History
The branch was opened by the Newport, Godshill & St Lawrence Railway between Merstone and St. Lawrence on 20 July 1897. From the day of opening, the branch was operated by the Isle of Wight Central Railway. A temporary terminus was provided at St. Lawrence until the extension was opened to Ventnor Town on 1 June 1900. The terminus was renamed Ventnor West by the Southern Railway.
In the days prior to the Grouping of the railways in 1923, the line struggled to make financial ends meet. However, after 1923 the services did improve and some of the increasing competition from road transport was lessened. An extensive programme of modernisation was undertaken by the Southern Railway, albeit with secondhand equipment from the mainland. Some economies were made on the branch by the Southern Railway, most notably the removal of the passing loop and signal box at Whitwell in 1928. The footbridge at Dean level crossing on the outskirts of Whitwell was also removed around this time. The footbridge was re-erected at Wroxall.
Nationalisation in 1948 brought the British Railways emblem to the locomotives but few other significant operational changes. The passenger numbers remained low and the branch continued to lose revenue to more convenient bus services. It was no surprise when closure was announced for 15 September 1952. The branch was visited by a large number of enthusiasts in its final months.
Today all the station buildings are in residential use.
Read more about this topic: Ventnor West Branch
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