Alton line

Alton line
A South West Trains Class 450 at Bentley station in November 2007
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Network Rail
Locale	South East England
Stations	6
Service
Type	Branch line, heavy rail
System	National Rail
Services	Rail connection from South West Main Line to Mid Hants Watercress Railway
Operator(s)	South Western Railway
Depot(s)	Farnham Traincare Depot
Rolling stock	Class 450 Class 444
History
Opened	1852
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	750 V DC third rail
Operating speed	70 mph (110 km/h) maximum line speed
Route map (Click to expand)

v t e Alton line
Legend
South West Main Line to London Basingstoke Canal Brookwood London Necropolis Rly South Stn │ North Stn South West Main Line to Weymouth Pirbright Junction Foxhills Tunnel Ascot–Ash Vale line Ash Vale North Camp Ash Basingstoke Canal North Downs Line Ash Green Halt Aldershot Tongham Farnham Junction line closed 1954 Farnham River Wey Farnham depot Bentley Bordon Light Railway Alton Basingstoke and Alton Light Railway Meon Valley Railway Watercress Line to Alresford

The Alton line is a railway line in Hampshire and Surrey, England, operated by South Western Railway; it is a relatively long branch of the South West Main Line.

The branch leaves the main line at Pirbright Junction to the west of Brookwood station, Surrey, then turns to the south-west. The route crosses and recrosses the Surrey/Hampshire border, serving the towns of Aldershot and Farnham, before reaching its present-day terminus at Alton in East Hampshire. The line originally continued west to Winchester; the section between Alton and New Alresford is preserved as the heritage Watercress line.

The Alton line was electrified (750 V DC third rail) during the late inter-war years by Southern Railway. Freight trains, operated by DB Cargo UK, and steam trains connected to the Mid Hants Watercress Railway (by way of rolling stock supply or special excursion) operate on the line.