The Swanage Railway is set to run a three day New Year special heritage diesel service marking the 50th anniversary of the line’s closure
The event marks the last British Rail train from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage which ran in January 1972. The special trains will feature commemorative wooden headboards, made by devoted Swanage railway volunteer signalman Malcolm Munro who actually travelled on the last train as a 16-year-old.
The service will be operated by a heritage British Railways 1960-built three-carriage Class 117 diesel multiple unit, and will see five trains services operating each day between Norden, Corfe Castle, Harman’s Cross and Swanage from 10.30am to 4pm. The services will run each day on Saturday the 1st, Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd of January 2022.
As part of the 50th-anniversary special service, the first 50 people to buy tickets online via Swanage Railways website for each of the three days will only pay the price of the 1972 British Rail train fare of 50p per person!
The 50p tickets will be available to buy online from Sunday the 5th of December 2021. Tickets for the event will also include a special Edmondson card ticket which has been made especially for those travelling between the 1st and 3rd of January 2022 inclusive.
The ten-mile branch line originally opened in May 1885 from Wareham to Swanage, with its closure by British Rail causing much controversy and despite a five year battle by locals and councils to oppose the decision. Sadly, the morning of Monday the 3rd of January 1972 saw the lines services come to an end.
Due to there being no winter Sunday train service the last British Rail train ran between Wareham and Swanage on Saturday the 1st of January 1972. This last service was made up of two three-carriage 1957-built British Railways diesel-electric multiple units which are more commonly known as DEMUs and nicknamed ‘Hampshire’ units as they had been built for service in that county. The final train left Wareham at 9.45pm for Corfe Castle and Swanage and was boycotted by Wareham councillors who protested furiously at the closure.
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