Thatcham | |
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Train leaving platform 2 towards Reading | |
Location | |
Place | Thatcham |
Local authority | West Berkshire |
Grid reference | SU528663 |
Operations | |
Station code | THA |
Managed by | First Great Western |
Number of platforms | 2 |
Live arrivals/departures and station information from National Rail Enquiries |
|
Annual rail passenger usage | |
2002/03 * | 0.406 million |
2004/05 * | 0.436 million |
2005/06 * | 0.455 million |
2006/07 * | 0.489 million |
2007/08 * | 0.523 million |
2008/09 * | 0.529 million |
2009/10 * | 0.500 million |
History | |
Opened 21 December 1847 | |
History | |
Original company | Great Western Railway |
Pre-grouping | GWR |
Post-grouping | GWR |
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 estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Thatcham from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. | |
Thatcham railway station is a railway station in Thatcham, Berkshire, England. The station is served by First Great Western (FGW) local services from Reading to Newbury and Bedwyn. Most services are operated by Class 165 DMUs, of either 2 car or 3 car units. It was served before privatisation by Network SouthEast and from 1996 until 2004 by Thames Trains. A limited semi-fast FGW InterCity 125 service between London and Exeter St Davids also serves the station.
Contents |
Thatcham station is served by FGW local services from Reading to Newbury and from London Paddington to Bedwyn. A limited number of services starting from Reading continue to Bedwyn. It is also served by a semi-fast InterCity 125 service from Paddington to the West Country.
These services are summarised as follows.
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Theale | First Great Western HST services Reading to Taunton line |
Newbury | ||
Theale | First Great Western Paddington to Bedwyn Local services Reading to Taunton line |
Newbury | ||
Midgham | First Great Western Reading to Newbury Local services Reading to Taunton line |
Newbury Racecourse |
Thatcham station was opened on 21 December 1847 as part of the Berks and Hants Line to Hungerford.[1] Traffic through the station increased when the line was extended to Taunton in 1906. The station remained as part of the Great Western Railway (GWR) until railway nationalisation in 1948. After the sectorisation of British Rail in 1982 the station became part of Network South East until the privatisation of British Rail. From 1996 services were provided by Thames Trains until the franchise was merged with First Great Western.
In 1940 the 332nd Engineer General Service Regiment of the United States Army built an ordnance depot next to the main line just west of the station. This included a number of sidings that were used for the delivery of equipment.[2] After the Second World War the site was developed as a base for what later became the Royal Logistics Corps and had a number of steam locomotives used for shunting.
The base was closed in 1999 and its site has now been developed as a housing estate.[3]
Thatcham station has two platforms, one on each side of the main line. At the western end of the station there is a footbridge over the line.[4] At the end of the platform there is a level crossing.
On the up platform is a ticket office that is open Mondays to Saturdays and two access points to the station car park. On the north side of the line west of the station is a Royal Mail sorting office next to where the ordnance depot used to be.
On the down platform is a small shelter and access to a small car park. The Kennet and Avon Canal runs parallel to the station and can be reached from the road at the western end of the station.