Andoversford railway station
Encyclopedia
Andoversford railway station was in Gloucestershire
on the Great Western Railway
's Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
that opened in 1881. Situated about six miles east of Cheltenham, the station served the village of Andoversford
with its large market, which provided a lot of the traffic at the station.
In 1891, the Midland and South Western Junction Railway
extended its line northwards from Cirencester
to a junction with the GWR Cheltenham to Banbury line just east of Andoversford station. M&SWJR trains ran into Cheltenham over the GWR tracks, but were not permitted to call at Andoversford station until 1904. The M&SWJR opened its own station, called Andoversford and Dowdeswell
, on the opposite side of the village. Under the Grouping
, the GWR took control of the M&SWJR; it renamed Andoversford station as Andoversford Junction in 1926 and closed Andoversford and Dowdeswell to passenger traffic the following year, though it remained open for goods.
The station passed on to the Western Region of British Railways
on nationalisation in 1948. It was then closed by the British Transport Commission
.
bypass around the village.
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
on the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
's Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway
The Banbury and Cheltenham Direct Railway is a former railway in the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England.-Origins and development:...
that opened in 1881. Situated about six miles east of Cheltenham, the station served the village of Andoversford
Andoversford
Andoversford is a village and civil parish in the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England, about six miles east of Cheltenham. The parish had a population of 668 according to the 2001 census....
with its large market, which provided a lot of the traffic at the station.
History
Midland and South Western Junction Railway
The Midland and South Western Junction Railway was, until the 1923 Grouping, an independent railway built to form a north-south link between the Midland and London and South Western Railways allowing the Midland and other companies' trains to reach the port of Southampton.-Formation:The M&SWJR...
extended its line northwards from Cirencester
Cirencester Watermoor railway station
Cirencester Watermoor railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway at Cirencester in Gloucestershire. The station opened on 18 December 1883 as the terminus of the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway line from Swindon Town. That line then amalgamated with the Swindon,...
to a junction with the GWR Cheltenham to Banbury line just east of Andoversford station. M&SWJR trains ran into Cheltenham over the GWR tracks, but were not permitted to call at Andoversford station until 1904. The M&SWJR opened its own station, called Andoversford and Dowdeswell
Andoversford and Dowdeswell railway station
Andoversford and Dowdeswell railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway in Gloucestershire. The station opened to passengers on 1 August 1891 with the opening of the section of the line between Cirencester Watermoor and the junction at Andoversford with the Great Western...
, on the opposite side of the village. Under the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
, the GWR took control of the M&SWJR; it renamed Andoversford station as Andoversford Junction in 1926 and closed Andoversford and Dowdeswell to passenger traffic the following year, though it remained open for goods.
The station passed on to the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
on nationalisation in 1948. It was then closed by the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
.
The site today
The M&SWJR line closed to passengers in 1961 and the Cheltenham to Banbury line a year later. Andoversford station was demolished and the railway alignment is now part of the A40 roadA40 road
The A40 is a major trunk road connecting London to Fishguard, Wales and officially called The London to Fishguard Trunk Road in all legal documents and Acts...
bypass around the village.