Welcome to Swanage
Railway Station
Seasonal Opening Times in Operation
The grand seaside terminus of the line, Swanage station boasts a restored long canopy and has all the charm of a seaside holiday of days gone by.
As the train pulls into the station you can see the old luggage and platform trolleys, once common all over the country. The well-stocked Gift Shop is open every day with a wide range of souvenirs, gifts, toys and local products to suit all tastes and budgets.
You will also find a Buffet coach cafeteria located at the end of the platform ready to serve a wide range of snacks, lunches, the famous Dorset cream teas and delicious locally produced ice cream, cakes and preserves.
The station is in the centre of the town, with the main high street running from the station down to the beach with lots of small independent shops offering something for all tastes as well as beach equipment if you have forgotten your bucket and spade!
The picturesque Swanage Bay opens out, this World Heritage Site “Jurassic Coast” has stunning headlands to either end and an award winning sandy “Blue Flag” beach with calm clear waters, enjoyed by bathers for generations. Swanage has retained its Victorian seaside charm, complete with bathing huts, promenade, pier used by paddle steamers and vibrant calendar of local events including the regatta and carnival.
You can catch an open top bus from Swanage station to Sandbanks, with more buses to Durlston Country Park, which offers commanding views of the Isle of Wight and Jurassic Coastline, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
You can catch an open top bus from Swanage station to Sandbanks, with more buses to Durlston Country Park, which offers commanding views of the Isle of Wight and Jurassic Coastline, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Our station staff and the Tourist Information Office on the seafront adjacent to the sandy beach has lots of ideas to suit all families, and with lots of local accommodation why not stay a while in Swanage?
Our station staff and the Tourist Information Office on the seafront adjacent to the sandy beach has lots of ideas to suit all families, and with lots of local accommodation why not stay a while in Swanage?
History of Swanage Railway
- 1885 – Ten mile branch line opened between Swanage and Wareham
- 1972 – British Rail closes the whole line to passenger services and removes most of the track and signalling apparatus, and sells most of the land to local Councils
- 1976 – Swanage Railway volunteers granted access to the Swanage Station site and the long process of re-construction begins
- 1979 – the first trains are operated at Swanage, over a few hundred yards of track
- 1984 to 1995 – the Railway is re-opened in stages from Swanage to Norden, where a Park & Ride car park is provided
- 1997 – the PCRP was formed
- 2002 – the Swanage Railway’s track is re-connected with that of the national network
- 2014 – a new signalling system is commissioned enabling Swanage Railway trains to access the national network on a regular basis, this was paid for by Dorset County Council and Purbeck District Council
- 2017 to 2019 – a limited passenger service between Swanage and Wareham operates during the Summer period
2020 onwards – proposals for increased use of the reconnected branch line are under discussion
Places of interest in and around Swanage
Durlston Country Park
Putlake Adventure Farm
