Marlow Branch Line
Encyclopedia
The Marlow Branch Line is a 7.25 miles (11.7 km) single track
railway line between Maidenhead
, Berkshire
, Bourne End
and Marlow
, Buckinghamshire
, England
. Passenger services are operated by First Great Western
using Class 165
diesel trains
. The line connects to the Great Western Main Line
at Maidenhead station
, and uses a section of the former Wycombe Railway
line to High Wycombe
together with the former Great Marlow Railway.
The train that runs on the branch line is known as The Marlow Donkey although the exact derivation of the term is unclear. Karau and Turner say "the trains of pack horses, mules and donkeys carrying goods to the riverside prompted the local people to christen the train on the Great Marlow Railway, the 'Marlow Donkey', a name which survives to this day". However, Anthony Wethered, great-grandson of the first chairman of the company, suggests that it is the name of the line. A third tradition identifies a particular locomotive.
A pub in Marlow is named after it.
All off-peak trains must stop and reverse at Bourne End, as the line to Marlow has a trailing connection, and the driver must change ends for the second part of the route. Most trains on the line begin and terminate at Maidenhead, but some run through to London Paddington.
The following settlements are served by the branch line:
In 1873 an extension was added connecting Marlow station
to Bourne End station
.
In 1937 Furze Platt
station was added on the outskirts of Maidenhead (before Cookham station).
was incorporated by an Act of Parliament
. The act authorised the construction of a single line from the original Great Western Railway (GWR) station at Maidenhead, to High Wycombe. Construction began in 1852, and the completed line to High Wycombe, was finally opened on 1 August 1854.
The line left the GWR main line at the site of the present Maidenhead station, the first stop of which was Maidenhead (Wycombe Junction), renamed in the 1860s, Boyne Hill. This station was closed on 1 November 1871 upon the opening of the present Maidenhead station. The Wycombe Railway Company was taken over by GWR on 1 February 1867.
In August 1867 the business men of Great Marlow met to discuss a connection with the GWR Wycombe Branch line, at the station then called Marlow Road. The Great Marlow Railway Act was given Royal Assent
on 13th July 1968 with an authorized capital of £18,000. Only about one third of this was raised locally and the GWR supplied the remainder. The 2.75 miles (4.4 km) line opened on 27 June 1873, and Marlow Road was renamed Bourne End in 1874 to avoid confusion.
The Marlow company maintained the line and supplied the station staff, whilst the GWR supplied and operated the rolling stock.
The no. 522, GWR 517 Class
0-4-2 saddle tank locomotive (built at Wolverhampton in 1868), was affectionately known as the Marlow Donkey. No. 522 was rebuilt at Swindon Works in 1884 and similar Metro
2-4-0 class locomotives remained in service until 1935 when autotrain
s were introduced.
The GWR acquired the remainder of the capital and owned the line from 1897.
. The service was gradually cut back through to 1969, by which time Marlow station had been demolished and replaced by a smaller one on the site of the former goods yard. Loudwater and Wooburn Green lost their ticket offices, Loudwater had been reduced to a single track halt and Cookham lost its passing loop. Finally, on 2 May 1970 the stretch of line from Bourne End to High Wycombe was closed to passengers after the Ministry of Transport
refused to include it on the list of unprofitable routes to receive Grant Aid funding from central government (the precursor of the Public Service Obligation
grant system introduced in 1974 to provide subsidies for loss-making but 'socially necessary' lines ).
During the 1970s and 1980s, much of the land occupied by the old line was sold off and a number of buildings were built on the path of the old railway. Five of its Seven bridges were demolished Gordon Road, E Gomme Roadway which is now blocked off and the track is now a road into the new housing estate which replaced the old G Plan factory.
Others include A40 at Spring Gardens, Bassetsbury Lane, Spring Lane (the one over Bowden lane still remains and at the bottom of Abbey Barn Lane the bridge continues to carry the road over the site of the old line). To prevent future incursion, the path of the old railway line through Bourne End, Wooburn Green, Loudwater and the Wycombe Marsh area of Wycombe, is now listed in the local plan, as set aside as a footpath/cycle route or bus route. Unfortunately Loudwater Station and goods yard together with Bourne End Coal yard siding are now industrial and office units.
The High Wycombe Society, a local conservation group, has campaigned for the last 14 years for the reinstatement of the line, the feasibility of which was confirmed by an engineering survey of the route. In September 2008, Buckinghamshire County Council
backed the proposal for reinstatement and called upon a private operator to finance the rebuilding work. The future of the route was raised at a planning hearing in November at which Wycombe District Council identified the prospect of reinstatement as a reason for refusing a planning application to construct housing over the trackbed at Wycombe Lane, Wooburn Green
. A previous application for the same development was rejected in 2006 and the Council's decision was upheld on appeal to the planning inspector. In January 2009, the second attempt to build on the route of the railway line was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate
which specifically cited the possible future reinstatement of the line as a reason for refusing consent.
The line is not electrified
.
From splitting with the Great Western Main Line
at Maidenhead station
, it turns North and enters a cutting, going under Grenfell Road and the A4 Castle Hill, passing over the A308
Marlow Road and then a level crossing
on Harrow Lane just before its next stop, Furze Platt
. From Furze Platt it passes under B4447 Gardner Road, alongside the old Maidenhead Road as it exits the town, continuing through countryside briefly before crossing over the B4447 again before the third stop, Cookham
. Immediately after leaving Cookham there is a level crossing on Station Hill, a slight cutting passing under Terry's Lane, up on a viaduct over Cockmarsh before crossing the Thames
, and arriving shortly after at Bourne End
. Here the driver changes ends for Marlow, turning back along the north bank of the Thames by Spade Oak, passing south of the water treatment works, under the A404
Marlow bypass and finally Marlow station
, where the line terminates
.
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
railway line between Maidenhead
Maidenhead
Maidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, Bourne End
Bourne End, Buckinghamshire
Bourne End is a village predominantly in the parish of Wooburn and Bourne End, but also in the parish of Little Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated close to the border with Berkshire, near where the River Wye meets the River Thames...
and Marlow
Marlow, Buckinghamshire
Marlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, 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...
. Passenger services are operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
using Class 165
British Rail Class 165
The British Rail Class 165 Turbo is a fleet of suburban diesel multiple units , originally specified by and built for British Rail, the then United Kingdom state owned railway operator. They were built by BREL at York Works between 1990 and 1992...
diesel trains
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
. The line connects to 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...
at Maidenhead station
Maidenhead railway station
Maidenhead railway station serves the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is served by local services operated by First Great Western from to , and is also the junction for the Marlow Branch Line. It has five platforms which are accessed through ticket barriers at both entrances to the...
, and uses a section of the former Wycombe Railway
Wycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
line to High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
together with the former Great Marlow Railway.
The train that runs on the branch line is known as The Marlow Donkey although the exact derivation of the term is unclear. Karau and Turner say "the trains of pack horses, mules and donkeys carrying goods to the riverside prompted the local people to christen the train on the Great Marlow Railway, the 'Marlow Donkey', a name which survives to this day". However, Anthony Wethered, great-grandson of the first chairman of the company, suggests that it is the name of the line. A third tradition identifies a particular locomotive.
A pub in Marlow is named after it.
Train services
The off-peak service is one train per hour in each direction between Maidenhead and Marlow. During morning and evening peak times a half-hourly service is achieved by using two trains: one shuttling between Marlow and Bourne End, and another between Bourne End and Maidenhead. This is possible because Bourne End station has two platforms that may be used simultaneously.All off-peak trains must stop and reverse at Bourne End, as the line to Marlow has a trailing connection, and the driver must change ends for the second part of the route. Most trains on the line begin and terminate at Maidenhead, but some run through to London Paddington.
The following settlements are served by the branch line:
- MaidenheadMaidenheadMaidenhead is a town and unparished area within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. It lies on the River Thames and is situated west of Charing Cross in London.-History:...
- Furze Platt
- CookhamCookhamCookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
- Bourne EndBourne End, BuckinghamshireBourne End is a village predominantly in the parish of Wooburn and Bourne End, but also in the parish of Little Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated close to the border with Berkshire, near where the River Wye meets the River Thames...
- MarlowMarlow, BuckinghamshireMarlow is a town and civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England...
The original Maidenhead to Wycombe Branch line
The original Maidenhead to High Wycombe branch line had stops at:-- Maidenhead (latterly renamed and effectively replaced by the current Maidenhead stationMaidenhead railway stationMaidenhead railway station serves the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is served by local services operated by First Great Western from to , and is also the junction for the Marlow Branch Line. It has five platforms which are accessed through ticket barriers at both entrances to the...
), - CookhamCookham railway stationCookham railway station serves the village of Cookham, Berkshire, England. First Great Western trains between Maidenhead and Marlow serve the station. The station has basic facilities, including a ticket office which is open in the morning peak....
, - Marlow Road (latterly renamed Bourne EndBourne End railway stationBourne End railway station serves Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated on the line between Maidenhead and Marlow 4½ miles north of Maidenhead....
), - Wooburn GreenWooburn Green railway stationWooburn Green railway station was a railway station that served Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, England, on the Oxford to Maidenhead line. It was opened in 1854. The station became a halt in 1968 because of a decreased service on the line....
, - LoudwaterLoudwater railway stationLoudwater railway station was a railway station that served Loudwater, Buckinghamshire on the Oxford to Maidenhead line.-History:Loudwater station was located at the bottom of Treadaway Hill just past the present M40 bridge. Opened in 1854 and the station became a halt in 1968 because of a...
and - High WycombeHigh Wycombe railway stationHigh Wycombe railway station is situated in High Wycombe in South Buckinghamshire. The station is served by Chiltern Railways trains on the Chiltern Main Line from Marylebone towards Birmingham Snow Hill. It is situated between Beaconsfield and Saunderton stations.-History:The station was built...
.
In 1873 an extension was added connecting Marlow station
Marlow railway station
Marlow railway station serves the town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. It is the terminus of a single-track branch line with the station situated west of Bourne End station.-History:...
to Bourne End station
Bourne End railway station
Bourne End railway station serves Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated on the line between Maidenhead and Marlow 4½ miles north of Maidenhead....
.
In 1937 Furze Platt
Furze Platt railway station
Furze Platt railway station is a railway station in the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. While the Marlow branch line opened many years earlier, Furze Platt Halt opened in 1937 to cater for the area's growing population ....
station was added on the outskirts of Maidenhead (before Cookham station).
Construction
In July 1846, The Wycombe Railway CompanyWycombe Railway
The Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...
was incorporated by an Act of Parliament
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
. The act authorised the construction of a single line from the original Great Western Railway (GWR) station at Maidenhead, to High Wycombe. Construction began in 1852, and the completed line to High Wycombe, was finally opened on 1 August 1854.
The line left the GWR main line at the site of the present Maidenhead station, the first stop of which was Maidenhead (Wycombe Junction), renamed in the 1860s, Boyne Hill. This station was closed on 1 November 1871 upon the opening of the present Maidenhead station. The Wycombe Railway Company was taken over by GWR on 1 February 1867.
In August 1867 the business men of Great Marlow met to discuss a connection with the GWR Wycombe Branch line, at the station then called Marlow Road. The Great Marlow Railway Act was given Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...
on 13th July 1968 with an authorized capital of £18,000. Only about one third of this was raised locally and the GWR supplied the remainder. The 2.75 miles (4.4 km) line opened on 27 June 1873, and Marlow Road was renamed Bourne End in 1874 to avoid confusion.
The Marlow company maintained the line and supplied the station staff, whilst the GWR supplied and operated the rolling stock.
The no. 522, GWR 517 Class
GWR 517 Class
The 517 Class were small 0-4-2T tank engines designed by George Armstrong for local passenger work on the Great Western Railway. They were built at Wolverhampton Works and were outshopped between 1868 and 1885. They were built in thirteen lots commencing with 517–528 and ending with 1477–1488 in...
0-4-2 saddle tank locomotive (built at Wolverhampton in 1868), was affectionately known as the Marlow Donkey. No. 522 was rebuilt at Swindon Works in 1884 and similar Metro
GWR 455 Class
The GWR 455 Class, also called the "Metropolitan" or "Metro" Tanks, was a series of 140 2-4-0T tank locomotives built for the Great Western Railway, originally for their London suburban services, including running on the underground section of the Metropolitan Railway, the source of their nickname....
2-4-0 class locomotives remained in service until 1935 when autotrain
Autotrain
Autotrain may refer to:* Autotrain, a type of push-pull train incorporating a steam locomotive and specially fitted passenger coaches* Auto Train, a specific Amtrak passenger service* Auto-Train Corporation...
s were introduced.
The GWR acquired the remainder of the capital and owned the line from 1897.
Partial closure
In the 1960s the branch began to decline. In July 1962 the steam locomotive was replaced with a Diesel multiple unitDiesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
. The service was gradually cut back through to 1969, by which time Marlow station had been demolished and replaced by a smaller one on the site of the former goods yard. Loudwater and Wooburn Green lost their ticket offices, Loudwater had been reduced to a single track halt and Cookham lost its passing loop. Finally, on 2 May 1970 the stretch of line from Bourne End to High Wycombe was closed to passengers after the Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...
refused to include it on the list of unprofitable routes to receive Grant Aid funding from central government (the precursor of the Public Service Obligation
Public Service Obligation
In transport, public service obligation or PSO is an arrangement in which a governing body or other authority offers an auction for subsidies, permit the winning company a monopoly to operate a specified service of public transport for a specified period of time for the given subsidy...
grant system introduced in 1974 to provide subsidies for loss-making but 'socially necessary' lines ).
Replacement buses
Replacement bus services on the Bourne End to High Wycombe section are:- Carousel BusesCarousel BusesCarousel Buses is an independent bus company based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England which operates a network of local and inter-urban bus services.-History:Carousel Buses was formed in 2000...
, service 1 http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/travelinfo/Database_PDFs/1_Bourne_end_High_wycombe.pdf - Arriva Shires & EssexArriva Shires & EssexArriva Shires & Essex is a division of Arriva, with operations in Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London. It is one of many private operators of London Buses. Until 2002 its operations included Colchester...
, service 35 http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/travelinfo/Database_PDFs/35_High_wycombe_Flackwell_hth_Bourne_end.pdf
Today
Others include A40 at Spring Gardens, Bassetsbury Lane, Spring Lane (the one over Bowden lane still remains and at the bottom of Abbey Barn Lane the bridge continues to carry the road over the site of the old line). To prevent future incursion, the path of the old railway line through Bourne End, Wooburn Green, Loudwater and the Wycombe Marsh area of Wycombe, is now listed in the local plan, as set aside as a footpath/cycle route or bus route. Unfortunately Loudwater Station and goods yard together with Bourne End Coal yard siding are now industrial and office units.
The High Wycombe Society, a local conservation group, has campaigned for the last 14 years for the reinstatement of the line, the feasibility of which was confirmed by an engineering survey of the route. In September 2008, Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Buckinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Buckinghamshire, in England, the United Kingdom. Its area of control does not include Milton Keynes, which is a unitary authority...
backed the proposal for reinstatement and called upon a private operator to finance the rebuilding work. The future of the route was raised at a planning hearing in November at which Wycombe District Council identified the prospect of reinstatement as a reason for refusing a planning application to construct housing over the trackbed at Wycombe Lane, Wooburn Green
Wooburn Green
Wooburn Green is a village in the parish of Wooburn and Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, England.-Location:Wooburn Green is a village situated four miles south east of the town of High Wycombe. It neighbours Beaconsfield, Loudwater, Flackwell Heath, and Bourne End...
. A previous application for the same development was rejected in 2006 and the Council's decision was upheld on appeal to the planning inspector. In January 2009, the second attempt to build on the route of the railway line was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate
Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate for England and Wales is an executive agency of the Department for Communities and Local Government of the United Kingdom Government. It is responsible for determining final outcomes of planning and enforcement appeals and public examination of local development plans...
which specifically cited the possible future reinstatement of the line as a reason for refusing consent.
The line is not electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
.
Route description
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...
at Maidenhead station
Maidenhead railway station
Maidenhead railway station serves the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. It is served by local services operated by First Great Western from to , and is also the junction for the Marlow Branch Line. It has five platforms which are accessed through ticket barriers at both entrances to the...
, it turns North and enters a cutting, going under Grenfell Road and the A4 Castle Hill, passing over the A308
A308 road
The A308, is a road in England in two parts.*The Brompton to Fulham section starts at the A4 road by Brompton Oratory and Victoria and Albert Museum, and follows Fulham Road South West to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where it jumps south a block to follow Kings Road to meet the A219 road in...
Marlow Road and then a level crossing
Level crossing
A level crossing occurs where a railway line is intersected by a road or path onone level, without recourse to a bridge or tunnel. It is a type of at-grade intersection. The term also applies when a light rail line with separate right-of-way or reserved track crosses a road in the same fashion...
on Harrow Lane just before its next stop, Furze Platt
Furze Platt railway station
Furze Platt railway station is a railway station in the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. While the Marlow branch line opened many years earlier, Furze Platt Halt opened in 1937 to cater for the area's growing population ....
. From Furze Platt it passes under B4447 Gardner Road, alongside the old Maidenhead Road as it exits the town, continuing through countryside briefly before crossing over the B4447 again before the third stop, Cookham
Cookham railway station
Cookham railway station serves the village of Cookham, Berkshire, England. First Great Western trains between Maidenhead and Marlow serve the station. The station has basic facilities, including a ticket office which is open in the morning peak....
. Immediately after leaving Cookham there is a level crossing on Station Hill, a slight cutting passing under Terry's Lane, up on a viaduct over Cockmarsh before crossing the Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
, and arriving shortly after at Bourne End
Bourne End railway station
Bourne End railway station serves Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, England. It is situated on the line between Maidenhead and Marlow 4½ miles north of Maidenhead....
. Here the driver changes ends for Marlow, turning back along the north bank of the Thames by Spade Oak, passing south of the water treatment works, under the A404
A404 road
The A404 is a road in the United Kingdom that starts at Paddington in London and leads to Maidenhead in Berkshire.The road initially follows a course through London and its suburbs including Harlesden, Wembley, Harrow Pinner, and Rickmansworth...
Marlow bypass and finally Marlow station
Marlow railway station
Marlow railway station serves the town of Marlow in Buckinghamshire, England. It is the terminus of a single-track branch line with the station situated west of Bourne End station.-History:...
, where the line terminates
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
.
See also
- Great Western Main LineGreat Western Main LineThe 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...
- First Great WesternFirst Great WesternFirst Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
- First Great Western LinkFirst Great Western LinkFirst Great Western Link was a train operating company owned by First Group that provided train services, on a franchise basis, from Paddington Station to destinations such as Greenford, Slough, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Goring and Streatley, Henley-on-Thames, Newbury, Bedwyn, Hereford, Worcester...
- List of closed railway stations in Britain
- Wycombe RailwayWycombe RailwayThe Wycombe Railway was a British railway between and that connected with the Great Western Railway at both ends; there was one branch, to .-History:The Wycombe Railway Company was incorporated by an act of Parliament passed in 1846...