Alton station building, which leads onto the up platform, and forecourt. This and the next photograph were taken in 1996.

photograph by Terry Nowell

Alton station opened in 1852 when the line from Alton to Guildford was opened by the L&SWR. Initially a terminus, the station became a through one when the line from Alton to Winchester Junction, just north of Winchester City station, was opened in 1865. Building was started by the Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway which changed its name to the Mid-Hants Railway in 1864. Services on the extension were worked from the start by the L&SWR which absorbed the line in 1880, with the MHR company being dissolved in 1881. Ownership passed to the Southern Railway and then to British Railways, who closed the line to Winchester in 1973, turning back the pages of history to leave Alton as a terminus once more. Following closure the line between Alton and Ropley and between Arlesford and Winchester Junction was lifted, with that between Ropley and Arlesord remaining in situ. Shortly after closure the Winchester and Alton Railway was formed with the intention of re-opening the line as a preserved railway. In 1977 the first part of the route, between Arlesford and Ropley, re-opened with eventual re-opening as far as Alton in 1985, making the station a through one once more. By then the W&AR had for long been the Mid-Hants Railway, with plans to re-open Alresford to Winchester Junction abandoned. The arrival at Alton allowed the MHR to commence occasional through running onto the National Network.

The main station building seen from the platform side.

photograph by Terry Nowell

Alton station building, which leads onto the up platform, and forecourt. This and the next photograph were taken in 1996.

photograph by Terry Nowell

An unidentified 2 Bil sits in platform one whilst M7 classNº30127 sits in platform two with a PushPull train for the Eastleigh and Southampton line.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

Another M7 with PushPull train in platform two. This time it is º30051 and the tail lamp on the buffer beam shows that it is propelling its one coach train.

photograph: Mike Morant collection

South West Trains' 4-Cig unitNº1313 is given the "Right Away" to depart for Guildford and Waterloo during 1996.

photograph by Terry Nowell

The view through the station showing the footbridge and the waiting shelter on the down platform. Behind this is the MHR platform.

photograph by Terry Nowell

A close-up of the footbridge giving access to the down platform, and also to the MHR side of the station.

photograph by Terry Nowell

The MHR platform photographed in 1985, showing the country end of the run-round loop. The people on the platform are waiting for T9 ClassNº30120 (in the distance) to finish running round its train for the return trip to Alresford.

photograph by Cliff Hutton

The somewhat cramped buildings on the MHR station.

photograph by Terry Nowell

The view up the MHR platform taken from further down the station.

photograph by Terry Nowell

The view from the country end of the MHR Alton station, looking towards Medstead/Ropley/Alresford. The Signalbox is Mid Hants' Alton box and was not in use at the time of this photograph (1985) with the points controlled by the ground frame in evidence to the left of the track. The wooden top is the original which sits on a new brick base built when the 'box was moved from the London end of the station. The right hand track is the running line whilst the left serves as a long storage siding.

photograph by Cliff Hutton