Chippenham and Calne Line
Encyclopedia
The Chippenham and Calne Line was a five mile long Great Western Railway
built single track branch railway line that ran along the valley of the River Marden
in Wiltshire
, England
, that ran from Chippenham railway station
on the Great Western Main Line
to via two intermediate stations, , and .
The line was profitable until local factories started using road transport and the closure of local RAF bases in the early 1960s. Freight services were withdrawn in 1964, and the line closed completely on 18 September 1965. The line is now a cycle path.
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...
built single track branch railway line that ran along the valley of the River Marden
River Marden
The River Marden is a small tributary of the River Avon in England. It flows from the hills surrounding Calne and meets the River Avon about a mile upstream of Chippenham. The river has a mean flow of .-Course:...
in Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, that ran from Chippenham railway station
Chippenham railway station
Chippenham railway station serves the market town of Chippenham in Wiltshire, England. The station is on the Great Western Main Line, in between and , and is served by First Great Western main line services between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington, and a smaller First Great Western local...
on the Great Western Main Line
Great Western Main Line
The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
to via two intermediate stations, , and .
History
Built as a replacement for the overwhelmed Melksham Calne and Chippenham Branch of the Wiltshire and Berkshire Canal, the line was authorised on 15 May 1860 and opened to freight 29 October 1863. opened to passengers on 3 November 1863 with a private halt at . in 1905.The line was profitable until local factories started using road transport and the closure of local RAF bases in the early 1960s. Freight services were withdrawn in 1964, and the line closed completely on 18 September 1965. The line is now a cycle path.