Portsmouth Harbour railway station

A 1910 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing railways in the vicinity of Portsmouth Harbour (lower left centre)

The station opened in 1876 as the terminus of Chief Engineers Frederick Banister's Portsmouth Waterside Extension to the Portsmouth Direct Line, which runs between this station and London Waterloo station.[2] It was rebuilt in 1937 when the route was electrified but was almost totally destroyed during World War II by fire after German bombing, then rebuilt after the war.

• c.1928, T9 class locomotive No. 337 was derailed on the approach to the station, blocking all lines.[3]

Railways in the Portsmouth area
Portsmouth Direct Line to London Waterloo via Guildford West Coastway Line to Brighton & London Victoria West Coastway Line to Southampton Central Portchester Havant M27 Bedhampton Cosham A3(M) Farlington Halt A27 Portsbridge Creek HMNB Portsmouth Admiralty Line Hilsea Portsmouth & Southsea Fratton Portsmouth Harbour Southsea Railway 1885–1914 Gosport Ferry to Gosport Wightlink to Ryde Pier Head Jessie Road Bridge Halt Albert Road Bridge Halt East Southsea

The station is served by a number of train operators. South Western Railway operate two services to London Waterloo on the Portsmouth Direct Line (via Guildford) and the other route to London Waterloo is via Fareham, Winchester and Basingstoke. They also operate local trains to Southampton Central.

There are train services along the West Coastway route, operated by Southern to Brighton, Littlehampton, Gatwick Airport, East Croydon and London Victoria. Great Western Railway operate trains via Southampton, Salisbury and Bristol Temple Meads to Cardiff Central, via the Wessex Main Line.

The ferry from Portsmouth Harbour Station to Ryde on the Isle of Wight is operated by Wightlink. National Rail tickets between the Isle of Wight and stations on Great Britain include travel on the ferry.

The trains are as follows:

• Southern[4]
  • 1tph to Brighton (East Sussex)
• Great Western Railway[5]
  • 1tph to Cardiff Central via Bristol Temple Meads and Southampton Central
• South Western Railway[6]
  • 2tph to London Waterloo direct
  • 1tph to London Waterloo via Fareham and Eastleigh
  • 1tph to Southampton Central

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Portsmouth & Southsea		South Western Railway Portsmouth Direct Line		Terminus
Portsmouth & Southsea		Southern West Coastway Line		Terminus
Portsmouth & Southsea		Great Western Railway Portsmouth Harbour-Cardiff Central		Terminus
	Ferry services
Terminus		Wightlink ferry		Fishbourne
Terminus		Wightlink high-speed catamaran		Ryde Pier Head
Terminus		Gosport Ferry Passenger ferry		Gosport
Connection to Portsmouth International Port for Brittany Ferries to France/Spain and Condor Ferries to the Channel Islands

The station was served by Virgin CrossCountry until May 2003 with services to and from Liverpool and Manchester with InterCity 125 sets and in its last years, Class 220 Voyagers and Class 221 Super Voyagers.[7]

The station was also served by Wessex Trains with one train a day to and from Penzance, as well as the services that are now run by its successor First Great Western.

With the award of the South West Region franchise to South Western Railway in 2017, Portsmouth City Council announced the intention to "spruce up" the station as part of a £90 Million investment by the new operating company. Potential improvements could include a direct walking route in to the Gunwharf Quays shopping complex.[8]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Portsmouth Harbour railway station.

• Train times and station information for Portsmouth Harbour railway station from National Rail