Smallbrook Junction railway station

Smallbrook Junction railway station is a railway station on the Isle of Wight, England. It is unusual because it has no public access but exists purely to provide a connection between two rail systems.

Smallbrook Junction
Island Line platform at Smallbrook Junction
Location
Place	Ryde
Local authority	Isle of Wight
Grid reference	SZ596906
Operations
Station code	SAB
Managed by	Island Line
Number of platforms	2 (1 National Rail, 1 Isle of Wight Steam Railway)
DfT category	F2
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15	11,230
2015/16	12,134
2016/17	12,768
2017/18	12,670
2018/19	12,920
History
Key dates	Opened 20 July 1991 (20 July 1991)
National Rail – UK railway stations
Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Smallbrook Junction from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.

Another similar station is Manulla Junction in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. However, that station allows interchange between two national network rail routes, rather than between a network route and a heritage route.

History

The station was opened in 1991 by British Rail when the Isle of Wight Steam Railway was extended to reach the Island Line, in order to provide a passenger interchange between the two. It is only served on days that both the Island Line and the Steam Railway are open, as there is no access either by path or by road.

Prior to 1991 there was no station on this site, but it was still an important railway junction. "Smallbrook Junction" is the historic name, long predating the station. Between 1875 and 1926 there were two separate lines here, independently run by the Isle of Wight Central Railway and the Isle of Wight Railway. In 1926, following the island's rail network passing to the Southern Railway, a signal box and turnouts were installed at Smallbrook. From then until 1966, the line was the Junction between the Ryde Pier Head to Ventnor and Ryde Pier Head to Cowes Lines, and was notable for only being operated as such during the summer months when traffic increased.[1] The junction has been featured in many photographs from the time.

If the Isle of Wight Steam Railway achieves its long term aim of extending to Ryde St. Johns Road, it is likely that Smallbrook Junction station would close.[2][3]

Flooding

In October 2000, flooding near the station washed away much of the track ballast on the Island Line. Due to the dangerous state of the line, and the damage caused to trains by related flooding at Ryde depot, Island Line Trains had to suspend their services for several days.[4]

Similar events occurred in December 2013, closing the line for many weeks.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Brading		Island Line Ryde-Shanklin		Ryde St John's Road
	Heritage railways
Ashey		Isle of Wight Steam Railway		Terminus

Gallery

• 
  From Smallbrook towards Ashey
• 
  Looking towards Whitefield Farm from the "Terrier"
• 
  Steam engine running around its train.

References

1. Hardy, Brian (2003). Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight. Harrow Weald, Middlesex: Capital Transport. p. 9. ISBN 1-85414-276-3.
2. "Is the future trams and steam trains into Ryde?". Island Echo. 5 February 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
3. "Steaming back to Ryde after 50 years? Rail.co.uk assesses the plan and gives its verdict". Rail.co.uk. 18 January 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
4. Hardy, Tube Trains, p. 76

External links

• Train times and station information for Smallbrook Junction railway station from National Rail