This one thing ABSOLUTELY changed Southampton

Some stations have been lost such as Northam and the Terminus also the Royal Pier Station and the Flying Boat Terminal.

The development of the steam engine with flanged wheels and wrought iron rails led to the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825.

Shortly afterwards in 1830 the world’s first scheduled steam railway opened between Manchester and Liverpool.

As a consequence of the Napoleonic Wars there was great concern for the safety of shipping in the English Channel and it was thought that it would be safer to transfer goods and documents as well as people overland from Southampton to London.

In February 1831, a meeting was held to explore the feasibility of a railway from Southampton to London and by April, plans were in place to survey and design the route and to develop Southampton Docks.

In July 1834, the construction of the London and Southampton Railway was approved by Parliament.

The railway was completed in stages with the first section from the London Terminal at Nine Elms to Woking and then to Winchfield opening in May 1838.

By May 1839, the line had reached Basingstoke.

The line from Winchester to Northam in Southampton also opened in 1838. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester, which proved the most difficult to construct, opened in 1840 as did the section from Northam to the new Terminus Station.

In 1848, the line finally reached Waterloo.

The train displaced many of the stage coach services with those serving towns not yet reached by the railway the only survivors.

In 1835, The Southampton Dock Company was formed and incorporated by Parliament in 1836.

Progress was rapid and by 1838 the Foundation Stone was laid and in 1843 the Open Dock, which today is the Ocean Village Marina, was opened.

The Closed Dock or Inner Dock opened in 1859 followed by the Empress dock in 1890.

At this time the Union Line, later to merge with the Castle Line, sailed from Southampton to South Africa and Royal Mail ships sailed to South America.

The advantages of sailing from Southampton were quickly realised by Liverpool based transatlantic shipping companies with the American line transferring to Southampton in 1898 soon to be followed by the White Star Line and Cunard which necessitated the construction of the new docks.

The attractions of Southampton were the favourable tide, the proximity of Europe, the efficient and speedy port operation which so impressed visiting business men from Liverpool, but perhaps most of all the excellent rail links to London.

The docks had been purchased by the Railway Company in 1898 and arrangements made for trains from London to come right alongside the quays where the ships were berthed.

This rapid development of the docks and the railway caused people to be concerned that the charm of the town, which had been a popular spa, would be spoiled so the Central Parks were laid out in 1860.

The many people drawn to the town to work on the railways, the ships and in the docks needed housing and this led to the expansion of the town across the Itchen into Woolston and Bitterne.

The town also expanded westward into Millbrook and Shirley.

Between 1840 when the railway was completed and the arrival of the White Star Line in 1911 the population of Southampton increased from around 35,000 to 145,000 people.

This had risen to almost 180,000 by 1931 necessitating the construction of the new Civic Centre.

In 1844 the marshland around the terminus station was drained and sold to build houses for dock and railway workers.

New roads were constructed connecting the town to the Station and the docks with Oxford Street becoming a bustling business centre.

Many new hotels of various classes were built to cater for ships’ passengers.

Finally, we must not forget that the railway enabled county cricket teams to travel the country which led to the introduction and popularity of County Cricket.

Godfrey Collyer is a tour guide with SeeSouthampton.co.uk .