History of Brading Station

Brading Station was built in 1864, the same time that the railway line was opened from Ryde St. John’s to Shanklin, two years later it finally opened to Ventnor. There was also a branch from Brading to Brading Quay, later extended to St Helens in 1878 and Bembridge in 1882.

The main line itself was threatened with closure in 1963, being reprieved with economies including using ex-tube trains in 1967. The station building was declared redundant for railway use and was threatened with demolition, but in 1989 following concerted effort by Brading Town Trust and Town Council the Station complex was protected by being given Grade II listing, and re-opened to the public in 2005. Brading remains an active railway station with a service of two trains an hour between Shanklin and Ryde Pier Head.

The signal box was opened in 1882, the same year that the branch line to Bembridge was opened. It now looks too far from the platform but the intervening space was once used for the branch train to Bembridge.

The line was originally a single track between Brading and Sandown. This was widened to a double track in 1927, with the electric staff instruments for this section replaced by three-position block instruments.

All the train movements were controlled from the signal box where 30 levers set the signals and switched the trackwork. Each time a train was sent off or received there were signals to be set and points to be switched. As there could be ten trains daily in each direction on the main line and eleven trains arriving from Bembridge life was very busy for the Brading signalman.

The Bembridge branch closed to passenger traffic in 1953 and to all traffic in 1957.

Following the end of steam on the Island in 1966, Brading signal box continued to signal the electric trains right up till 1988, when the down line was removed, and full control of the Ryde – Shanklin line was passed to Ryde St John’s Road box

The railway itself changed again in 2021: the Island Line upgrade reinstated the passing loop at Brading and returned a second platform to service. For the first time in 33 years trains could once again cross at the station.

Engines

Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T

LB&SCR A1/A1X "Terrier" 0-6-0 London, Brighton and South Coast Railway

LSWR O2 Class 0-4-4 London and South Western Railway

Other

LCDR London, Chatham and Dover Railway (e.g. IWSR push-pull set)

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