Alton is the terminus of the Alton Line in Hampshire but also one of the termini of the preserved Mid-Hants Railway (also known as the Watercress Line). The station is shared between National Rail and the preserved railway with platforms 1 and 2 being used by NR and platform 3 for the preserved line.
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| In South West Trains days, 450 031 and friend wait at Alton |
| Information |
| Type: |
National Rail (Alton Line) &
Preserved Railway (Mid
Hants Railway) |
| Station code: |
AON |
| Opened: |
1852 |
| Platforms: |
3 |
The station was opened by the London & South West Railway in 1852 though moved to its current site (immediately adjacent to the old site which now forms the car park) in 1865. Under the guise of the Southern Railway the line from Woking was electrified down to Alton in 1937. The station is nowadays managed by South Western Railway.
The Mid-Hants Railway was a separate line built by the Mid-Hants Railway Company from Winchester in the 1860s, it opened in 1865 and shared the same Alton station as the line from Woking. The line was closed by British Rail in 1973 after a long period of decline (the lack of electrification meaning that through-trains were not possible) but re-opened as a preserved line in 1977 as far as Alresford. However, services were not restored through to Alton until 1985.
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| BR 9F 92212 arrives at Alton on the Mid-Hants Line |
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| View down the National Rail platform |
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| View across from the heritage line platform |
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| Heritage line platform |
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| SWT 450 001 and friend at Alton, the footbridge in the background offers interchange between the platforms |
