Off to Work

At the local Southern Railways' station waiting for the Portsmouth Harbour train, on the "down line" platform - London being treated as the senior city.

The stations and rolling stock have been greatly improved since the operations were passed again to individual train companies to run. During the British Railways period the trains were vintage slam door carriages, which were not airconditioned. This part of the system South of London is electrified, using the original Anglo-American third rail system, hence there are no catenary gantries carrying overhead wires on show and they have cut global emissions by removing in this case the inefficient coal burning steam engines, that were first used on the line.

Originally created by an Act of Parliament the line was funded just after the Railway Mania Bubble burst, which made funding difficult. The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LB&SCR) was formed by an act of Parliament, the London and Brighton Railway Act 1846, on 27 July, through the amalgamation of a number of railway companies.

From 1860 Frederick Banister was appointed Chief Engineer and much of the design reflects his influence.