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Location notes
A footpath crossing, off a quite lane, west of Redbridge on the outskirts of Southampton, on the Southampton - Romsey line.
Railway type and traffic
Normally the only trains running here are the hourly FGW Portsmouth - Cardiff services (158s/150s) and Cardiff/Bristol/Westbury - Southampton trains (150s/153s) which have no regular pattern!
The Chichester - Merehead empty stone (runs as required) which goes north mid-morning is the only booked freight this way!
But this spot is good for when part of the Didcot - Reading - Basingstoke - Eastleigh - Southampton route is closed for engineering works etc, and trains from the North are diverted via Swindon, Westbury and Salisbury.
The Chichester - Merehead empty stone (runs as required) which goes north mid-morning is the only booked freight this way!
But this spot is good for when part of the Didcot - Reading - Basingstoke - Eastleigh - Southampton route is closed for engineering works etc, and trains from the North are diverted via Swindon, Westbury and Salisbury.
Environment
A little used footpath crossing on the outskirts of Southampton, there is a small housing estate and a Newspaper Factory and Offices to the east and the Test Valley Nature Reserve to the west.
Road directions
Turn off the M27 at Junction 3 onto the M271, follow it untill it ends at the roundabout with the A35. Take the second to last exit, Glover Road, towards Redbridge. Drive through the small housing estate, when you reach the 'T' Junction turn right and follow the railway line along the road, the crossing is opposite the entrance to the Daily Echo Newspaper Factory and Offices.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Redbridge, Test Lane map co-ordinates
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Redbridge, Test Lane map co-ordinates
Parking
You can pull in off the road opposite the footpath crossing.
Public transport
The location is about 1 mile from Redbridge station. Redbridge is served by the hourly Romsey - Totton service (trains from Totton/to Southampton at xx03 and from Southampton/to Totton at xx41).
Exit the station on the north side and follow station road until it meets Old Redbridge Road, turn left here and follow the road along, you will pass under the A35 and the railway will be on your left. You are now on Test Lane, follow the railway line until you come to the Daily Echo Factory and Offices the crossing is on your left.
There are Solent Blue Line and First Southampton buses from the city centre to Redbridge/Totton and Nursling (to the north of the location)
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Exit the station on the north side and follow station road until it meets Old Redbridge Road, turn left here and follow the road along, you will pass under the A35 and the railway will be on your left. You are now on Test Lane, follow the railway line until you come to the Daily Echo Factory and Offices the crossing is on your left.
There are Solent Blue Line and First Southampton buses from the city centre to Redbridge/Totton and Nursling (to the north of the location)
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
No amenities in the area directly, but if you walk back towards Redbridge there is a pub, and obviously the City of Southampton is a short train journey/drive away.
Accommodation
Pleny of accomodation in Southampton, including a Holiday Inn.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Redbridge, Test Lane
Streetmap links
Redbridge, Test Lane general view map
Redbridge, Test Lane close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Redbridge, Test Lane
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Redbridge, Test Lane
Googly map
Redbridge, Test Lane general view map
Redbridge, Test Lane close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Redbridge, Test Lane
Who likes this location on facebook
Railway Gen Group
Photographic notes
The line here is almost north / south but just to the north of the crossing the line takes a sharp left hand bend. The shot from the east side of the line is best, due to the curvature of the line. Northbound trains are best photographed in the morning and Southbound in the afternoon - a good zoom lens is required for this shot - the curvature of the line means that you can be 'wrong side' but with the train in sun.
You could get some nice videos at this location, although the occasional car on the road, which may get fairly busy on a weekday, could spoil it!
*Please ensure you stay on the non-railway side of the gates to photograph*
You could get some nice videos at this location, although the occasional car on the road, which may get fairly busy on a weekday, could spoil it!
*Please ensure you stay on the non-railway side of the gates to photograph*
General views - All photographs © Kevin Lee unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking north
Fig 2 - Looking south
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
