Ryde Esplanade is located on the sea front at Ryde and is one of the most busiest stations on the Isle of Wight's Island Line.
| Information |
| Type: |
National Rail
(Island Line) |
| Station code: |
RYD |
| Opened: |
1880 |
| Platforms: |
1 |
The first station on the site was to serve a horse drawn tram that ran along Ryde Pier but the railway station, originally called
Pier Gate, was opened in 1880 when the railway line was built. The platforms - originally two were in use - are built partially over the shore (see photo below).
The station was closed at the end of 1966 in order to carry out modifications ready for electrification, the platforms had to be lowered as the ex-tube stock bought in for the Island Line had lower floors [1]. The station re-opened in 1967 along with the rest of the line. A new booking office and parcels office was built in 1973 [2], but shelters on the down platform were demolished later in the 1970s though the platform fell into disuse after cessation of shuttles from
Ryde Pier Head. Now only the up platform is in use.
A bus station is located next to the railway station, and slightly more unusually a hovercraft station is located on the other side of the tracks via a footbridge!
 |
| 483 007 departs to head across the sea to Ryde Pierhead |
 |
| Ryde Esplanade is built partially over the shore line |
 |
| 483 004 emerges from Ryde tunnels on approach to Ryde Esplanade |
 |
| 483 004 enters the station, the bus station can be seen next to the railway station |
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| Behind 483 007 can be seen the now-disused other platform |
[1] RJ Maycock & R Silsbury, The Isle of Wight Railways from 1923 Onwards (Oakwood Press, 2006) p. 225
[2] Ibid p. 235
