Fleet railway station
{{Short description|Railway station in Hampshire, England}}
{{about|the station in Hampshire|the closed station in Lincolnshire|Fleet railway station (Lincolnshire)}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Fleet
| symbol_location = gb
| symbol = rail
| image = Fleet station - new version - geograph.org.uk - 4445372.jpg
| borough = Fleet, District of Hart
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|51.291|-0.831|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SU816552|25|SU816552}}
| manager = South Western Railway
| platforms = 2
| tracks = 4
| code = FLE
| classification = DfT category C2
| original = London and South Western Railway
| pregroup = London and South Western Railway
| postgroup = Southern Railway
| years1 = May 1847
| events1 = Opened as Fleet Pond
| years2 = 1 July 1869
| events2 = Renamed Fleet
| years3 = 1904
| events3 = resitedRailway Passenger Stations by M.Quick page 195
| mpassengers =
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 1.708 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 11,076}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.290 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 1,047}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.834 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 3,877}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 1.091 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{decrease}} 451}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 1.277 million |interchange={{pad|1em}}{{increase}} 605}}
| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
}}
Fleet railway station serves the town of Fleet in Hampshire, England. It is situated on the South West Main Line, which has four tracks through the station. There are two platforms on the outer pair of tracks, which are served by trains between London Waterloo and Basingstoke and Southampton. The centre pair of tracks have no platforms and are used by through-services.
The station, and all trains calling there, are operated by South Western Railway. It is {{convert|36|mi|38|chain|km}} from WaterlooRailways in the United Kingdom historically are measured in miles and chains. There are 80 chains to one mile. and is situated between {{rws|Farnborough (Main)}} and {{rws|Winchfield}} stations.
History
The railway line through Fleet was built by the London & Southampton Railway, which was renamed the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) in 1839;{{cite book |last=Williams |first=R.A. |title=The London & South Western Railway, volume 1: The Formative Years |year=1968 |publisher=David & Charles |location=Newton Abbot |isbn=0-7153-4188-X |pages=20,122 }} the section between {{stnlnk|Woking}} and {{stnlnk|Winchfield}} opening on 24 September 1838,{{harvnb|Williams|1968|p=38}} but at that time, Fleet did not have a railway station. A station, originally named Fleet Pond (after Fleet Pond) was opened in May 1847.{{cite book |last=Butt |first=R.V.J. |title=The Directory of Railway Stations |year=1995 |publisher=Patrick Stephens Ltd |location=Yeovil |isbn=1-85260-508-1 |id=R508 |page=97 }} The first station was built on the west side of Minley Road, it was renamed Fleet on 1 July 1869. In 1904 a new larger station was built on the east side when the line was increased to four tracks.
The buildings were rebuilt in 1969. {{As of|2013|10}} work was under way to replace the station buildings and deck the southern car park to provide an extra 150 spaces. The new station building and footbridge were opened in July 2014 with the former lattice footbridge removed overnight on 23/24 July.
Miscellaneous
In May 2010, the body of a newborn baby girl was found abandoned in a rubbish bin at the station. A murder investigation was opened based upon the baby's injuries.{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8706354.stm |title=Dead baby left at Hampshire railway station |date=26 May 2010 |work=BBC News |access-date=17 June 2011 }} In October 2010 the baby's then 16 year old mother was found guilty of infanticide.{{cite news |date=12 October 2010 |title=Teenage mother of baby found at Fleet station sentenced |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-11526492 |work=BBC News |access-date=1 May 2023}}
The two platforms are numbered; Platform 1 is for London-bound trains, Platform 2 is for trains for Basingstoke (and beyond).
Notes
{{reflist|group=note}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{stn art lnk|FLE|GU138RJ}}
{{rail start}}
{{rail line |previous={{rws|Farnborough (Main)}} |route=South Western Railway
London to Basingstoke|next={{rws|Winchfield}} |col={{SWR colour}} }}
{{rail line |previous={{rws|Farnborough (Main)}} |route=South Western Railway
London to Poole|next={{rws|Basingstoke}} |col={{SWR colour}} }}
{{s-end}}
{{Hampshire railway stations}}
{{SWT Stations|Weymouth=y|SWML Local=y|IL None=y}}
Category:Former London and South Western Railway stations
Category:Railway stations in Hampshire
Category:DfT Category C2 stations
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1847
Category:Railway stations served by South Western Railway