Great Western Railway
Dates
| 04/06/1838 | Great Western Railway First part of Great Western Railway opened from Paddington (Old) to Maidenhead (Old) opened. Stations on this section at: Paddington, Royal Oak, Westbourne Park, Acton, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell & Elthorne, Southall, Hayes & Harlington, West Drayton & Yiewsley, Iver, Langley, Slough, Burham, Taplow, and Maidenhead. |
| 06/04/1839 | Great Western Railway Cooke and Wheatstone 5 needle system electric telegraph installed between Paddington and Hanwell. This was the first commercial telegraph line (and in fact first commercial use of electricity) and the public were able to pay to send messages. |
| 09/04/1839 | Great Western Railway Electric telegraph completed from Hanwell to West Drayton. Later extended to Slough. |
| 01/07/1839 | Great Western Railway Maidenhead (Old) to Twyford opened. Stations on this section at: Maidenhead (New), and Twyford. |
| 30/03/1840 | Great Western Railway Twyford to Reading opened. Stations on this section at: Reading. |
| 01/06/1840 | Great Western Railway Reading to Steventon opened. Stations on this section at: Tilehurst, Pangborne, Goring & Streatley, Cholsey & Moulsford, Didcot, Steventon. |
| 20/07/1840 | Great Western Railway Steventon to Faringdon Road (now Challow) opened. Stations on this section at: Wantage Road, Challow. |
| 31/08/1840 | Great Western Railway Bristol (Old) to Bath opened. Stations on this section at: Bath, Oldfield Park, Saltford, Keynshaw & Somerdale, St Annes Park, and Bristol (Temple Meads). |
| 17/12/1840 | Great Western Railway Faringdon Road to Hay Lane (just west of Swindon) opened. Stations on this section at: Uffington, Shrivenham, Stratton Park Halt, Swindon, Hay Lane (But was this a station?). |
| 31/05/1841 | Great Western Railway Hay Lane to Chippenham opened. Stations on this section at: Wootton Bassett, Dauntsey, Malford Halt, Chippenham. |
| 31/05/1841 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway) Swindon to Kemble to Cirencester Town opened. Stations on this section at: Purton, Minety and Ashton Keynes, Oaksey Halt, Kemble and Cirencester Town. |
| 30/06/1841 | Great Western Railway Chippenham to Bath opened, Great Western Railway main line open throughout. Stations on this section at: Corsham, Box, Bathford Halt, Bathmapton. |
| 12/06/1844 | Oxford Branch (Great Western Railway) Didcot Junction to Oxford [1st] opened. Stations on this section at: Appleford Halt, Culham, Radley and Oxford [1st]. |
| 08/07/1844 | Bristol and Gloucester Railway Standish Junction to Gloucester opened. The Great Western Railway had running powers from Standish Junction to Gloucester. |
| / /1845 | Bristol and Exeter Railway Great Western Railway Great Western considers buying the Bristol and Exeter which would be threatened by their planned direct London to Exeter line. |
| 12/05/1845 | Gloucester Branch (Great Western Railway) Kemble Junction to Gloucester opened |
| 12/05/1845 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway) Kemble to Gloucester (Standish Junction) opened. Stations on this section at: Tetbury Road, Brimscombe, Stroud and Stonehouse [Gloucestershire]. Standish Junction to Gloucester was owned by the Midland Railway. |
| 07/11/1845 | Bristol and Exeter RailwayGreat Western Railway Great Western's take over offer refused by the smaller company. |
| / /1846 | South Wales Railway, Great Western Railway Great Western Railway to lease the South Wales Railway at 5%, if South Wales Railway completed to Fishguard. |
| 23/10/1847 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway) Broad Gauge line from Gloucester, Tramway Junction, to Cheltenham, Lansdown Junction, opened. Stations on this section at: Churchdown and Cheltenham. Gloucester to Cheltenham owned by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway later owned by the Midland Railway. |
| 23/10/1847 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway) Cheltenham, Lansdown Junction, to Cheltenham St James station opened. |
| 23/10/1847 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway) Gloucester Avoiding Line (Millstream Junction to Barnwood Junction) opened. |
| 01/11/1848 | Basingstoke Branch (Great Western Railway) Reading, Southcot Junction, to Basingstoke opened. Stations on section at: Mortimer, Bramley and Basingstoke. |
| 30/04/1849 | Bristol and Exeter Railway Great Western Railway Great Westerns lease expires |
| 08/10/1849 | Windsor Branch (Great Western Railway) Slough to Windsor and the west curve at Slough opened. |
| / /1850 | Great Western Railway Starts to acquire coking coal, for locomotive coal coke ovens, from Great Western Colliery on the Dinas Branch (Taff Vale Railway). |
| / /1854 | Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Great Western Railway Shrewsbury and Chester Railway merged into the Great Western Railway. |
| / /1854 | Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway Wolverhampton Low Level station opened by the Great Western Railway. |
| 16/01/1854 | Great Western Railway Paddington New station, departure side, opened. |
| 29/05/1854 | Great Western Railway Paddington New station, arrival side, opened. |
| / /1860 | Great Western Railway Buys the Cilely Colliery near Tonyrefail and the Ely Valley Railway. (1860s). |
| 02/08/1860 | Ely Valley Railway Broad gauge line opened from Llantrisant on the South Wales Railway. The line is worked by the Great Western Railway. |
| / /1861 | Ely Valley Railway Great Western Railway takes a 999 year lease of the line. |
| 07/06/1861 | Llantrissant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Act passed for this Taff Vale Railway backed line. The line was promoted to stop expansion eastwards of the Great Western Railway backed schemes from Llantrisant. The line ran from Llantrisant Branch Junction, Treforest, to meet the Mwyndy Branch (Ely Valley Railway) at Maesaraul. |
| 01/10/1861 | Great Western Railway Third rail laid into London Paddington allowing standard gauge trains to enter the station. |
| 01/07/1862 | Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Leased jointly by the London and North Western Railway, West Midland Railway and Great Western Railway. |
| /06/1863 | Cowbridge Railway Agreement with the Great Western Railway to join South Wales Railway at Llantrisant rather than run to Maesaraul. Third rail laid from Llantrisant to Maesaraul Junction along the Mwyndy Branch (Ely Valley Railway). |
| 13/07/1863 | West Midland Railway, Great Western Railway West Midland Railway merged with Great Western Railway. |
| 01/08/1863 | South Wales Railway, Great Western Railway South Wales Railway amalgamated with the Great Western Railway. |
| 01/02/1865 | Vale of Neath Railway Great Western Railway works the line as part of its network. |
| / /1867 | Taff Bargoed Joint Line (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway) Agreement to build line from Nelson to Dowlais for hauling iron ore from Cardiff to the Dowlais Iron Works. |
| / /1871 | Rhymney Railway Connection made between the Rhymney Railway (at south facing Penalltau Branch Junction) to a west facing junction on the Taff Vale Extension. This gave access to the line as far west as Middle Duffryn Junction and also the Taff Bargoed Joint Line and Quakers Yard and Merthyr Joint Railway both of which were jointly owned by the Great Western Railway and the Rhymney Railway to compete with the Taff Vale Railway. |
| / /1872 | Swansea Canal Bought by the Great Western Railway. |
| 01/08/1875 | Monmouthshire Canal Tramway, Great Western Railway The Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company gives the Great Western Railway running rights over their system. |
| 01/01/1876 | Bristol and Exeter Railway Great Western Railway Great Western leases line |
| 01/08/1876 | Bristol and Exeter Railway Great Western Railway Great Western absorbs the Bristol and Exeter |
| / /1877 | Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Extended south to Abersychan and Talywain station and Varteg Hill Colliery. A branch from Garndiffaith Junction ran to Golynos Junction on the Great Western Railway's Cwmffrwd Branch. |
| / /1877 | Halls Tramway Leased by the Great Western Railway. |
| 01/08/1877 | Taff Vale Railway Passenger trains transferred from Merthyr Plymouth Street to Merthyr High Street. Connection from Brandy Bridge Junction to Mardy Junction (Vale of Neath Railway) opened. The connection was joint Great Western Railway and Taff Vale Railway. |
| / /1878 | Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Connection made from Llantarnam Junction to Cwmbran Junction on the Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company line. Great Western Railway trains divert to main Newport station. |
| 01/01/1878 | East Somerset RailwayCheddar Valley and Yatton Railway (Bristol and Exeter Railway)Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway starts to run passenger trains from the Cheddar line through the Somerset and Dorset Railway's Wells station to Witham. |
| 01/05/1878 | Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Extension to Abersychan and Talywain opened to passengers. Track in the station was jointly owned by the London and North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway as the line met its Talwain Branch here. |
| / /1880 | Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway Merged into the Great Western Railway. |
| 02/04/1880 | Culme Valley Light Railway Great Western Railway Line sold to the Great Western. |
| 01/08/1880 | Monmouthshire Canal Tramway, Great Western Railway Act passed for merging the Monmouthshire into the Great Western Railway. |
| 09/05/1881 | Morriston Branch (Great Western Railway) Opened from Hafod Junction to Morriston. |
| / /1882 | Moss Valley Branch (Great Western Railway) Line opened from Moss to Moss Valley Junction |
| 14/09/1882 | Cardiff Riverside Branch (Great Western Railway) Opened by the Great Western Railway. |
| 07/07/1884 | Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway First attempt to open new route. Train departs Pontypridd but is blocked by the Great Western Railway at Bassaleg Junction. |
| 01/05/1885 | Exe Valley Railway (Great Western Railway) Line opened by the Great Western. Built to standard gauge. |
| 09/11/1885 | Abbotsbury Branch (Great Western Railway) Abbotsbury opened |
| / /1886 | Severn Tunnel (Great Western Railway) Opened |
| 22/03/1886 | Llynvi Valley Extension (Great Western Railway) Abergwynfi opened |
| /04/1886 | Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Owned section of track through Park Mile is opened to West Mendalgief Junction. Route authorised to east of existing lines, but is swapped with Great Western Railway for use of original westernmost route. Great Western Railway moves sideways onto new tracks. |
| 01/04/1886 | Quakers Yard and Merthyr Joint Railway (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway) Opened. The line connected to the Crawshays Private Railway and the Vale of Neath Railway at Merthyr. Joint Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway. |
| 28/06/1892 | East Usk Branch (Great Western Railway) Powers to build East Usk Branch taken over by Great Western Railway. |
| / /1894 | Cardiff Riverside Branch (Great Western Railway) Converted for passenger use. |
| / /1897 | Minehead Railway
Great Western Railway Minehead Railway absorbed by the Great Western Railway. |
| 01/01/1899 | Great Western Railway Takes over the Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway's Newport to Pontypridd passenger service. |
| / /1900 | Penllwyn Tramway, London and North Western Railway A new spur, west of Nine Mile Point, is opened to the Penllwyn Tramway by the owners, the London and North Western Railway to give access to Nine Mile Point Colliery. Formerly this tramway was accessible by a point west of Nine Mile Point and thus in Great Western Railway territory. |
| / /1901 | Devon and Somerset Railway Great Western Railway Devon and Somerset Railway absorbed by the Great Western Railway. |
| 31/07/1902 | Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Line taken over jointly by the London and North Western Railway and the Great Western Railway as the Nantyglo and Blaina Iron Company were asking too high a price to buy their private Nantyglo Iron Works to Brynmawr railway. |
| / /1903 | Ely Valley Railway Merged into the Great Western Railway. |
| 02/11/1903 | Roath Dock Branch (Great Western Railway, Cardiff Railway) Joint line opened from Pengam Junction to Queen Alexandra Dock, Cardiff. |
| 05/06/1905 | ~Great Western Railway Aberderfyn Halt opened |
| / /1911 | Great Western Railway A Cwmtillery to Abertillery Milnes-Daimler bus service starts. |
| 22/03/1915 | ~Great Western Railway Aberderfyn Halt closed |
| / /1919 | Great Western Railway Extends Newport to Pontypridd passenger service to Merthyr. |
| / /1921 | Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway
Great Western Railway Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway merged with Great Western Railway. |
| / /1921 | Vale of Glamorgan Railway Merged with Great Western Railway. |
| 19/08/1921 | Railways Act Act passed to create London Midland and Scottish Railway, London and North Eastern Railway, Great Western Railway and Southern Railway by grouping smaller companies into bigger units. This was due to financial problems the railway companies were having in the aftermath of the First World War. |
| / /1922 | #West Somerset Railway# Great Western Railway West Somerset Railway absorbed by the Great Western. |
| 10/07/1922 | Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Tram Road Motor Halt, Pontypridd, closed when the Great Western Railway arranges for Newport trains to use the Taff Vale Railway's Pontypridd station. |
| / /1923 | Didcot Newbury and Southampton Railway Great Western Railway Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Junction Railway merged with the Great Western Railway. |
| 18/07/1923 | Swansea Harbour Trustees Vested in the Great Western Railway. |
| / /1926 | Great Western Railway Act passed to allow closure of the Barry Dock and Railways three miles of line from Phenrhos Lower Junction and Duffryn Isaf (the Rhymney Valley Branch). The Penrhos Viaduct, Penyrhoel Viaduct and Llanbradach Viaduct were to be demolished. |
| / /1928 | Taff Vale Extension Crumlin Viaduct re-plated by the Great Western Railway. |
| / /1928 | Great Western Railway Swansea North Dock closed. |
| / /1930 | Great Western Railway Connection made between Barry Dock and Railways (a north facing junction, just north of Tonteg Junction) to the Llantrissant and Taff Vale Junction Railway at a south facing junction just to the east of Tonteg Viaduct. The former Llantrissant and Taff Vale Junction Railway line between the junction just east on Tonteg Viaduct and Llantrissant Branch Junction is closed. |
| / /1930 | Llancaiach Branch (Taff Vale Railway) Railway between Nelson station and Nelson and Llancaiach on the Taff Vale Extension to be improved by the Great Western Railway to take passengers. |
| / /1934 | Railway Air Services London Midland and Scottish Railway London and North Eastern Railway Great Western Railway Southern Railway Imperial Airways Railway Air Services formed by the LMS, LNER, GWR, SR and Imperial Airways. Airport opened at Renfrew |
| 01/10/1934 | Somerset and Dorset Railway Great Western Railway The Great Western makes use of the Somerset and Dorset Railways Wells station (Priory Road) |
| 19/05/1940 | Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway The line is closed. It was used by the Great Western Railway briefly for storing spare stock. |
| 23/10/1947 | Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway (Great Western Railway) Gloucester T Line (Tramway Jnct - T Station) opened. |
| 01/01/1948 | British Railways
Forth Bridge Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London and North Eastern Railway
Great Western Railway
Southern Railway Britains railways are nationalised. |
| / /1951 | Quakers Yard and Merthyr Joint Railway (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway) Branch over the river to Merthyr Vale Colliery closed. |
| 12/02/1951 | Quakers Yard and Merthyr Joint Railway (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway) Closed to passengers. |
| 01/12/1952 | Abbotsbury Branch (Great Western Railway) Abbotsbury closed |
| 22/11/1954 | London and North Western Railway South Wales Freight services transferred to Great Western Railway routes. |
| 13/06/1960 | Llynvi Valley Extension (Great Western Railway) Abergwynfi closed |
| 07/10/1963 | #Tiverton and North Devon Railway# Exe Valley Railway (Great Western Railway) Dulverton to Tiverton (excluded) to Thorverton (excluded) closed. |
| 16/03/1964 | Cardiff Riverside Branch (Great Western Railway) Closed excluding Currans Siding. |
| 15/06/1964 | Taff Bargoed Joint Line (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway) Closed to passengers. |
| / /1965 | Taff Bargoed Joint Line (Great Western Railway and Rhymney Railway) Connected to Ocean Colliery and Taff Merthyr Colliery on closure of the Taff Vale Extension. |
| 30/11/1966 | Exe Valley Railway (Great Western Railway) Thorverton to Stoke Canon closed. |
| 08/07/1968 | Cardiff Riverside Branch (Great Western Railway) Curran's Siding closed. |
| 19/09/1997 | Great Western Railway 7 people killed at Southall when a First Great Western express trains strikes a freight train. |
| 05/10/1999 | Great Western Railway 31 people killed at Ladbroke Grove when a local train over-runs a signal and crashes into a First Great Western express train. |
Locations along the line
These locations are along the line.
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Ken Strachan 18/05/2019
Ken Strachan 23/03/2019
John McIntyre /08/1985
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Bill Roberton 25/07/2014
John Furnevel 18/03/1969
3 of 3 images.
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Ealing and Shepherd^s Bush Railway
Ealing Broadway Branch (Metropolitan District Railway)
John McIntyre 04/06/2011
John McIntyre 26/01/1990
John Furnevel 20/07/2005
4 of 24 images. more
David Bosher 09/02/2019
David Bosher 09/02/2019
2 of 2 images.
Colin McDonald 05/04/2017
K A Gray //
K A Gray 20/08/1961
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Colin McDonald 05/04/2017
Colin McDonald 05/04/2017
David Pesterfield 23/10/2013
3 of 3 images.
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John Furnevel 18/11/1980
John Furnevel 18/11/1980
John Furnevel 18/11/1980
John Furnevel 18/11/1980
4 of 4 images.
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Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
David Pesterfield 05/06/2013
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Mark Bartlett 18/07/1981
Mark Bartlett 18/07/1981
Mark Bartlett 18/07/1981
3 of 3 images.
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John McIntyre 18/06/2009
John McIntyre 18/06/2009
John McIntyre 18/06/2009
3 of 3 images.
Ken Strachan 18/05/2013
2 of 2 images.
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Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
Peter Todd 28/11/2016
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Ken Strachan 13/06/2017
1 of 1 images.
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Ken Strachan 18/05/2013
1 of 1 images.
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Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
2 of 2 images.
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Peter Todd 21/04/2011
Peter Todd 05/01/2012
4 of 8 images. more
Ken Strachan 30/07/2016
Peter Todd 27/07/2016
4 of 216 images. more
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John McIntyre 22/09/2011
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Peter Todd 30/01/2020
Peter Todd 20/02/2019
Peter Todd 05/04/2019
Peter Todd 08/10/2015
4 of 20 images. more
Peter Todd 14/05/2020
Peter Todd 30/06/2016
Peter Todd 14/06/2018
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Peter Todd 17/06/2017
Peter Todd 16/05/2018
Peter Todd 27/04/2019
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Peter Todd 05/05/2017
Peter Todd 05/05/2017
Peter Todd 05/05/2017
Peter Todd 05/05/2017
4 of 4 images.
Peter Todd 01/03/2017
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Peter Todd 10/03/1999
Alastair McLellan 22/03/2019
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Peter Todd 23/12/1983
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Ken Strachan 10/10/2015
John McIntyre 18/10/2014
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Ken Strachan 10/10/2015
Ken Strachan 10/10/2015
Ken Strachan 09/02/2013
3 of 3 images.
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Ken Strachan 30/03/2013
1 of 1 images.
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Ken Strachan 05/11/2017
Ken Strachan 02/11/2019
Ken Strachan 08/11/2015
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Ken Strachan 05/03/2017
Ken Strachan 22/04/2019
Ken Strachan 15/02/2020
Ken Strachan 01/01/2017
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Alan Cormack 26/05/2017
Ken Strachan 10/02/2013
Ewan Crawford //
3 of 3 images.
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