Pokesdown

Pokesdown for Boscombe railway station, as it is known today, is a railway station serving the Pokesdown, Boscombe and Southbourne areas of Bournemouth. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth.

Originally known as Boscombe, Pokesdown Station opened in 1886. At first it consisted of an island platform reached by a flight of stairs from the bridge in the background. In the 1920's, as the popularity of Bournemouth grew and more trains were required, it was decided to rebuild Pokesdown with four tracks , so that express trains could overtake stopping services. The view to the right shows work in progress, with the island platform still in use, but new outer platforms (the down one needing massive shoring-up operations) nearing completion. A new booking hall was built to the left of the row of buildings in the background, with a footbridge for passengers to cross to the up platform.

Today, the fast tracks, which were laid where the island platform once stood, have gone and only the slow lines remain.