Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)

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Introduction

This line runs from Swindon through Kemble to Gloucester and Cheltenham. A branch ran to Cirencester. Portions are closed with the directly parallel Midland Railway sections remaining open.






Dates

31/05/1841Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)
Swindon to Kemble to Cirencester Town opened. Stations on this section at: Purton, Minety and Ashton Keynes, Oaksey Halt, Kemble and Cirencester Town.
12/05/1845Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)
Kemble to Gloucester (Standish Junction) opened. Stations on this section at: Tetbury Road, Brimscombe, Stroud and Stonehouse [Gloucestershire]. Standish Junction to Gloucester was owned by the Midland Railway.
23/10/1847Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)
Broad Gauge line from Gloucester, Tramway Junction, to Cheltenham, Lansdown Junction, opened. Stations on this section at: Churchdown and Cheltenham. Gloucester to Cheltenham owned by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway later owned by the Midland Railway.
23/10/1847Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)
Cheltenham, Lansdown Junction, to Cheltenham St James station opened.
23/10/1847Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)
Gloucester Avoiding Line (Millstream Junction to Barnwood Junction) opened.
23/10/1947Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway)
Gloucester T Line (Tramway Junction - Gloucester T Station) opened.

Portions of line and locations

This line is divided into a number of portions.


Swindon to Standish Junction




Swindon

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See also
Great Western Railway
59005 slowly passing through Swindon on 24 May 2023. This is a Merehead Quarries to Royal Wootton Bassett stone train. It parks up in the eastern ...
Peter Todd 24/05/2023

...
Peter Todd 22/04/2023
Freightliner 66957, eastbound through Swindon, with a Wentloog to Felixstowe intermodal service, reporting number 451E, on 22nd March 2021.
...
Peter Todd 22/03/2021
The old 1904 Great Western Railway Reading Library in Swindon in 2022. Many artefacts relating to the GWR are slowly vanishing from Swindon.
...
Peter Todd 05/04/2022
4 of 81 images. more





Purton

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During 1985, BR ran a series of Specials from Gloucester and Swindon to celebrate the 150 years of the GWR. BR Standard Class 4MT 4-6-0 75069 is ...
Peter Todd 21/08/1985
Due to work in the Severn Tunnel during 2018 a lot of traffic is currently heading into Wales via the Swindon to Gloucester line and then down to ...
Peter Todd 05/07/2018
Britain's longest train journey, the 0628hrs Penzance to Aberdeen, is even longer whilst the Temple Meads to Parkway blockade is on and Cross Country ...
Peter Todd 14/11/2018
Taken on the south side of Purton on the GWR Gloucester to Swindon line, a northbound HST 125, 43186 heading for Cheltenham Spa. See them whilst you ...
Peter Todd 25/08/2018
4 of 24 images. more





Minety and Ashton Keynes

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A GWR 150 steam special in 1985. BR ran a series of these from Gloucester and Swindon. It was just a pity they chose to close Swindon Works at the ...
Peter Todd 25/08/1985
DMU L430, northbound through the disused Minety and Ashton Keynes station on the Swindon to Gloucester line on 23rd February 1984. The station had ...
Peter Todd 23/02/1984
2 of 2 images.





Oaksey Halt

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45596 'Bahamas', southbound to the south of Kemble station on the Gloucester to Swindon line, approaching the site of the long gone Oaksey Halt with a ...
Peter Todd 27/08/2022
A First Great Western HST northbound through the disused Oaksey station (closed 1964) on the Swindon - Gloucester line in June 2010. It is hoped this ...
Peter Todd 03/06/2010
Black 5 no 44932 southbound at Oaksey (closed 1964) on 12 August 2010 with The Cathedrals Express on its way back from Gloucester to London ...
Peter Todd 12/08/2010
The view south towards Swindon over the redoubling works at Oaksey on 7 September see image 44507. ...
Peter Todd 07/09/2013
4 of 6 images. more





Kemble Tunnel

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Kemble

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See also
Tetbury Branch (Great Western Railway)
The 18.48 to Swindon had plenty of passengers waiting to board at Kemble; as did the previous train to Gloucester, so there was much activity in the ...
Ken Strachan 22/01/2023
GWR 6024 'King Edward I' stopped at Kemble waiting for a northbound HST to clear the single line section. This was in the days before the Swindon to ...
Peter Todd 31/01/1994
Another shot see image 47092 of the Cirencester branch approaching Kemble in July 2018. Not the easiest old trackbed to access, but pleasant once ...
Ken Strachan 31/07/2018
Swindon Class 120 DMU set C502 pulls away from Kemble with a Gloucester - Swindon working in October 1979. The track on the right was the remains of ...
John Clark /10/1979
4 of 27 images. more





Tetbury Road

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Sapperton Tunnel

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Chalford

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St Mary's Crossing Halt

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Brimscombe

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Brimscombe Bridge Halt

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Ham Mill Halt

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Bowbridge Crossing Halt

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Stroud

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What a lovely station! I must go there when a train is due. (I tried, but my satnav was ridiculously optimistic about the journey time.) View looks ...
Ken Strachan 31/08/2022
A westbound class 50-hauled train calls at Stroud in 1984.
...
Bill Roberton //1984
The former goods shed at Stroud in 1984.
...
Bill Roberton //1984
3 of 3 images.





Downfield Crossing Halt

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Cashes Green Halt

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Ebley Crossing Halt

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Stonehouse [Gloucestershire]

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Standish Junction

More details

See also
Gloucester and Stonehouse Junction Railway
Northern 142045 heads south at Standish Jct with fellow classmate 142030 in tow on a 5J02 Lancaster to Newton Heath movement. Earlier there had been a ...
John McIntyre 20/10/2018
Freightliner 90041 & 90046 approach Standish Jct while working the 4S44 Daventry to Coatbridge intermodal service on 20 October 2018. The train was ...
John McIntyre 20/10/2018
A southbound Pendolino has just passed the site of Standish Junction (Lancashire) as it heads towards Wigan on 3 October. The bridge under the front ...
John McIntyre 03/10/2013
Immediately south of Standish station was Standish Junction, where the Whelley Loop left the WCML and ran to the east of Wigan. In this picture ...
John McIntyre 15/01/2012
4 of 5 images. more





Standish Junction to Gloucester




Standish Junction

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See also
Gloucester and Stonehouse Junction Railway
Northern 142045 heads south at Standish Jct with fellow classmate 142030 in tow on a 5J02 Lancaster to Newton Heath movement. Earlier there had been a ...
John McIntyre 20/10/2018
Freightliner 90041 & 90046 approach Standish Jct while working the 4S44 Daventry to Coatbridge intermodal service on 20 October 2018. The train was ...
John McIntyre 20/10/2018
A southbound Pendolino has just passed the site of Standish Junction (Lancashire) as it heads towards Wigan on 3 October. The bridge under the front ...
John McIntyre 03/10/2013
Immediately south of Standish station was Standish Junction, where the Whelley Loop left the WCML and ran to the east of Wigan. In this picture ...
John McIntyre 15/01/2012
4 of 5 images. more





Haresfield (GWR)

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Gloucester Yard Junction

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Horton Road Junction (Tramway Junction)

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See also
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway





Gloucester

More details

See also
Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway
The 12.41 to Westbury (see also image 73340) gathers passengers at Gloucester in February 2022. We got off at Bath. ...
Ken Strachan 26/02/2022
Railway Touring Company excursion from London Victoria to Cardiff Central, behind 6233 'Duchess of Sutherland', calling at Gloucester to set down ...
David Bosher 22/11/2022
After dark at Gloucester, with 'Duchess of Sutherland' taking on water during its return journey from Cardiff Central to London Victoria, on a Railway ...
David Bosher 22/11/2022
The squeaky clean 802 on the left is a service for Cheltenham, about to reverse in Gloucester's platform 3. The 166 on the right is about to leave ...
Ken Strachan 26/02/2022
4 of 9 images. more





Cirencester Branch




Kemble

More details

See also
Tetbury Branch (Great Western Railway)
The 18.48 to Swindon had plenty of passengers waiting to board at Kemble; as did the previous train to Gloucester, so there was much activity in the ...
Ken Strachan 22/01/2023
GWR 6024 'King Edward I' stopped at Kemble waiting for a northbound HST to clear the single line section. This was in the days before the Swindon to ...
Peter Todd 31/01/1994
Another shot see image 47092 of the Cirencester branch approaching Kemble in July 2018. Not the easiest old trackbed to access, but pleasant once ...
Ken Strachan 31/07/2018
Swindon Class 120 DMU set C502 pulls away from Kemble with a Gloucester - Swindon working in October 1979. The track on the right was the remains of ...
John Clark /10/1979
4 of 27 images. more





Park Leaze Halt

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Chesterton Lane Halt

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Cirencester Town

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The 1956 extension to the left is not nearly as classy as the original 1841 building. This is probably not why the branch closed just eight years ...
Ken Strachan 16/08/2015
This station was the terminus of the branch from Kemble, now abbreviated to an engineer's siding see image 32102. It is cunningly concealed in the ...
Ken Strachan 16/08/2015
2 of 2 images.





Gloucester T station and bypass




Gloucester Yard Junction

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Gloucester T Station

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Burnwood Junction

More details

See also
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway





Gloucester to Cheltenham




Gloucester

More details

See also
Gloucester and Dean Forest Railway
The 12.41 to Westbury (see also image 73340) gathers passengers at Gloucester in February 2022. We got off at Bath. ...
Ken Strachan 26/02/2022
Railway Touring Company excursion from London Victoria to Cardiff Central, behind 6233 'Duchess of Sutherland', calling at Gloucester to set down ...
David Bosher 22/11/2022
After dark at Gloucester, with 'Duchess of Sutherland' taking on water during its return journey from Cardiff Central to London Victoria, on a Railway ...
David Bosher 22/11/2022
The squeaky clean 802 on the left is a service for Cheltenham, about to reverse in Gloucester's platform 3. The 166 on the right is about to leave ...
Ken Strachan 26/02/2022
4 of 9 images. more





Horton Road Junction (Tramway Junction)

More details

See also
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway





Burnwood Junction

More details

See also
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway





Churchdown GWR

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Hatherley Junction

More details

See also
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway





Banbury Line Junction

More details

See also
Cheltenham to Bourton-on-the-Water (Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway)





Cheltenham St James

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