History of Havant Station, (partially taken from Wikipedia)
This is the third station to be named Havant. The first was built by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) 500m to the east - a small wayside station (called Havant Halt). It was demolished after a serious fire. A newer station was built 200m west to serve the then new London and South Western Railway (LSWR) Portsmouth Direct Line. This station was demolished so that a bigger station could be built 300m further west to serve the new Hayling Island branch line. It had three platforms, one for Hayling Island and two for the stopping main line services. As part of the Waterloo to Portsmouth electrification the station was completely rebuilt in 1938.
The "Battle of Havant" took place between the LBSCR and the LSWR. The two railway companies fought for the right to use LBSCR tracks into Havant so the LSWR could reach Portsmouth. The LBSCR blocked the line just north of the junction, obliging the LSWR to open a temporary halt at Denvilles (as the previous station at Rowlands Castle was thought to be too far away). Passengers would travel from Denvilles in a horse drawn omnibus to Hilsea Halt, just south of the problem area. The passengers could then carry on into Portsmouth by train. After two years the companies came to an agreement and the LSWR were allowed access to the disputed line.
Havant Station was the terminus for the Hayling Island branch service (known as the Hayling Billy) until late in 1963. In the spring of 1966 the Hayling Island tracks were removed. The old route of the branch line is now part of a well-used cycle route which runs from just east of the station to the old terminus at the south of Hayling Island and the space the first part of the line occupied was replaced with a car park.
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