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In the 1950s Sway station was humorously referred to as “Sway Docks”1 and the line to the west as “Sway Treacle Mines”. More on this later.
The line known as the “Direct Line” was built through Sway between 1883 and 1888 to replace the original section of the Southampton and Dorchester Railway between Brockenhurst and Hamworthy Junction via Ringwood and Wimborne. The direct line was built to serve the emerging seaside resort of Bournemouth as well as Christchurch and Poole.
Royal assent was given for the building of the direct line on 20 August 1883 after much arguing about the route. A key feature was that there would be no level crossings on the direct line.
Construction was fraught with problems, poor conditions for the navvies, industrial unrest and, liquidation of prime contractors. All work ceased on 30 June 1885, leaving about 300 navvies destitute pending selection of a new contractor.
The cost of building the railway had been hugely underestimated due in part to crossing Avon Water and also Barton clay, a huge bog of yellow / blue clay at Mead End which had the impression of treacle and consequently the area became known as the treacle mines. Failed attempts at drainage at Avon Waters west of Sway caused huge amounts flooding (something which is still an issue to this day).
The official opening of the direct line by the London and South Western railway took place on 5 March 1988.
In 1923 the London and South Western Railway was amalgamated into the Southern Railway in what became known as the creation of the “Big Four” railway companies (Southern, Great Western, London Midland and Scottish and, London North Eastern).
In 1948 the railways were nationalised and the line became part of the Southern Region of British Railways.
There were 2 Pullman coaches converted to holiday homes in the sidings at Sway and let out between 1962 and 1967. However we saw the ultimate demise of one of them by fire in about 1968.
In 1967 the railway was electrified and the sidings and goods handling (in the area where the industrial estate is now) closed at Sway.
In 1982 Network Southeast (NSE) was created under British Rail to run services in this part of the country.
Between 1994 and 1997 the railways were privatised and the line has come under 2 franchises, South West Trains from 1996 to 2017 and South Western Railway since 2017.
Looking to the future the the railways may be entering a new era with the creation of Great British Railways. How this will pan out is as yet unclear.
1900 to 1925
1925 to 1950
Photos will appear here as they are submitted.
1950 to 1975
1975 to 2000
Photos will appear here as they are submitted.
- Treacle Mines, Tragedies and Triumph, The Building of the Direct Line 1883-1888, Jude James, ISBN: 9781897887936. ↩︎