Dorchester West railway station

Dorchester West railway station is one of two railway stations serving the town of Dorchester in Dorset, England. The station is managed by Great Western Railway, who provide most services at this station. South Western Railway operate some Summer Saturday only services from London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction.

Dorchester West
Location
PlaceDorchester
Local authorityDorset
Coordinates50.711°N 2.443°W / 50.711; -2.443
Grid referenceSY688902
Operations
Station codeDCW
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Number of platforms2
DfT categoryF1
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 0.131 million
– Interchange  51
2015/16 0.134 million
– Interchange  50
2016/17 0.165 million
2017/18 0.158 million
2018/19 0.151 million
– Interchange  48
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
1857Opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Dorchester West from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

The station is located on the Heart of Wessex Line between Castle Cary and Weymouth and is at the southern end of a single track section from Maiden Newton. The line becomes double at the station and remains so to nearby Dorchester Junction where it joins the main line from London Waterloo to Weymouth.

History

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway on 20 January 1857, when it completed the former Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth line from Castle Cary and Yeovil through to Weymouth.

An accident occurred at this station in 1974 when an excursion train from Hereford to Weymouth, on its return journey, did not stop at the signal controlling the entry to the single line section, and ran into the sand drag. The locomotive (a Class 47) ran right through the sand drag and out the other side, followed by a couple of coaches. Eighteen passengers suffered minor injuries in the derailment, but no one was seriously hurt.[1] The passengers were taken home by train via Southampton later that evening, and the loco was subsequently re-railed and recovered during the night several weeks later.

In the late 1980s, the station gained attention as being one of the worst-maintained stations in the country. Subsequent renovations have brought it up to a much more respectable standard.

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Bradford Peverell & Stratton Halt   Great Western Railway
Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway		   Monkton and Came Halt

Services
A train leaving for Weymouth

Great Western Railway operate services between Bristol Temple Meads and Weymouth (eight trains per day Mon-Sat, five on Sundays - some extended to/from Gloucester).[2] South Western Railway runs additional services between Weymouth and Yeovil Junction on Summer Saturdays.[3]

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Maiden Newton   Great Western Railway
Heart of Wessex Line		   Upwey
  South Western Railway
Yeovil Junction to Weymouth
(Summer only)		  
Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Bradford Peverell & Stratton Halt   Great Western Railway
Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway		   Monkton and Came Halt
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See also

Notes
  1. Dept of the Environment Railway Accidents - Report into the Derailment that occurred on 25 August 1974 at Dorchester West StationThe Railways Archive; Retrieved 2009-06-23
  2. Table 123 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  3. https://www.southwesternrailway.com/~/media/files/plan-my-journey/timetables/ptt20b-may-2019.pdf?la=en
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