Purton railway station explained

Purton
Status:Disused
Borough:Purton, Wiltshire
Country:England
Coordinates:51.5939°N -1.8664°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:2
Original:Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway
Pregroup:Great Western Railway
Postgroup:Great Western Railway
Events:Station opened
Events2:Station closed

Purton railway station was in operation on the Swindon to Gloucester line in Wiltshire, England, between 1841 and 1964.

The Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway through Purton parish was opened in 1841 and was absorbed by the Great Western Railway in 1843. Purton station opened when services began in 1841, in the hamlet of Widham, about 700 metres north of Purton village at the bridge over the Purton-Cricklade road. British Railways closed the station in 1964 but the line remains open. The booking office building survives with a small part of its platform.[1]

To the west of the station was a goods yard, and beyond it a private siding for a brickworks.

Trains run along the Golden Valley Line through from London Paddington via, Didcot Parkway and, then past the three closed stations of Purton, and to Kemble, continuing to,, and . When engineering work closes the Severn Tunnel, trains from Paddington to are diverted from the Great Western Main Line and South Wales Main Line via Bristol Parkway to run via Kemble to Gloucester, then along the Gloucester to Newport Line before rejoining the normal line at .

Originally laid as dual-track, British Rail reduced the line between Kemble and Swindon to single-track in 1968. Network Rail investigated the options for reinstating the second track, along with the estimated cost (see Golden Valley Line). In the 2011 Budget the Government announced that funding for the redoubling was to be provided[2] and the works were completed in August 2014.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Oakley . Mike . Wiltshire Railway Stations . 2004 . The Dovecote Press . 1904349331 . Wimborne . 104–105.
  2. News: Chancellor approves Kemble to Swindon railway upgrade . BBC News . 23 March 2011 . 24 March 2011.
  3. News: £45m rail doubling from Kemble completed. 27 August 2014. Wiltshire Gazette & Herald. 27 August 2014.