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The Stratford to Cheltenham Line |
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One of the desires of the GWR was to have a direct connection between Birmingham and Bristol. Until 1907 GWR trains from Birmingham to Bristol had to go by Oxford, Didcot and Swindon, yet another example of the "Great Way Round". The GWR could get to to Stratford-Upon-Avon from Birmingham (and then onto Honeybourne) and from Cheltenham to Bristol (although this did rely on running powers on the Midland line from Standish Junction south of Gloucester to Yate, where GWR trains transferred to the South Wales Direct line). The missing link was provided for in 1907 with a new double-track line from Honeybourne to Cheltenham and the doubling of the line from Honeybourne to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Today most of the line has gone, with only two sections remaining, and only one of those in regular use. The section from Honeybourne to Long Marston is still in place, but only a single line which is effectively a siding, and a rarely used one at that. With the closure of Long Marston MOD depot and the reluctance of the other major industrial concern of the area, Simsmetal UK, to use the line, this section's future remains in the balance. The other section is from Toddington to Gotherington which is the current extent of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire railway. This section is more secure and plans are well underway to extend the line to Cheltenham Racecourse, before turning northwards towards Broadway. Although the ultimate plan was to relay the track from Stratford Racecourse to Cheltenham racecourse, The GloucsWarks railway developed a breakaway faction, the Stratford and Broadway railway, whose interests lie in the northern section. With proposals for future rail travel in the vale including one to relay the line in its entirety (which is interesting considering the trackbed in Stratford has been used for a relief road, and that developments in Cheltenham may prevent use of the trackbed there), the likelihood of rail travel returning to this line is high; it's just a matter of how many organisations will end up involved. Backup Links
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