the Bridport Railway in western Dorset, England.
Bridport West Bay | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Former railway station | |||||
| General information | |||||
| Location | Bridport, Dorset England | ||||
| Grid reference | SY465904 | ||||
| Platforms | 1 | ||||
| Other information | |||||
| Status | Disused | ||||
| History | |||||
| Pre-grouping | Bridport Railway GWR | ||||
| Post-grouping | GWR Western Region of British Railways | ||||
| Key dates | |||||
| 31 March 1884 | Opened | ||||
| 22 September 1930 | Closed for passengers | ||||
| 3 December 1962[1] | closed for freight traffic | ||||
| |||||
History
In 1879, the Great Western Railway, which held the operating license for the original Bridport Railway (which ran as far as Bridport town), decided to extend the railway to Bridport Harbour. Construction began in 1883, and the line opened on 31 March 1884.[2] It was closed briefly between 1916 and 1919; for 3 months in 1921; and for two weeks in 1924.[2] The station was named West Bay by the GWR to encourage holiday traffic. The line between West Bay and Bridport closed to passengers in 1930 and operated for goods services only until its final closure in 1962.[3] Subsequently an enthusiasts special ran on 25 August 1963.[4][5]
| Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Street (Bridport) Line and station closed |
Great Western Railway Bridport Railway |
Terminus | ||
The site today
After many years as the office of a boat yard, in 1995 the station was restored with a short length of track at the platform.
The station building, along with two refurbished carriages, is now operating as Platform Restaurant.[6]
From West Bay, a section of the former track bed can now be walked into Bridport.
