Cheltenham Spa railway station

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Cheltenham Spa
Cheltenham Spa station
Location
Place Cheltenham
Local authority Cheltenham
Operations
Station code CNM
Managed by First Great Western
Platforms in use 2
Live departures and station information from National Rail
Annual Rail Passenger Usage
2004/05 * 1.036 million
2005/06 * 1.127 million
National Rail - UK railway stations

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z  
* Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Cheltenham Spa from Office of Rail Regulation statistics.
Portal:Cheltenham Spa railway station
 UK Railways Portal

Cheltenham Spa railway station is a railway station serving the town of Cheltenham, England, located on the main Bristol-Birmingham line. The station is managed by First Great Western and is about one mile from the town centre.

Contents

[edit] History

The first railway to Cheltenham was the Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (C&GWUR), part of the broad gauge system, which was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1836, and opened between Cheltenham and Gloucester in 1840. In the same year the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (B&GR) opened its line between Cheltenham and Bromsgrove, from whence trains ran on mixed gauge tracks to Gloucester. Both railways had virtually their own station in the town, although the principal one - with the title Cheltenham Spa (Lansdown), named from the principal road in the area - is the single one remaining, although without its secondary title.

The C&GWUR was taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1844, and the B&GR by the Midland Railway in 1846. Within the town there were three other passenger railway stations: Malvern Road, St James's and Cheltenham South and Leckhampton; there was also the Racecourse Platform, only open on Race Days.

Interestingly, Cheltenham Spa Malvern Road West Signal Box, and its "east" partner, possessed the longest namesigns on the GWR.

[edit] Services

Cheltenham Spa station is served on Mondays to Fridays by approximately 8 trains every hour, including 3 trains an hour to or from Gloucester.

First Great Western operate an hourly Cheltenham-Swindon with two-hourly extensions to London Paddington. These services operate on the Golden Valley Line via Stonehouse, Stroud and Kemble. First Great Western also operate local hourly Westbury-Cheltenham services, some of which are extended to and from Great Malvern.

CrossCountry serve the town with services to Cardiff, Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance to the south, and Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, York, Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow among other destinations to the north. There are also occasional services between Birmingham and Gloucester provided by London Midland.

  Preceding station     National Rail     Following station  
Gloucester   Arriva Trains Wales
Maesteg - Cardiff - Cheltenham		   Terminus
Gloucester   CrossCountry
Cardiff Central to Nottingham Line		   Birmingham New
Street
Bristol Parkway
or Gloucester		   CrossCountry
Cross-Country Route		  
Gloucester   First Great Western
Cheltenham - London/Swindon		   Terminus
Gloucester   First Great Western
Great Malvern - Westbury		   Ashchurch for
Tewkesbury
Gloucester
   London Midland
Birmingham - Gloucester (Limited service)		   Ashchurch
for Tewkesbury
Disused Railways
Churchdown
Station closed		   Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Midland Railway		   Ashchurch
Gloucester   Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
Great Western Railway		   Cheltenham (Malvern Road)
Line and station closed
Leckhampton
Line and station closed		   Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Great Western Railway		   Terminus

[edit] Gloucestershire Parkway railway station

Main article: Gloucestershire Parkway railway station

Gloucestershire County Council proposed a new station called Gloucestershire Parkway railway station be built. Local fears were that this would severely impact services to Cheltenham Spa; however, the project is currently shelved.

[edit] External links

Railway stations in Gloucestershire
Mainline:

Cheltenham Spa - Gloucester
On the Golden Valley Line:

Kemble - Stonehouse - Stroud
On the Bristol-Birmingham Line:

Ashchurch for Tewkesbury - Cam and Dursley
Others:

Lydney - Moreton-in-Marsh
Heritage Railways Heritage railway stations in Gloucestershire
Dean Forest Railway:

Lydney Junction - Lydney Town - Norchard - Parkend - St Mary's Halt - Whitecroft
Glos-Warks Railway:

Cheltenham Racecourse - Gotherington - Toddington - Winchcombe

Railway stations in Gloucestershire
Languages