Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway

This was an indirect and complex route, and in 1873 a parliamentary bill was submitted for the construction of the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Junction Railway.

[6] By 1878 the company was on the verge of abandonment—a bill was submitted to Parliament for the purpose—and "with no vestige of any financial support", but due to the exertions of Lord Carnarvon, a revised route was planned, connecting with the GWR at Newbury and running through the GWR station there; and forming the Micheldever junction nearer to that station together with a second spur at Whitchurch.

Now with energetic plans, the company sought authority for its own line to Southampton, 33+1⁄2 miles (53.9 km) in length, to a location near to the Royal Pier there from Burghclere.

The planned railway would run across largely empty country between Newbury and Winchester before running down the eastern side of the Itchen Valley, closely paralleling the LSWR's main line on the western side, before crossing the LSWR rails on an overbridge just north of the boundary of the future site of the Eastleigh Works at Allbrook, then winding around the high ground north of Southampton to approach the city from the west to run into new terminus at Bargate (the planned station site is now occupied by the Westquay shopping centre) and there was authorisation for a line to run 0.42-mile (0.68 km) south of this station to the Royal Pier, where steamers for the Isle of Wight and Cherbourg departed.

Deposited plans held by Hampshire record office show that the route south from Winchester was planned to run to the East of Twyford, Allbrook (where it was shown to cross the LSWR main line at Allbrook Lock by an overbridge), Chandler's Ford (crossing the LSWR Salisbury line to the west of Oakmount Road), pass under the current Leigh Road–Bournemouth Road junction, climb to a tunnel near the current Chilworth Arms Public House, descend through Lordswood and the current Sports Centre area to traverse the east side of Dale Valley, swing south east under the current Winchester Road, pass through the site now occupied by Shirley Junior School, run to the south west of the current Wilton Road before crossing to the east side of Hill Lane and heading south towards the intended bridge over the LSWR.

[9][10] Intermediate stations were to have been provided on the route and a story grew up that the St James' Park, Southampton site in Shirley was excavated for this purpose, often repeated in local books.

The deposited plans for the route through Southampton[11] and current land levels suggest this was also the location of the viaduct work described by Sands.

c. cxxix) also changed the name of the company; the word "junction" was dropped and it was now the Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Railway (DN&SR).

In an echo of the early plans to join the LSWR's West of England line at Whitchurch a west-to-north junction was made here, requiring a steeply-graded embankment descending from the higher-level LSWR line, but this was only to permit construction materials, equipment and spoil to be more easily moved in and out of the works – once the DN&SR was completed the link was removed and the two companies maintained entirely separate Whitchurch stations, with the D&SNR passing under the LSWR just west of the latter's station, with the former's station being 0.65 miles (1.05 km) to the south and nearer the village it served.

The LSWR was wary of the DN&SR's scheme, and especially this southward extension which threatened to break its monopoly on rail traffic in central Hampshire and at the port of Southampton.

The DN&SR did not take up this offer and continued building its independent route towards Winchester, where the firm's funds were exhausted and construction was brought to what was hoped to be a temporary stop.

[1][5][17] The Winchester station was reached by a bored tunnel[18] under The Soke; it was on a cramped site adjacent to St Giles' Hill.

[19] The company had expended all its financial resources in building the line, but its southern terminus was in Winchester: a cathedral city but not the commercial centre that had been planned.

had bought a wide belt of land stretching from Wyndham place, outside the present Southampton Central station, northwards along the east side of Hill Lane for about 1⁄2 mile, then north-westward for nearly a mile towards St. James's church in Upper Shirley ... Actual work seems to have been confined to the Hill Lane area where ... a viaduct was required ...

The LSWR now had its long-sought for control over DN&SR traffic in its own territory and agreed to the Shawford link out of concern that the GWR would provide the final funding to complete the independent line.

Robertson says that this money was actually advanced confidentially by the GWR, no doubt to forestall any attempt by the LSWR to take over the line and gain access to Didcot.

When the GWR completed its development of the cut-off route to the West of England from 1900 it diverted most of its Devon and Cornwall traffic via Newbury.

The intended date of activation was 1 January 1923, but negotiations as to the financial settlement were not concluded in time, and the absorption was finalised on 22 February 1923.

During World War II the line was a crucial transport link as southern England saw huge movements of troops and military supplies, with intensive use in the run-up to D-Day and the Normandy landings.

As part of this work a direct connection was made to the South West Main Line where the DN&SR crossed it near Winchester Junction, some distance north of the city.

[2][23] An additional halt, at Barton Stacey (between Whitchurch and Sutton Scotney), was built in the early 1940s for military purposes, but was demolished after the war.

The northbound Pines Express from Bournemouth to Manchester was diverted over the DN&SR line; it made passenger calls at Winchester (Chesil) and Newbury.

Navvies and railway workers were paid 'tunnel allowance' (a wage bonus) for working in tunnels 1⁄4 mile (440 yards, 400 m) or more in length.

[26] Winchester Chesil station was chosen for an innovative system of signalling, developed in about 1923 by L. M. G. Ferreira of Siemens Brothers and R. J. Insell of the GWR.

There was a dedicated bay platform at Didcot (17 mi 49 ch) and the line ran east out of the station, turning immediately south, climbing to a summit at Ilsley, at milepost 12+1⁄2.

[1][30] Churn station was opened privately on 6 July 1888, for the National Rifle Association (NRA), which needed to find larger accommodation for its competitions.

The National Rifle Association found the railway facilities insufficient, and settled on Bisley as their home for subsequent competitions.

[27] A passing loop was provided at Lodge Bridge, between Whitchurch and Barton Stacey, as part of the wartime capacity improvements; it was abolished in March 1950.

In villages formerly served by the railway, such as Sutton Scotney, the remains of bridges and earthworks are still standing, and indeed much of the northern section between Didcot and Newbury is still entirely extant.

From about 2014 to 2018 a pressure group called Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway Revival campaigned for the re-opening of part of the line for both passenger and freight traffic.