Highworth branch line

The Highworth branch line was a short railway branch line to the northeast of Swindon, England. It was most successful as a goods line, particularly during wartime when it linked the Great Western Main Line to factories around the town. A small vestigial part of the line exists for this purpose.

Highworth branch line
A train at the start of the now-overgrown branch line
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
Operation
Opened	9 May 1883 (1883-05-09)
Closed	2 March 1953 (1953-03-02) (passengers) 1962 (goods)
Technical
Line length	5 miles (8 km)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 ^1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Highworth branch line
miles-chains 5-48 Highworth 4-32 Hannington Cricklade Road 3-18 Stanton 1-24 Stratton Industrial estate ‘Vickers branch’ Kingsdown Road Junction Great Western main line 0-00 Highworth Junction Swindon Golden Valley line Great Western main line

Highworth station in 1950

Rail Tour at Highworth in 1954

Route

The line branched off the Great Western Main Line east of Swindon railway station. It ran northeast, with stations at Stratton, Hannington and Highworth, 5 miles (8 km) away.[1]

History

There had been demands for railway access from Highworth throughout the mid-19th century. It had been on one of the proposed routes of the Great Western Main Line before it was rerouted south to Swindon. In 1873, the Highworth Light Railway was established to build the line, which was given parliamentary approval on 21 June 1875. Bad weather delayed the start of construction, which did not happen until 6 March 1879.[2]

The Highworth branch line operated a service for paying passengers from 9 May 1883.[3] It became popular as a goods line in the early 20th century as numerous industrial estates were established to the west of it at Stratton, including the Brunner Mond munitions factory in 1916.[4] It became an important route during World War II, when a spur was built to provide access to the Vickers-Armstrongs aircraft factory.[2]. A passenger service for workmen to the factory was provided between 1941 to 1944 and December 1956 to June 1957.[5]

The line was not commercially successful as a passenger route. Following nationalisation, services were proposed to be withdrawn by British Railways in 1952 though the goods service would remain open.[6] The passenger service closed on 2 March 1953, while good services from Highworth to Kingsdown Road continued to run until 3 August 1962. The Vickers-Armstrongs branch remains open as a goods line.[2] It now provides access to the BMW car factory.[7]

References

Citations

1. Wiltshire XV (various) (Map). Ordnance Survey 6 inch / mile. 1950.
2. "Highworth Light Railway". Highworth Historical Society. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
3. Vaughan 2015, p. 93.
4. Stratton & Trinder 2000, p. 209.
5. Croughton, Godfrey; Kidner, Roger Wakely; Young, Alan (1982). Private and Untimetabled Railway Stations: Halts and Stopping Places. Oakwood Press. ISBN 9780853612810.
6. "Proposal to withdraw passenger service from Swindon to Highworth branch line and close Hannington and Stanton stations for all traffic, Wiltshire; Western Region". The National Archives. 1952. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
7. "BMW Plant Swindon". Google Maps. Retrieved 2 September 2016.

Bibliography

• Smith, Tom M.; Heathcliffe, Greg S. (1979). An Illustrated History of the Highworth Branch: Originally the Swindon & Highworth Light Railway. Wild Swan Publications.
• Stratton, Michael; Trinder, Barrie Stuart (2000). Twentieth Century Industrial Archaeology. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-419-24680-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Vaughan, Adrian (2015). Railways Through the Vale of the White Horse. Crowood. ISBN 9781847978721. Retrieved 24 January 2016.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)