The Meon Valley Railway Opens

1903

The Meon Valley Railway opened in 1903, connecting Alton to Fareham via West Meon, Droxford, and Wickham. The line gave the village its first direct railway connection, with a station on the southern edge of the settlement. The railway brought improved access to markets for local farmers and made it easier for residents to travel to Fareham, Alton, and beyond. The line was never heavily used, however, and it was vulnerable to competition from road transport. The railway operated for just over fifty years before closing in 1955, a casualty of the Beeching era.