Broadstone is a suberb of Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom.

I decided to write a page about this station after visiting the Broadstone Hotel. It is a public house opposite where the station used to be, now a sports centre. Inside the pub are many many framed photographs of the line and station. They also have various other railwayana on display such as timetables, tickets etc. The establishment is due to be refurbished in January 1998, so it is my intension to write to the brewery enquiring as to their plans for these items. I live just a few hundred yards from the location of the station (sorry, sports centre) and my house backs onto where the line would have run. It is such a shame that in todays congested world that the railway infrastructure was obliterated during the Beeching years.

Historical Background

The London & South Western Railway were the first company to build a passenger line through Dorset, which ran from Southampton to the county town of Dorchester, opening on June 1, 1847. Whereas the modern day line runs through Bournemouth, the former ran via Ringwood and Wimborne and was known as "Castleman's Corkscrew" after a solicitor and supporter of the railway. The line to Poole, is now known as the Hamworthy Branch (freight only) and was also used by passengers wishing to visit the small village of Bournemouth. The Dorset Central Railway's branch line between Wimborne and Blandford opened on November 1, 1860 and was operated by the LSWR until 1863. The Somerset and Dorset Railway linked with Blandford in this year also to form a connection with the line from Highbridge Wharf to Templecombe.
The LSWR made another link to Poole in 1872 and this was extended to Bournemouth West two years later. A further advance to Bournemouth East (now Central) came in 1888. It was in 1893 that the present direct route between Southampton and Dorchester was created. Through running between Bath and Bournemouth came into being after the S&D extended the line to Bath from Evercreech Junction in 1874, with a reversal being necessary at Wimborne. However, a spur was installed between Broadstone and Corfe Mullen to goods trains on December 14, 1885 and to passengers on November 1, 1886. The original main line through Ringwood and Wimborne subsequently became a secondary or diversionary route for trains from London and Southampton. The route from Hamworthy Junction to Broadstone carried a sparse local service, some Weymouth boat trains and holiday relief trains, notably to and from Swanage to avoid Bournemouth. The railway newtwork was then complete in this area. From Broadstone to Wimborne was the route used by all London - Weymouth services until 1893 and all SDJR Bournemouth - Burnham/Bath trains until 1886, these being discontinued via Wimborne in 1920. However Milk trains went on until 1933.

Through the years Broadstone has had a variety of names beginning with Broadstone in 1847, New Poole Junction in 1872, Poole Junction in 1876, Poole Junction and Broadstone in 1883, Broadstone and New Poole Junc. in 1887 and eventually Broadstone Junction in July 1929. It was a four way link of the Somerset and Dorset Railway from Bath, the London and South Western Railway from Southampton and connected to Hamworthy for trains to Dorchester or Holes Bay Junction for trains to Poole and Bournemouth West. The station buildings were small and insignificant, but the four lengthy and spacious platforms were linked by a covered footbridge. These being to accommodate the express services that stopped for connections. The brick signalbox housed a 33 lever frame before the war.

6/1/69 Broadstone Junction station to Blandford station section closed.

Timetable of Track Lifting and rationalisation

Blandford to Broadstone Junction Contract Dec 69 to Sep 70

28/12/69 33 6519    Blandford Station

28/12/69 33 6506    Blandford Station

18/01/70 33 6523    Blandford

04/04/70 33 6506    Broadstone Junction station

05/04/70 33 6506    Bailey Gate station

12/04/70 33 6552    Bailey Gate station

19/04/70 33 6554    Corfe Mullen Junction

31/05/70 33 6505 & 6554 Double headed Bailey Gate station

04/06/70 33 6514 & 6542 Double headed Bailey Gate station

21/06/70 33 6518 & 6549 Double headed Corfe Mullen Junction

Double heading was necessary as it was found that the braking power of one locomotive was inadequate for the loads sometimes handled. These were positively the last double-headed trains seen on the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.

Relevant publications are;

Branch Lines Around Wimborne (Middleton Press)