Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway

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The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Swindon, Wiltshire, with Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.

Sketchmap of Railway described on this page


The line between Cheltenham and Gloucester was worked jointly with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway; that between Gloucester and Standish Junction was worked jointly with the Bristol and Gloucester Railway. Both these railways became part of the Midland Railway and caused Isambard Kingdom Brunel to lay down mixed gauge tracks along this section of line before any of his other broad gauge railways. Despite this joint working, the stations were generally independent with the individual railways providing duplicate facilities at Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stonehouse.

[edit] Chronology

  • 1836 Authorised by Act of Parliament
  • 1840 Railway opened from Cheltenham to Gloucester
  • 1841 Railway opened from Swindon to Cirencester
  • 1843 Railway company sold to Great Western Railway
  • 1845 Railway opened from Kemble to Gloucester leaving Cirencester on a short branch
  • 1847 Independent station opened at Cheltenham

[edit] Stations

Includes stations opened by the Great Western Railway

  • Swindon (Great Western Railway)
  • Purton
  • Minety and Ashton Keynes
  • Oaksey Halt
  • Kemble
    • Cirencester (1841)
  • Tetbury Road (1845)
  • Chalford (1897)
  • St Mary's Crossing Halt
  • Brimscombe (1845)
  • Brimscombe Bridge Halt
  • Ham Mill Crossing Halt
  • Bowbridge Crossing Halt
  • Stroud (1845)
  • Downfield Crossing Halt
  • Cashes Green Halt
  • Ebley Crossing Halt
  • Stonehouse (1845)
  • Gloucester (1840)
  • Cheltenham (Lansdown) (1840 - 1847, joint with Birmingham and Gloucester Railway)
  • Cheltenham (Malvern Road)
  • Cheltenham (St James) (1847)

Between Stonehouse (Burdett Road) station and Gloucester trains on this line passed next to the station at Haresfield, but the station only served Midland Railway trains running between Bristol and Gloucester, and there were no platforms facing the C&GWUR (Great Western) tracks. The Midland had its own station at Stonehouse, though this shut in 1965.

[edit] References

  • Fenton, Mike (1985). "The Brimscombe Bankers". British Railway Journal (GWR Special Edition): 64–83. Wild Swan Publications. 
  • MacDermot, E T (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, volume I 1833-1863. London: Great Western Railway. 


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