South West Trains diesel unit arrives at Corfe Castle from Swanage on the preserved/heritage Swanage line. UK Railtours trip from Waterloo-Swanage on 29 June 2013. First modern main line train (non heritage) to run on the branch. The Swanage Railway is a 6-mile (9.7 km) long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway line follows the route of the old Purbeck branch line from Norden, via Corfe Castle, Harman's Cross and Herston Halt to Swanage. The line was re−connected to the mainline at Wareham, Dorset, along a stretch of the branch line that had previously only remained open to freight traffic until 2005. Trains operate on the Swanage Railway between Swanage and Norden Park & Ride every weekend and Bank Holiday from mid-February to the end of the year, and every day of the week from April to October; with Santa Special services in December. The link between the Swanage Railway and the main line at Wareham has been used for materials deliveries, special excursions, locomotive and stock movements only— work is continuing to provide the infrastructure necessary to enable regular services via Wareham to be implemented. In April 2009 the line reopened to its first through traffic from London with occasional special services.

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