Railway opens at Swanwick

1889

The opening of Swanwick railway station on the Fareham to Eastleigh line brought rail transport to the area immediately south of what is now Whiteley. The station served the small communities of Swanwick and Locks Heath and provided access to Fareham, Southampton and the wider rail network. The railway did not trigger significant development in the Whiteley area itself, which remained farmland, but it established the rail link that modern Whiteley residents would eventually use for commuting. Swanwick station remains the nearest station to Whiteley, approximately 1.3 miles from the town centre.