The Lee-on-the-Solent Line was a three mile long railway in Hampshire, England; it was built by the Lee-on-the-Solent Railway company, promoted in association with a landowner's wish to develop a new seaside resort on his land. It ran from Lee-on-the-Solent to a station at Brockhurst (Fort Brockhurst) on the Gosport line of the London and South Western Railway, but there was no through running. The company tried to operate with extremely low operating costs and ran into conflict with the operational requirements of the Board of Trade. It opened its line in 1894, but was not commercially successful, and after some military usage before 1918, patronage declined as road passenger services increased in reliability. The line closed to passengers in 1931 and completely in 1935. History Lee-on-the-Solent Lee-on-the-Solent lies on the coast about four miles west of Gosport. In the middle decades of the nineteenth century it was undeveloped, but the area was owned by Sir John C Robinson. He saw the potential of developing the locality into a high class "watering place" similar to Bournemouth. With the help of one of his sons, he constructed Marine Parade, a broad thoroughfare more than a mile in length, together with an esplanade along the sea front. In addition he started the development of a new housing scheme. A pier was essential to a seaside resort, he believed, and using his own money, he provided one, which opened in 1888. A steamer service made calls there in the summer months. Lee-on-the-Solent Railway Company A railway connection too was believed to be essential and the Lee-on-the-Solent Railway Company was established. The engineer R H Tigg estimated the expense of the enterprise as £22,052. The Company obtained a Board of Trade Certificate to construct and operate the line on 5 July 1890. The Lee-on-the-Solent Light Railway was incorporated under the provisions of the Railway Construction Facilities Act of 1864 as a light railway. The Act enabled the construction of a railway without a special Act if landowners assented (among other conditions), and it appears that Robinson owned the relevant lands. The mile line was to make a junction with the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) at Brockhurst, on the Gosport line. Board meetings appear to have been poorly focussed on the business of constructing an operational railway, and there may have been financial impropriety by directors. By early 1892 little construction work had