The Swanage Railway follows the route of the former
London and South Western Railway line from
Wareham to Swanage, a line that opened in 1885 and was finally closed by
British Rail in 1972. From the time of closure, a strong campaign to reopen the railway as a
steam locomotive operated
heritage railway developed, and the Swanage Railway began operating a steam service at the Swanage end of the line in 1982. The original line did not have a station at Harman's Cross, and the current station was opened in March 1989 by the Swanage Railway as a temporary terminus for the line. Following the extension of the line to Corfe Castle and Norden in 1995, a new signal box and passing loop were constructed in 1997, and this has made Harman's Cross the main crossing point for trains between Swanage and Norden. ==Services==