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 opened. Stations on this section at: Purton, Minety & Ashton Keynes, Oaksey Halt, Kemble and Cirencester (Town station). |
| 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 GWR] ([Great Western Railway]) Didcot Junction to Oxford (Old station) opened. Stations on this section at: Appleford Halt, Culham, Radley and Oxford. |
| / /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 Junction to Gloucester (Standish Junction) opened. Stations on this section at: Chalford, St Marys Crossing Halt, Brimscombe, Brimscombe Bridge Halt, Ham Mill Crossing Halt, Bowbridge Crossing Halt, Stroud, Downfield Crossing Halt, Caches Green Halt, Ebley Crossing Halt, Stonehouse and Gloucester. Standish Junction to Gloucester was owned by the [Midland Railway]. |
| 07/11/1845 | [Bristol and Exeter Railway] [Great Western Railway] Great Westerns offer refused |
| / /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 of the [Taff Vale Railway]. |
| / /1854 | [Shrewsbury and Chester Railway] [Great Western Railway] Shrewsbury and Chester Railway merged into 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). |
| 01/10/1861 | [Great Western Railway] Third rail laid into London Paddington allowing standard gauge trains to enter the station. |
| 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. |
| / /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 works. |
| 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 |
| 01/01/1878 | [East Somerset Railway] [Cheddar Valley and Yatton Railway] ([Bristol and Exeter Railway]) [Great Western Railway] The Great Western starts to run passenger trains from the Cheddar line through the [Somerset and Dorset Railway]s Wells station to Witham. |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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. |
| / /1894 | [Cardiff Riverside Branch] ([Great Western Railway]) Converted for passenger use. |
| / /1897 | [Minehead Railway] [Great Western Railway] Minehead Railway absorbed by the Great Western. |
| 01/01/1899 | [Great Western Railway] Takes over the [Pontypridd Caerphilly and Newport Railway] Newport to Pontypridd passenger service. |
| / /1901 | [Devon and Somerset Railway] [Great Western Railway] Devon and Somerset Railway absorbed by 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 Docks and Railway] [Great Western Railway] Alexandra (Newport and South Wales) Docks and Railway merged with Great Western Railway. |
| / /1922 | #West Somerset Railway# [Great Western Railway] West Somerset Railway absorbed by the Great Western. |
| / /1923 | [Didcot Newbury and Southampton Railway] [Great Western Railway] Didcot, Newbury and Southampton Junction Railway merged with 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, Penyrhoel and Llanbradach viaducts were to be demolished. |
| / /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. |
| / /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) |
| 23/10/1947 | [Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway] ([Great Western Railway]) Gloucester T Line (Tramway Jnct - T Station) opened. |
| / /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 |
| 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 and Taff Merthyr Collieries 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.
Out on the country end of Paddington station 08944 carries out some shunting in front of the signalbox while 31401 waits under Bishop's Bridge Road to ...John McIntyre /08/1985
HSTs at Paddington in August 2018. Power car 43185 has been reliveried in the InterCity Swallow colours while the other is in Great Western green. ...
John Yellowlees 04/08/2018
A BR InterCity 125 leaving Paddington in September 1979 with a service to Bristol Temple Meads. ...John Furnevel 14/09/1979
First Great Western 166202 heads west through Acton Main Line on 25 July 2014. ...Bill Roberton 25/07/2014
A maroon 'Western' diesel hydraulic locomotive photographed shortly after passing through Ealing Broadway and approaching Acton Main Line in March ...John Furnevel 18/03/1969
A westbound HST approaches Ealing Broadway at speed on the afternoon of 04 June 2011. ...John McIntyre 04/06/2011
A westbound HST passes through Ealing Broadway station at speed on 26 January 1990. ...John McIntyre 26/01/1990
District Line, Central Line and main line trains stand together in the rain at Ealing Broadway station in July 2005. ...John Furnevel 20/07/2005
387153 from London Paddington passing West Ealing station, on the GWR main line in west London, on 9th February 2019. ...David Bosher 09/02/2019
Bombardier Aventra EMU 345013, from Hayes & Harlington to London Paddington, at West Ealing station on 9th February 2019. ...David Bosher 09/02/2019
BR Standard class 9F 2-10-0 92207 stands alongside ex-GW locomotives in the yard of its home shed at Southall on a dull and overcast day in the early ...K A Gray //
Platform extension work in progress at Southall in April 2017. Quick grabshot from one of the Class 387 EMUs which currently have to use Selective ...Colin McDonald 05/04/2017
A pair of locally based 0-6-0 pannier tanks standing in a misty shed yard at Southall in August 1961. Nearest the camera is Collett 9791, with ...K A Gray 20/08/1961
Platform widening and extension work in progress at Hayes & Harlington platforms 4 and 5 as part of the Crossrail project....
Colin McDonald 05/04/2017
One of the 110mph GWR Class 387 EMUs which were introduced in September 2016 on Hayes & Harlington to London Paddington services waits in the recently ...Colin McDonald 05/04/2017
Grab shot from a passing train on 23 October showing EWS liveried 66179 on a rake of Construction Sector aggregate hopper wagons being unloaded at ...David Pesterfield 23/10/2013
31423 runs through West Drayton in November 1980 with a Paddington bound parcels train. ...John Furnevel 18/11/1980
A Brush Type 4 speeds through West Drayton in 1980 with a Bristol - Paddington express. ...John Furnevel 18/11/1980
Class 47 with a train of 100t oil tanks westbound on the GW main line through West Drayton in November 1980. ...John Furnevel 18/11/1980
A BR Western Region 'Express Parcels Service' diesel unit that spent its days calling at stations between Paddington parcels depot [see image 42682] ...John Furnevel 18/11/1980
GWR liveried Turbo Express 166218 slows for the Slough stop with a Paddington to Oxford service on 27th January 2018. ...Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
GWR Electrostar 387135, seen from the new Slough footbridge, is on the rear of a westbound service on 27th January 2018. ...Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
A pair of nearly new Great Western Class 387 EMUs pull away from Slough heading for Paddington with a stopping service from Didcot on 27th January ...Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
GWR 165137, looking a little down at heel in the rain in the dedicated Windsor bay platform at Slough on 27th January 2018. The DMU allocated to this ...Mark Bartlett 27/01/2018
Brush Type 4 47143 heads for Paddington at speed in July 1981 taking eight MkI coaches through Taplow on the fast lines. 47143 was withdrawn from ...Mark Bartlett 18/07/1981
50044 Exeter hurries a Paddington bound train through Taplow on the Up Slow line in 1981. Thankfully the former D444 was preserved and, over ...Mark Bartlett 18/07/1981
A Pressed Steel Class 117 suburban DMU leaves the Up slow line platform at Taplow heading for Paddington in 1981. When these 1st generation units were ...Mark Bartlett 18/07/1981
FGW service from Paddington to Oxford calls at Maidenhead on 18 June 2009. ...John McIntyre 18/06/2009
On the GWR main line west of Maidenhead a First Great Western HST heads towards Reading on 18 June 2009. ...John McIntyre 18/06/2009
A westbound HST in full flight (or at least it felt like that) rushes through Platform 1 at Maidenhead on 18 June 2009. ...John McIntyre 18/06/2009
Platform scene at Twyford on 18 May as the 19.41 to Reading (right) crosses the 19.43 to Paddington. ...Ken Strachan 18/05/2013
A Virgin Voyager forming a Southampton - Newcastle Central service stands at Reading in May 2002. ...Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
166214 forming a Paddington - Oxford 'Turbo Express' service calls at Reading on 24 May 2002. ...Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
A Virgin Voyager on a Manchester Piccadilly - Bournemouth CrossCountry service undergoes a crew change at Reading in May 2002. ...Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
Voyager 220-008 being readied for a trip up to Manchester, ex- Southampton Central. ...Peter Todd 28/11/2016
Flying Scotsman whizzes through Tilehurst with the Cathedrals Express on 13th June 2017. Photo courtesy of Peter Caton. ...Ken Strachan 13/06/2017
The latest freebie on First Great Western HST's: moving maps on seatback screens. It's good to see railways adopting technology used by their ...Ken Strachan 18/05/2013
Platform view north at Goring and Streatley station on 24 May 2002. [Ref query 2 June 2018] ...Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
A Virgin CrossCountry Voyager runs through Goring and Streatley in May 2002 heading north west towards Didcot. [Ref query 1657] ...Ian Dinmore 24/05/2002
Freightliner 66543 brings an eastbound container train through Cholsey on 21 April 2011. ...Peter Todd 21/04/2011
Freightliner 66535 passing eastbound through Cholsey Station on 5 January with a container train. ...Peter Todd 05/01/2012
This five platform mainline station is in the north of Didcot. The name changed in 1985 when car parking opened at the station. ...
More details
HST 125 43005 at Didcot on 27 July 2016 in the new GWR Colours... unfortunately the rest of the train wasn't! ...Peter Todd 27/07/2016
A First Great Western HST heads for Paddington at speed on 22 September. The train is pssing the site of Steventon station (closed 1964) to the west ...John McIntyre 22/09/2011
GBRf 66707 stopped in the loop at Challow Station in February 2019. (Pity about the pylon). ...Peter Todd 20/02/2019
DBS 66193 stands in the loop at the site of Challow Station with a train of steel empties, returning to Margam from Tilbury on 081015. ...Peter Todd 08/10/2015
B1 61306 at Challow on the GWR main line with The Cathedrals Express taking on water on 1 March 2015. ...Peter Todd 01/03/2015
LNER 4464 Bittern approaching Challow on 13 August 2012 with the 'Cathedrals Express' bound for Bristol. ...Peter Todd 13/08/2012
60039 heads westbound on the GWML near the village of Longcot. To the east of Swindon. This is the Theale to Robeston oil tanks. Passing time, 1455 ...Peter Todd 30/06/2016
Black 5 45212 passing Uffington on the Great Western main line running from Paddington to Cardiff with The Cathedrals Express on 14th June ...Peter Todd 14/06/2018
Ex-GWR 'Castle' class 4-6-0 no 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe passing the village of Uffington, Oxfordshire, on 29 April 2012 with support coach ...Peter Todd //
HST 125 43 036 eastbound, passing the long gone station site at Shrivenham on the GWML. ...Peter Todd 17/06/2017
35028 Clan Line, at the head of an eastbound Belmond Pullman special at Shrivenham. Running 40 minutes late. ...Peter Todd 16/05/2018
LMS 46233 'Duchess of Sutherland', westbound at Shrivenham. Running one hour late due to a HST fire in Swindon station. The line from Didcot to ...Peter Todd 17/06/2017
66097 westbound approaching Swindon on 6th May 2017 with empty stone wagons heading for Whatley Quarry via Melksham & Westbury. ...Peter Todd 05/05/2017
Taken on the eastern outskirts of Swindon, 34052 (aka 34046) & 46100 pass westbound light engine to Bristol as part of the Great Britain Experience. ...Peter Todd 05/05/2017
34052 (aka 34046) & 46100 westbound light engines to Bristol as part of the Great Britain Experience. The line disappearing to the right is the stub ...Peter Todd 05/05/2017
View west showing a selection of the various plant and equipment located at Highworth Junction GW electrification depot to the east of Swindon on 5 ...Peter Todd 05/05/2017
Swindon had the pleasure of Tornado passing through enroute to Cardiff. Paddington-Reading-Swindon-Chippenham-Filton-Severn Tunnel-Cardiff. Passing ...Peter Todd 01/03/2017
A South West Trains Class 158 waiting to leave Swindon for Melksham and Westbury on 14th December 2017....
Peter Todd 14/12/2017
Arriva Cross-Country Voyager 220025 seen arriving in Swindon on 8th November 2018. Due to line closures at Bristol Parkway, ACC were coming into ...Peter Todd 08/11/2018
50002 Superb eastbound at Dauntsey on the GWR main line on 23 December 1983. The locomotive is currently being restored by the Devon Diesel ...Peter Todd 23/12/1983
An HST heading for Bristol on 10 October waits under the new footbridge under construction at Chippenham. For the original footbridge, which is still ...Ken Strachan 10/10/2015
A westbound HST departs from Chippenham on 18 October 2014. The train is the 1252 First Great Western London Paddington - Bristol Temple Meads. ...John McIntyre 18/10/2014
This sturdy new footbridge has just been completed at Shockerwick (near Box) between Bath (right) and Chippenham (left). The tall walls will doubtless ...Ken Strachan 10/10/2015
They're a bit keen on bridge rails down Somerset way [see image 53123]. These fine examples (there are at least four posts) hold up a fence near the ...Ken Strachan 10/10/2015
Having regained the right line [see image 42041], a London-bound HST clears Middle Hill tunnel and heads for Box tunnel on 9 February 2013. Although ...Ken Strachan 09/02/2013
A 158 running south between bath and Weymouth [see image 42584] approaches Glasses Crossing on 30 March. Does this mean it is about to make a ...Ken Strachan 30/03/2013
A 158 heading for Weymouth approaches Bathampton Junction past a rather decrepit looking hut on 30 March 2013. The A4 dual carriageway provides ...Ken Strachan 30/03/2013
Everything you could possibly want to know about IET's [see image 61791] - except whether you will get a cold shower from the HVAC. ...Ken Strachan 05/11/2017
Transport interchanges are nothing new, you know. A selection of bicycles sheltering from the elements below the platforms [see image 43555]. View ...Ken Strachan 08/11/2015
Winning hearts and minds - bullish publicity from First Great Western at Bath Spa in December 2015. [See image 53873] for a small part of this ...Ken Strachan 27/12/2015
Turning to the left our previous viewpoint through the pedestrian tunnel [see image 53822], we see this fetching view of the rear entrance to Bath Spa ...Ken Strachan 27/12/2015
The 15.23 to Paddington (time from Bath Spa) is about to pass Oldfield park at speed. Photo' taken from road bridge adjacent to the S&D trackbed. [See ...Ken Strachan 05/03/2017
The first evening of the New Year, looking towards Bath Spa. For a daytime view [see image 55059]. ...Ken Strachan 01/01/2017
I have a feeling that that road bridge will have to be modified for electrification - not that the up HST is bothered. The S&D [see image 54464] ...Ken Strachan 06/03/2016
Steel trains to Margam [see image 54711] may be an endangered species; but 66.181 is ignorant of this as it pulls 6R94 (the 10.37 from Tilbury to ...Ken Strachan 02/05/2016
Bristol Temple Meads station, 26th May, a very impressive station. This is the entry into the original passenger terminus. ...Alan Cormack 26/05/2017
Brunel's original train shed at Temple Meads in February 2013. The site is now used for car parking (with a �1 discount for parking outdoors!), but ...Ken Strachan 10/02/2013
Bristol Temple Meads the original western terminus of the GWR. Note signalbox back right. ...Ewan Crawford //
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