Trains have come and gone since the late 1800s – but one signal box in Haslemere has stood the test of time. Still used to direct dozens of trains a day, the platform-level signal box has been a staple of the station since it was first built in 1895.

But, with the Portsmouth Direct Line transitioning to a digital system later this year, the beloved signal box will be decommissioned after 130 years of service. But the Haslemere Community Station and Signal Box Trust (HSBT) isn’t letting it fade into history.

Now a registered charity, the Trust has officially rebranded and is pushing ahead with ambitious plans to preserve this Victorian landmark as part of its mission to celebrate and safeguard the town’s railway heritage.

The Trust is in talks with Network Rail to transform the area surrounding the signal box into a memorial garden dedicated to Southern Railway workers who lost their lives in WWII. With the support of South Western Railway’s small grant scheme, three large posters are now displayed at Haslemere Station, promoting the Trust's mission to preserve this piece of local history.

But the vision doesn’t stop there. Discussions with South Western Railway are underway to convert the offices above the booking hall into an exhibition space filled with railway memorabilia and a working model of Haslemere Station from the 1930s. With the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway in 2025, this project couldn’t be more timely, and Haslemere is set to be a key part of the national celebrations.

The signal box at Haslemere Station
The signal box at Haslemere Station (Clive G)

Excitingly, the Trust has also connected with the RMT trade union, which represents railway signallers, to secure support for the memorial garden and gain expert knowledge of the remaining signal boxes on the Portsmouth Direct Line. Meanwhile, volunteers are stepping up to ensure the site is preserved for future generations.

The BBC spoke with current and former signallers from the Haslemere Signal Box for its Life in Surrey programme. The box is staffed around the clock, and Gary Pannell and his team are responsible for pulling the levers through long days and lonely nights.

He told the BBC: "There's a responsibility and a duty. These levers have seen so much change, yet the main function is essentially the same. It can be lonely, but in a way, in the early morning, you almost exclusively have this world to yourself, and everyone else is in bed."

Mr Pannell added: "It is a great shame; it's the end of an era. Unfortunately, I've seen other signal boxes go as well. It will be different from this, but essentially the same principle. I just accept that it's the way it is, but I'm grateful I had the chance to work there."

But it’s not a forever goodbye. The team of volunteers – including those same signallers – will offer their expertise as guides when the Trust reopens the site as a working museum.

For those eager to get involved, the Trust is calling for more volunteers at the Information Hub, open Wednesdays to Saturdays. While the signal box may be closing its operational doors, it’s not going anywhere.