colour light signalling since the mid-1960s. The 1966 panel box (which controlled the main line from west of Woking through to and along with part of the line to Reading) was located on the north side of the line to the east of the station, but this was superseded by a new facility in 2007 when the area was resignalled. It was announced in 2013 that a new Network Rail signalling operating centre would be built in Basingstoke; the contract was for £30 million. Twelve such regional control centres were to be built in the following 15 to 30 years, which will be responsible for all the signalling in the Wessex & South West England area (right through from London Waterloo to , Portsmouth Harbour and Exeter). Several routes have had their signal control moved to Basingstoke, including the West of England main line to Exmouth Jn in 2012 and the Poole - - section of the line to Weymouth in 2015. Incidents On 19 December 2008 an over-height container on a freight train struck and damaged of the canopy of platform 1. The train was stopped before it reached the tunnels north of . Motive Power Depots The London and South Western Railway opened a locomotive shed on the south side of the main line, to the west of the station in 1839. This was closed in 1909 to make way for station enlargement. It was replaced by a larger structure on the north side of the line. This was closed by British Railways in March 1963, but remained in use as a servicing point until the end of steam in July 1967. It was demolished in 1969. The Berks and Hants Railway opened a small shed to the east of the station on the north side of the line in 1850. This was closed by British Railways in November 1950, and demolished to make way for sidings. Services Services at Basingstoke are operated by South Western Railway, Great Western Railway and CrossCountry. The off-peak service at the station in trains per hour is: South Western Railway 7 tph to London Waterloo 2 tph to of which 1 continues to 1 tph to (stopping) 1 tph to 1 tph to via Great Western Railway 2 tph to CrossCountry 1 tp2h to 1 tp2h to via References External links Basingstoke’s railway history in maps Railway Railway stations in Hampshire DfT