Royal Victoria Hospital Railway and Station - it was the last journey for many.......

The new train line from Netley station to the hospital was opened on the 18th April 1900. It enabled the wounded soldiers to be taken from the ships in Southampton docks to the hospital quicker and with less stress than before when they were taken by horses and had to travel on unmade roads to the hospital.

The photo above shows Netley station building on the left hand side. There are four tracks, the one on the far left was a line to dump (see diagram above) next was the line to Netley Hospital and the other tracks went to Fareham and Portsmouth. Photo taken in 1957.

This is a view taken from the footbridge today, April 2021. The houses are where the Netley Hospital line used to be.

When you leave Netley station turn left. At the bottom of the road is a footpath which is on the plan above. The Netley Hospital line ran next to it.

This area is now an industrial estate known as the Sidings.

At the end of the footpath there are still some rail tracks visible in the path.

Just here there was a railway crossing which was opened when the trains came through to the hospital.

The train line goes across the road...

and comes out in what is now the Orchard. It continues straight on down through into the RVH country park.

The track would have carried on down to the back of what is now the public toilets. The metal track is still there in the flower bed.

The Empire Room and toilets are fenced off due to some building works at the moment 2021.

From there, it followed the path down to the Chapel where the patients were taken from the train into the hospital.

Here is a view looking back up the track.

Information was taken from this book Netley Hospital and it's Railways

                                                 by J.R. Fairman.