History
The line from Reading to Redhill was built by the Reading, Guildford and Reigate Railway (RG&RR), and was opened in stages: the first sections, from Reading to Farnborough, which included a station at Wokingham, also from Dorking to Redhill, were opened on 4 July 1849; other sections followed, with the last section, from Guildford to Shalford, on 15 October 1849. From its beginning, the RG&RR was worked by the South Eastern Railway (SER), which bought the RG&RR in 1852.
The Staines, Wokingham & Woking Junction Railway (SW&WJR) opened a line between Staines and Wokingham (Staines Junction) on 9 July 1856; the SW&WJR was worked by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR), and they were authorised to run over the SER into Reading. This gave Wokingham a direct route into London Waterloo.
The electric service from Waterloo to Reading was introduced on 1 January 1939, being an extension of the existing electrified network from Virginia Water.
The current signal box, opened in 1933, is responsible for a section of the North Downs Line and a portion of the Waterloo route, as well as the level crossing. Wokingham's station building was replaced in 1973 by a featureless structure built in prefabricated concrete (CLASP). The platforms were extended slightly in 1987 to accommodate eight-car Waterloo trains. Platform 2 (Reading bound) has recently undergone a further extension to accommodate longer trains and the addition of a signal at the London end. This is for reversing trains in times of disruption and during the Reading station upgrade.
Read more about this topic: Wokingham Railway Station
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