Editing Portsmouth (section)

=== Railways ===
{{Portsmouth lines}}

Portsmouth has four railway stations on Portsea Island: {{rws|Hilsea}}, {{rws|Fratton}}, {{rws|Portsmouth & Southsea}}<ref>{{cite web |title=National Rail Enquiries&nbsp;–Station facilities for Portsmouth & Southsea |url=http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/PMS/details.html |publisher=National Rail |access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref> and {{rws|Portsmouth Harbour}},<ref>{{cite web |title=Station facilities for Portsmouth Harbour |url=http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/PMH/details.html |publisher=National Rail |access-date=29 September 2016}}</ref> with a fifth station at {{rws|Cosham}} in the northern mainland suburb of [[Cosham|Cosham, Portsmouth]]. Portsmouth previously had additional stations at [[East Southsea railway station|Southsea]], [[Farlington Halt railway station|Farlington]] and [[Paulsgrove Halt railway station|Paulsgrove]], but these were closed at various periods of the twentieth century.

The city of Portsmouth is on two direct [[South Western Railway (train operating company)|South Western Railway]] routes to {{rws|London Waterloo}}, via {{rws|Guildford}} and via {{rws|Basingstoke}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Rail Enquiries – Station facilities for Portsmouth |url=http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/pms/details.html |publisher=National Rail |access-date=3 August 2016}}</ref> There is a South Western Railway stopping service to {{rws|Southampton Central}} and [[Great Western Railway (train operating company)|Great Western Railway]] service to {{rws|Cardiff Central}} via Southampton, {{rws|Salisbury}}, {{rws|Bath Spa}} and [[Bristol Temple Meads railway station|Bristol]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Portsmouth – South West Trains |url=https://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/offers--days-out/destination-guides/portsmouth/ |publisher=South West Trains |access-date=3 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818163246/https://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/offers--days-out/destination-guides/portsmouth/ |archive-date=18 August 2016 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> [[Southern (train operating company)|Southern]] has service to {{rws|Brighton}}, {{rws|Gatwick Airport}}, [[East Croydon railway station|Croydon]] and {{rws|London Victoria}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Trains to Portsmouth: Southern |url=http://www.southernrailway.com/destinations/destinations/trains-to-portsmouth/ |publisher=Southern Railway |access-date=3 August 2016 |archive-date=2 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160802195734/http://www.southernrailway.com/destinations/destinations/trains-to-portsmouth |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====Closed stations====
Southsea once had its own branch line, the [[Southsea Railway]], which opened in 1885 between [[East Southsea railway station|Southsea railway station]] and Fratton; it was closed in 1914 due to competition from tram services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local/soutrail.htm|title=Southsea Railway, Fratton|website=www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk}}</ref>

[[Farlington Halt railway station]] was built to serve Portsmouth Park [[Horseracing in the United Kingdom|racecourse]], opening as Farlington Race Course on 26 June 1891.<ref name="Butt">{{Cite book|last1=Butt|first1=R.V.J.|title=The Directory of Railway Stations | year = 1995 | publisher = Patrick Stephens Ltd | location = Sparkford, Somerset | isbn = 978-1-85260-508-7 | page = 94}}</ref> The racecourse was closed during [[World War I|World War One]], but the station was retained to serve the ammunition dump put in its place.<ref>{{cite web |title=Railways in Portsmouth |url=http://www.starzina.com/Starzina%20Z%20Railways%20Portsmouth.htm |website=Starzina |access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref> The station closed in 1917.<ref name="Butt"/> Re-opened in 1922 until 1927.<ref name="Butt"/> Under the [[Southern Railway (UK)|Southern Railway]], it re-opened as a general public [[railway halt|halt]] in 1928 named ''Farlington Halt'';<ref name="Butt"/> however, this was short-lived as the station closed due to insufficient customers on 4 July 1937.<ref name="Butt"/>

[[Paulsgrove Halt railway station]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stauntoninfo.co.uk/7862.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val* |title=Details of opening |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-date=4 June 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040604135936/http://www.stauntoninfo.co.uk/7862.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val* |url-status=usurped }}</ref> was a railway station opened in 1928 to serve the adjacent Portsmouth [[Racecourse]], a pony racing stronghold.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pony_racing/portsmth.htm |title=Pony racing links |access-date=23 August 2022 |archive-date=9 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109123354/http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pony_racing/portsmth.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The station was formerly located between Cosham and Portchester stations. Paulsgrove Halt was closed along with the racecourse when the land was acquired by the military in 1939, at the outbreak of [[World War II]].