Marchwood station welcomes first passengers for 54 years

Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said the line had a "very strong case" to be revived

A railway station has welcomed its first passengers for 54 years amid plans to reopen the line to commuters.

The South Western Railway (SWR) service called at Marchwood, Hampshire, part of the Waterside line which closed to regular passengers in 1966.

Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris, who was on board, said the line had a "very strong case" to be revived.

Hampshire County Council is due to complete a business case for the project by November.

Marchwood station was last used by passenger trains in 1966

In 2014 the council shelved the idea of reviving the line due to cost concerns.

Network Rail said the scheme had been recently boosted by plans for large housing developments at Fawley as well as increasing traffic congestion.

Chairman Sir Peter Hendy, who boarded the train, said: "The road system is quite crowded... so you couldn't ask for a better case. The railway's already here."

A hand-operated level crossing at Marchwood would need to be replaced

SWR said it ran the special "fact-finding train" to demonstrate the branch line's potential.

Managing director Mark Hopwood said the line could be reopened within four years if the government supported it.

The minister, Mr Heaton-Harris, said: "We've just proved that a train can run down it. It's got an existing track - very strong case - that makes it actually much cheaper to deliver."

The Three Rivers Rail Partnership, which has led efforts to revive the line, said necessary upgrades could cost £45m, including new level crossings and signals and a new terminus station at Fawley.

The six-mile (10km) branch line originally opened on the edge of the New Forest in 1925.

It was last used by Fawley oil refinery in 2017 and carries occasional freight to and from Marchwood Military Port.

In June, Hampshire County Council won government funding to develop the business case for the scheme.