| Bishop's Waltham branch | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Closed |
| Locale | Hampshire South East England |
| Stations | 3 |
| Service | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| Operator(s) | London and South Western Railway |
| History | |
| Opened | 1 June 1863 |
| Closed | 27 April 1962 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 3.8 miles |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) |
Bishops Waltham branch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Bishop's Waltham branch was a railway line in Hampshire, England. It was made by a locally promoted independent company, the Bishop's Waltham Railway company. It ran from Bishop's Waltham to Botley on the Eastleigh–Fareham line of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). The line opened on 1 June 1863.
Passenger business was never heavy, but clay pits and a brickworks and gasworks at Bishop's Waltham brought mineral traffic to the line. Nevertheless the BWR Company was always short of money and had to be supported by the LSWR, and was absorbed by the larger company in 1881.
Competition from road transport led to dwindling passenger carryings, and the line closed to passengers in 1933. A basic goods service continued, but the line closed completely in 1962.