Site of West Marina Station

Image: © Simon Carey Taken: 14 Aug 2007

Originally the site of the terminus of the line from Brighton opened by the LBSCR as Hastings and St Leonards in 1846. When Bo-Peep and Hastings Tunnels and the new stations at St Leonards (Called Gensing until 1870) and Hastings were opened by the SER in 1851 track was built on to Bo-Peep Junction. Consequently, the name changed to St Leonards and again in 1870 to West Marina. As the then eastern most outpost of the LBSCR the station had extensive goods yards, turntables and engine sheds which only lost their importance when the line was electrified in 1935 (See http://www.hastingschoice.co.uk/HASTINGS-PHOTOS/railways/html/bo-peep-1.htm for a 1957 view). The yards themselves went in the 1950s and were replaced by a train wash in 1958 which still operates today and is on the right of the picture. The station itself went in 1967 deemed to being too close to West St Leonards, however, the outline of the station platforms can still be seen in this view where the greenery next to the train washing facility is. The warehouses of MFI and Carpet Warehouse to the left mark the point of the original station entrance and the site of the goods yard. This view was taken from St Vincents Road bridge.

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