Portsmouth Direct

Portsmouth Harbour to London Waterloo via Guildford

As the name implies, the Portsmouth Direct line was built to cut the distance and journey time from London to Portsmouth. Opening in 1859, it was an extension of the branch line to Godalming.

We travel in the cab of a class 444 Desiro EMU on one of the hourly fast services to the capital. We board at the unique Portsmouth Harbour station, partially built over the sea.

The first few stations follow in quick succession before we turn to the North after Havant. The line is rural now, hugging the contours of the South Downs via Petersfield and Haslemere.

At Godalming our train runs over the original branch line into Guildford, an important interchange with lines from all points of the compass. Now just 30 minutes from Waterloo we're in easy commuting territory.

Our final stop is at the burgeoning town of Woking. Now we join the fast line of the former LSWR main line for a non-stop run through Surbiton and even Clapham Junction into Waterloo.

Nearing the terminus, the number of running lines increases to eight as we thread our way between the ever increasing high rise developments into Waterloo, Britain's largest Station with 24 platforms. 

There is much interesting history of the line as well as current operations in the commentary. As usual there is a commentary off button in the menu (discs only).