Malmesbury railway station

Malmesbury
The station in 1958
General information
Location	Malmesbury, Wiltshire England
Coordinates	51.5886°N 2.1001°W / 51.5886; -2.1001
Grid reference	ST932877
Platforms	1
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	Malmesbury Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway Western Region of British Railways
Key dates
17 December 1877[1]	Opened
12 February 1951	Closed
2 April 1951	Reopened
10 September 1951	Closed to passengers
12 November 1962[2]	Closed to goods

Malmesbury railway station served the town of Malmesbury in Wiltshire, England, between 1877 and 1962. The station was on the short Malmesbury branch from the Great Western Railway's main line from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads.

Background

Main article: Malmesbury branch

In 1864 the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Railway Company was authorised to construct a line from Stroud to Christian Malford Halt through Tetbury and Malmesbury. Work started on 1 July 1865, but due to disagreements between the two major shareholders, the Midland Railway and the Great Western, work was stalled, and in 1871 the company was wound up.

Operations

In 1872, the government approved a cut-down plan to build a line from Dauntsey to Malmesbury, opening on 18 December 1877. Unusually, the station was accessed by a short tunnel, and beyond the town, perhaps with the original scheme development to Stroud in mind. After the Severn Tunnel was constructed to directly connect to South Wales, its line crossed the Malmesbury branch. In 1933, connection was made with this line, and the additional line truncated.^[3]

On 10 September 1951 the line closed to passenger traffic, and to goods on 11 November 1962,^[4] after which the tracks were lifted. The station site today is a small industrial estate and a car park.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Terminus		Great Western Railway Malmesbury branch		Great Somerford Halt

References

1. Butt, R. V. J. (October 1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 153. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199. OL 11956311M.
2. Clinker, C.R. (October 1978). Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830-1977. Bristol: Avon-AngliA Publications & Services. p. 92. ISBN 0-905466-19-5.
3. "Malmesbury Railway". Archived from the original on 19 October 2013. Retrieved 18 October 2013.
4. "Rail".

External links

• Aerial view including part of Malmesbury station, 1934 – from the Historic England "Britain from Above" archive