Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway was a broad gauge railway that linked the Great Western Railway at Swindon, Wiltshire, with Cheltenham.
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.
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
1844 Absorbed into the Great Western Railway
1845 Railway opened from Kemble to Gloucester leaving Cirencester on a short branch
1847 Independent station opened at Cheltenham
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia