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Farnham railway station

Coordinates: 51°12′43″N 0°47′31″W / 51.212°N 0.792°W / 51.212; -0.792
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Farnham
National Rail
General information
LocationFarnham, Waverley
England
Grid referenceSU844465
Managed bySouth Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeFNH
ClassificationDfT category C2
History
Opened8 October 1849
Passengers
2019/20Decrease 1.548 million
 Interchange Increase 25,340
2020/21Decrease 0.274 million
 Interchange Decrease 6,252
2021/22Increase 0.931 million
 Interchange Increase 16,977
2022/23Increase 1.203 million
 Interchange Increase 21,176
2023/24Increase 1.377 million
 Interchange Increase 24,565
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Farnham railway station serves the town of Farnham in Surrey, England. It is a stop on the Alton line, with services between Alton, Aldershot, Woking, Clapham Junction and London Waterloo; two branch lines also provide services to Ascot and Guildford. South Western Railway manages the station and operates all services. Immediately to the north of the station, the railway crosses Station Hill, the B3001, via a level crossing,[1] one of the most misused crossings in the Network Rail Wessex Region.[2]

History

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A 1912 Railway Clearing House map of lines around Farnham station

The station was opened on 8 October 1849, on a route from Guildford via Ash Green Halt and Tongham.[3] The line from Aldershot station opened in 1870 and was electrified on 4 July 1937. Passenger services via Ash Green Halt and Tongham ceased on the same date.

Facilities

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There is a buffet in the booking hall, a ticket office, ticket machines and spaces for 134 bicycles. The station car park has 558 spaces;[4]it was expanded with the addition of a dual-level car park facility, including better lighting, security cameras and improved entrance.[5]

Services

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All services at Farnham are operated by South Western Railway using Class 450 electric multiple units.

The typical off-peak service in trains per hour is:[6]

The station is also served by two early morning services to London Waterloo that run via Ascot and Staines instead of Woking.

On Sundays, the service to Guildford do not run and the services between London Waterloo and Alton are reduced to hourly.

Preceding station National Rail National Rail Following station
Aldershot   South Western Railway
  Bentley
or Alton
  South Western Railway
Farnham to Guildford
  Terminus
  Former services  
Tongham   British Railways
Southern Region

Tongham Railway
  Terminus

Connections

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Stagecoach South bus routes 4, 5, 17, 18, 19 and 46 link the station with Aldershot, Guildford and surrounding villages.[7]

In literature

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Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson travelled by train to Farnham in The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist.[1] Holmes said, "A beautiful neighbourhood and full of the most interesting associations. You remember, Watson, that it was near there that we took Archie Stamford, the forger." Watson recounted, "We had ascertained from the lady that she went down upon the Monday by the train which leaves Waterloo at 9.50, so I started early and caught the 9:13." He did this on Monday 25 April 1895.

Sherlock Holmes, as a young boy, also lived in the Farnham area with his aunt and uncle in Andrew Lane's Young Sherlock Holmes series of books. The station features prominently as Holmes, his friend, and his tutor often travel by train to London Waterloo when they are going to visit Holmes' brother Mycroft.

References

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  1. ^ a b Roberts, Stephen; Pritchard, Robert (January 2014). "The Alton Branch". Today's Railways UK. No. 145. pp. 42–45.
  2. ^ White, Marcus (15 July 2024). "Near misses and risk-taking filmed at crossings". BBC News. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  3. ^ "Basingstoke Railway History in Maps". Christopher Tolley. 2001. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Farnham (FNH) station information". National Rail. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  5. ^ Neal, Charlotte (2 November 2016). "Commuters may find it easier to park at revamped Farnham station". Surrey Live. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Timetables". South Western Railway. 15 December 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  7. ^ "Farnham bus services". Bus Times. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
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51°12′43″N 0°47′31″W / 51.212°N 0.792°W / 51.212; -0.792