how long did it take by train Birmingham to Portsmouth in 1945....changed posting. Also how long would it take by car from Birmingham to Portsmouth

[humbleseeker]

I live in Reading (though not in 1944 when I would have been 1 ). The line from the midlands comes down through Oxford and trains then usually bypass Didcot on a curve to the east of the station. On occasion they can go via the station, though usually only local trains. It is Newbury then a straight line to Paddington . For Southampton, Portsmouth the trains usually go to Reading. However the line to those two is to the west of Reading, so involves a reversal. On occasion (ie when line to Paddington is closed) trains go straight down the line to the west of Reading, ignoring the station. I would suggets that this probably also happened on the 1950 timetable earlier posted , when Reading is not listed as a station. In 1944 there was still a line which left the main Paddington-Bristol line to the east of Didcot and on which a train to Southampton/Portsmouth could travel via the Didcot, Newbury & Southampton Railway, but now realise that passenger traffic on the line was stopped 1942-45 giving priority to freight, and thus this would not have been available in 1944

Great information thank you.

 

[humbleseeker]

In the late 1950s- not much different from 1944 as there were still no motorways - a friend and I regularly did Birmingham to Ferndown, not much different to Birmingham to Portsmouth, late at night in a Jaguar in two and a half hours. The same trip in your average saloon car was closer to 4 hours during the daytime.

Some years later, when the A34 was a dual carriageway and I could pickup the M40, I could do it in just over two and a half hours in the daytime in my Audi 200. I doubt if that would be possible now with the much heavier traffic and speed restrictions all over the place, not to mention roadworks!

Maurice

Thank you very much indeed.

 

[mikejee]

Bob
The route via Newbury was closed to normal passenger traffic in the early 1960s, though occasionally diversions of trains went on sporadically (the Pines Extress used it in May 1964 after a derailment on its normal route) and the last through train was on 9th august 1964, with theline being completely closed in 1966, with track lifted in 1967

 

[humbleseeker]

Many thanks for your reply.

 

[Bob Davis]

Bob
The route via Newbury was closed to normal passenger traffic in the early 1960s, though occasionally diversions of trains went on sporadically (the Pines Extress used it in May 1964 after a derailment on its normal route) and the last through train was on 9th august 1964, with theline being completely closed in 1966, with track lifted in 1967

Mike
Very many thanks
Bob