Maidenhead Railway Bridge

Great Western Main Line

Legend miles Hammersmith and City Line 0. Maidenhead Railway Bridge (aka Maidenhead Viaduct) is a Railway Bridge carrying the main line of the Great Western Railway over the River The Hammersmith and City line is a line of the London Underground, coloured salmon pink on the London Underground Map, running between Hammersmith in 00 London Paddington Royal Oak Subway Junction Westbourne Park Hammersmith and City Line West London Line Old Oak Common TMD and North Pole depot Old Oak West Jn. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station Royal Oak is a station on the Hammersmith and City Line, between Westbourne Park and Paddington stations and in Travelcard Zone 2. Westbourne Park is a London Underground station on the Hammersmith and City Line, between Ladbroke Grove and Royal Oak stations and in The West London Line is a short railway linking Clapham Junction in the south to Willesden Junction in the north Old Oak Common TMD is situated to the west of London, in Old Oak Common. North Pole depot was the London depot for the Eurostar service until November 2007 maintaining and storing the Class 373 Eurostar trains. New North Main Line North London Line 4. The Chiltern Main Line is an intercity regional and commuter main line Railway in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. The North London Line is a railway line in roughly a circular arc which ran through the inner suburbs of north London, England from Richmond 25 Acton Main Line Central Line and District Line 5. Acton Main Line railway station is a National Rail station in Acton in west London. The Central line is a line of the London Underground and coloured red on the Tube map. The District line is a line of the London Underground, coloured green on the Tube map. 75 Ealing Broadway 6. Ealing Broadway is a National Rail and London Underground station in Ealing in west London. 50 West Ealing Greenford branch 7. West Ealing Railway station was opened in 1871 as "Castle Hill and Ealing Dene" on the Great Western Railway, which was constructed from The Greenford branch line is a 2¾ mile (45 km suburban railway line in west London, England. 25 Hanwell Wharncliffe Viaduct Brentford Branch Line 9. Hanwell railway station is a Railway station in Hanwell in the London Borough of Ealing. The Wharncliffe Viaduct is a brick-built Viaduct that carries the Great Western Main Line railway across the Brent Valley, between Hanwell 00 Southall 10. Southall railway station is a station in Southall, London, located in Zone 4. 75 Hayes and Harlington Airport Junction for Heathrow Airport 13. Hayes and Harlington railway station is a railway station in Hayes and Harlington in the London Borough of Hillingdon. 25 West Drayton Uxbridge Vine Street branch Colnbrook and former Staines West branch M25 motorway 14. West Drayton railway station is a railway station serving West Drayton, a western suburb of London, England. Uxbridge Vine Street station was the first of three railway stations in Uxbridge. Colnbrook is a large Village in the Unitary authority of Slough, in Berkshire, England. To see information about the M25 motorway under construction in Ireland, see N25 road. 75 Iver 16. Iver railway station is a railway station in the village of Richings Park, near Iver, Buckinghamshire, England. 25 Langley 18. Langley railway station is a railway station in Langley, a suburb of Slough, Berkshire, England. 50 Slough Slough to Windsor & Eton Line 21. Slough railway station, in Slough, Berkshire, England, is served by local services operated by First Great Western from London Paddington Services Trains along this line are operated by First Great Western and run every 30 minutes in each direction for most of the day increasing to roughly every 00 Burnham 22. For the station serving Burnham-on-Sea Somerset see Highbridge and Burnham railway station. 50 Taplow Maidenhead Railway Bridge (River Thames) 24. Taplow railway station is a railway station in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, close to Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. Maidenhead Railway Bridge (aka Maidenhead Viaduct) is a Railway Bridge carrying the main line of the Great Western Railway over the River The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. 25 Maidenhead Marlow Branch Line A404(M) motorway 31. Maidenhead railway station is a railway station in the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. The Marlow Branch Line is a relatively short Railway line between Maidenhead, in Berkshire, and Bourne End and Marlow in The A404(M is a Motorway in Berkshire, England and can be referred to as the Maidenhead West Bypass. 00 Twyford Henley Branch Line Sonning Cutting Reading East Junction Waterloo/North Downs Line 36. Twyford railway station is a railway station in the village of Twyford in the county of Berkshire in England. Route From a junction with the Great Western Main Line at Twyford railway station, it turns north and goes under the A4 on its way to its next Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The Waterloo to Reading Line is a suburban Railway line in England operated by South West Trains (SWT. The North Downs Line is the name of the passenger train service connecting Reading, on the Great Western Main Line, to Gatwick Airport, on the Brighton 00 Reading Reading to Plymouth Line also Basingstoke branch 38. Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. The Reading-Plymouth line is the central part of the trunk Railway line between London Paddington and Penzance railway stations in the southern The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western 75 Tilehurst 41. Tilehurst railway station is a railway station in the suburb and former village of Tilehurst to the west of Reading in England. 50 Pangbourne Gatehampton Railway Bridge (River Thames) 44. Pangbourne railway station is a railway station serving the small town of Pangbourne in the county of Berkshire, and across the River Thames the village Gatehampton Railway Bridge is a Railway Bridge carrying the Great Western Main Line over the River Thames in Lower Basildon, 75 Goring & Streatley Moulsford Railway Bridge (River Thames) 48. Goring & Streatley railway station is a railway station serving the twin villages of Goring-on-Thames and Streatley, on the boundary between the counties of Berkshire Moulsford Railway Bridge lies a little to the north of Moulsford and South Stoke in Oxfordshire, UK. 50 Cholsey Cholsey and Wallingford Railway 53. Cholsey railway station, previously known as Cholsey and Moulsford railway station, is a railway station located in the village of Cholsey in Oxfordshire The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is a 25 Mile (4 km) long Standard gauge Heritage railway in the English county of Oxfordshire 25 Didcot Parkway Cherwell Valley Line leading to Cotswold Line Steventon Stocks Lane, Steventon The Causeway, Steventon Wantage Road Former Wantage Tramway A417 road Challow Former Faringdon branch Uffington Shrivenham Former Highworth Branch (now goods only) 77. Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Tilting With the exception of the West Coast Mainline, this route is the only route that domestic UK trains can tilt on something that Virgin Cross Country Route Towns and villages served by stations on the line are listed below from east to west Steventon railway station was built when the Great Western Railway extended their main line from Reading to the village of Steventon, opening the line Wantage Road railway station (sometimes referred to as Grove railway station) was built 6 years after the Great Western Railway extended their main line from The A417 is a main road in England. It runs from Streatley at its junction with the A329 (between Reading and Wallingford Challow railway station (sometimes referred to as Faringdon Road station) was built by the Great Western Railway extended their main line from Reading 25 Swindon Golden Valley Line M4 motorway Wootton Bassett (closed to passengers) South Wales Main Line Dauntsey Former Malmesbury branch Christian Malford Halt 94. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The Golden Valley Line is a railway line from Swindon to Standish Junction, which is just south of Gloucester, UK. The M4 motorway is a Motorway in Great Britain linking London with Wales. History The original route of the Great Western Railway between London and South Wales left the Bristol-bound Great Western Main Line at Swindon proceeding via Dauntsey railway station was opened in February 1868 (Closed 1965 and is situated on the main line between Bristol and London. 00 Chippenham Thingley Junction Wessex ML via Melksham Corsham Box Tunnel (2,939m) Box (Mill Lane) Halt Box Bathford Halt Bathford Bridge (River Avon) Bathampton Junction Wessex Main Line Bathampton Hampton Row Halt 107. Chippenham railway station is the railway station serving Chippenham in Wiltshire. The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Melksham railway station serves the town of Melksham in Wiltshire, England. Corsham railway station served the town of Corsham in Wiltshire, England. Box Tunnel is a railway Tunnel in western England, between Bath and Chippenham, dug through the Box Hill. The River Avon is a River in the south west of England. Because of a number of other River Avons in England this river is often also known as the Lower The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Hampton Row Halt railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset, England. 00 Bath Spa 108. Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England. 00 Oldfield Park Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway Twerton-on-Avon Saltford 114. Oldfield Park railway station is a suburban Railway station in the city of Bath in BANES, England. The Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway – almost always referred to as "the S&D" – was an English railway line connecting Bath in north east Somerset and Twerton on Avon railway station is a former railway station in Bath, Somerset. Saltford railway station was a small station on the Great Western Main Line between Bath and Bristol. 00 Keynsham St Anne's Park Bristol and North Somerset Railway St Philips Marsh TMD Cross Country Route 118. Keynsham Railway station serves the town of Keynsham in Bath and North East Somerset. The main railway The line was opened in 1873 between Bristol and Radstock, where it joined with an earlier freight only line from Frome to Radstock that had St Philips Marsh is an industrial inner suburb of Bristol, England. The North-East/South-West route (sometimes simply The Cross-Country Route) is the major British rail route running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham 50 Bristol Temple Meads Bristol to Taunton Line

The Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in England that runs westwards from London Paddington station to Temple Meads station in Bristol. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England The Bristol to Taunton Line is a main line Railway in England, which links the Great Western Main Line at Bristol Temple Meads to the "Railroad" and "Railway" both redirect here For other uses see Railroad (disambiguation. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. London Paddington station, also known as London Paddington, or just simply Paddington, is a major National Rail and London Underground station Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London The term is also used to denote a wider group of routes, see Associated routes below.

It is the original route of the pre-1948 Great Western Railway which was subsequently taken over by the Western Region of British Railways and is now part of the Network Rail system. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948 Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited

History

The first section of the Great Western Railway was opened from London to a temporary station on the east side of the Thames at Maidenhead on 4 June 1838. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The remaining line was opened in stages as the engineering works were completed:

• Maidenhead to Twyford – 1 July 1839
• Twyford to Reading – 30 March 1840
• Reading to Steventon – 1 June 1840
• Steventon to Farington Road – 20 June 1840
• Faringdon Road to Hay Lane – 17 December 1840
• Hay Lane to Chippenham – 31 May 1841
• Chippenham to Bath – 30 June 1841
• Bath to Bristol – 31 August 1840

The original 7 ft 0¼ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge was supplemented by a third rail to allow "narrow" gauge 4 ft 8½ in (1,435 mm) trains to operate over the route in various stages between 1854 and 1875, but the broad gauge rail was retained until the last empty trains had been worked back from Penzance on 21 May 1892. Twyford railway station is a railway station in the village of Twyford in the county of Berkshire in England. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1839 ( MDCCCXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Steventon railway station was built when the Great Western Railway extended their main line from Reading to the village of Steventon, opening the line Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Challow railway station (sometimes referred to as Faringdon Road station) was built by the Great Western Railway extended their main line from Reading Events 451 - Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius ' defeats Attila the Hun. Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Chippenham railway station is the railway station serving Chippenham in Wiltshire. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper For the game see 1841 (board game. Year 1841 ( MDCCCXLI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1840 ( MDCCCXL) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Penzance railway station serves the town of Penzance, Cornwall, UK. Events 878 - Syracuse Italy is captured by the Muslim sultan of Sicily. Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The dates that the sections were mixed were:

• London to Reading – 1 October 1861
• Reading to Didcot – 22 December 1856
• Didcot to Swindon – February 1872
• Swindon to Thingley Junction, Chippenham – June 1874
• Thingley Junction to Bathampton – 16 March 1875
• Bathampton to Bristol – June 1874
• Bristol station area – 29 May 1854

The original two tracks have been widened to four at several places:

• Paddington to Southall – 1 October 1877
• Southall to West Drayton – 25 November 1878
• West Drayton to Slough – 1 June 1879
• Slough to east side of Maidenhead Bridge – 8 September 1884
• Maidenhead Bridge to Reading – 4 June 1893
• Reading station – 1899
• Reading to Pangbourne – 30 July 1893
• Pangbourne to Cholsey & Moulsford –
• Cholsey & Moulsford to Didcot – 27 December 1892
• Various short sections between Didcot and Swindon, and at Bristol

Services

Main line and local services are provided by First Great Western (FGW). Dual-gauge or mixed-gauge Railway is a special configuration of railway track, allowing trains of different gauges to use the same track Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1861 ( MDCCCLXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Events 1790 - The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Suvorov and his Russian armies Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Chippenham railway station is the railway station serving Chippenham in Wiltshire. Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1854 ( MDCCCLIV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Southall railway station is a station in Southall, London, located in Zone 4. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1877 ( MDCCCLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common West Drayton railway station is a railway station serving West Drayton, a western suburb of London, England. Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the Year 1878 ( MDCCCLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Slough railway station, in Slough, Berkshire, England, is served by local services operated by First Great Western from London Paddington Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1879 ( MDCCCLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Maidenhead Railway Bridge (aka Maidenhead Viaduct) is a Railway Bridge carrying the main line of the Great Western Railway over the River Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz Year 1884 ( MDCCCLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Pangbourne railway station is a railway station serving the small town of Pangbourne in the county of Berkshire, and across the River Thames the village Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Cholsey railway station, previously known as Cholsey and Moulsford railway station, is a railway station located in the village of Cholsey in Oxfordshire Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Events 537 - The Hagia Sophia is completed 1512 - The Spanish Crown issues the Laws of Burgos, governing the Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup, which operates The stations served by express trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads are: Slough,Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Chippenham, and Bath Spa. Slough railway station, in Slough, Berkshire, England, is served by local services operated by First Great Western from London Paddington Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Chippenham railway station is the railway station serving Chippenham in Wiltshire. Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England. Not all trains call at all of these stations, especially Slough and Didcot.

Fast trains from Paddington to Heathrow Airport are operated by BAA as the Heathrow Express . BAA Limited is the owner and operator of seven British Airports and the operator of several other airports worldwide making the company one of the largest transport Heathrow Express is a Train service from Heathrow Airport to Paddington in Central London operated by the Heathrow Express Operating Authority Local services on this route are jointly operated by FGW and BAA under the Heathrow Connect name. Heathrow Connect is a train service in London provided by Heathrow Express and First Great Western, connecting Heathrow Airport with Paddington

CrossCountry operate trains between Reading and Oxford, using the Great Western Main Line as far as Didcot and South West Trains operate a limited number of trains between Bath and Bristol. CrossCountry is a Train operating company, the brand name of XC Trains Limited owned by Arriva, that has operated Great Britain ’s Cross Country rail franchise South West Trains ( SWT) is a train operating company operating in the United Kingdom, providing Train services to the south-west of London chiefly

Infrastructure

The line speed is 125 mph (200 km/h) from London to Wootton Bassett and 100 mph (160 km/h) from there to Bristol, having been upgraded during the 1970s to support the introduction of the Intercity 125 (HST). Wootton Bassett is a small Market town located in northern Wiltshire, UK. The InterCity 125 is the brand name under which British Rail operated services with their fleet of High Speed Trains within Great Britain. The relief lines from Paddington to Didcot are currently limited to 90 mph (144 km/h) as far as Airport Junction, 75 mph (120 km/h) from there to Reading, and then 100 mph to Didcot. Lower restrictions apply at various locations.

It is one of only two Network Rail-owned lines to be equipped with the Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system, the other being the Chiltern Main Line. Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited Automatic Train Protection (ATP in Great Britain refers to either of two implementations of a Train protection system installed in some Trains in order The Chiltern Main Line is an intercity regional and commuter main line Railway in the United Kingdom, part of the British railway system. Network Rail intends to replace the ATP system with ETCS – Level 2[1] in the future alongside the introduction of the new ICP trains. The European Train Control System ( ETCS) is a signalling, control and train protection system designed to replace the many incompatible safety systems currently The Intercity Express Programme is an initiative of the United Kingdom ’s Department for Transport (DfT to procure a fleet of next-generation long-distance

The line is electrified at 25 kV AC overhead between Paddington and Airport Junction, the junction with the line to Heathrow Airport near Hayes. Railway electrification in Great Britain describes the past and present electrification systems used to supply traction current to railways and tramways in Great Britain 25 kV 50 Hz AC is a type of Railway electrification system. Hayes and Harlington railway station is a railway station in Hayes and Harlington in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Associated routes

Trains on the Great Western Main Line are sometimes diverted from Reading along the Reading to Plymouth Line as far as Westbury, from where they can use the Wessex Main Line to reach either Chippenham and Swindon, or Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads. Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. The Reading-Plymouth line is the central part of the trunk Railway line between London Paddington and Penzance railway stations in the southern Westbury railway station serves the town of Westbury Wiltshire, England. The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. Chippenham railway station is the railway station serving Chippenham in Wiltshire. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England.

Beyond Bristol, some trains continue on the Bristol to Taunton Line to Weston-super-Mare or beyond. The Bristol to Taunton Line is a main line Railway in England, which links the Great Western Main Line at Bristol Temple Meads to the Weston-super-Mare railway station serves the town of Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset, England.

The Network Rail 2007 Business Plan includes the following routes as part of their Great Western Main Line (Route 13):

• Didcot to Oxford and Worcester via the Cherwell Valley Line and Cotswold Line
• Swindon to Cheltenham Spa via the Golden Valley Line
• Swindon to Cardiff Central and Swansea via the South Wales Main Line
• Cross Country Routes south of Birmingham
• All connecting branch lines. Network Rail is a British "not for dividend" Company limited by guarantee whose principal asset is Network Rail Infrastructure Limited a company limited Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Oxford is a mainline Railway station serving the city of Oxford, England. Worcester Foregate Street railway station is situated in the centre of the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. Tilting With the exception of the West Coast Mainline, this route is the only route that domestic UK trains can tilt on something that Virgin Cross Country Route Towns and villages served by stations on the line are listed below from east to west Cheltenham Spa railway station is a Railway station serving the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, located on the main Bristol-Birmingham The Golden Valley Line is a railway line from Swindon to Standish Junction, which is just south of Gloucester, UK. Cardiff Central railway station (Caerdydd Canolog is a major British railway station on Central Square in Cardiff, Wales. Swansea railway station is the Railway station serving Swansea, Wales. History The original route of the Great Western Railway between London and South Wales left the Bristol-bound Great Western Main Line at Swindon proceeding via The North-East/South-West route (sometimes simply The Cross-Country Route) is the major British rail route running from South West England via Bristol, Birmingham Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um

Future plans

It is planned to extend electrification from Airport Junction to Maidenhead (and possibly Reading) in connection with the Crossrail scheme, however privatisation of the railways has brought rail electrification in Britain to a virtual stop. Maidenhead railway station is a railway station in the town of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England. Crossrail is a project to build major new Railway connections under central London. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business

Traffic levels on the Great Western Main Line are rising faster than national average, with continued increases predicted. The now defunct Strategic Rail Authority produced a Route Utilisation Strategy for the Great Western Main Line in 2005 to propose ways of meeting this demand; Network Rail plan to implement a new study in 2008. In existence from from 2001 to 2006 the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 In the meantime, their 2007 Business Plan highlights the large number of delays that can be reduced by improving the quality of the track, to which end a major renewal programme is underway from bases as Reading and Taunton. Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. Taunton railway station is a junction station on the London to Penzance Line, from London Paddington station. Further capacity improvements are also scheduled at Swindon, adding to recent changes and the new Platform 4. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Some of the speed restrictions on the relief lines between Reading and London will be raised so that 86% of the line can be used at 90 mph (144 km/h).

Other more distant aspirations include resignalling and capacity improvements at Reading; the provision of four continuous tracks between Didcot and Swindon (including a grade-separated junction at Milton, where the down (westbound) relief line switches from the north side of the line to the south); and resignalling between Bath and Bristol to enable trains to run closer together. Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England

If planning permission applied for is accepted, in 2008 major renovation work on Twyford railway station to allow for added capacity which will include a new footbridge with three lifts, one for each platform; ticket gates. Twyford railway station is a railway station in the village of Twyford in the county of Berkshire in England. Also as part of the Twyford Plan the station has been added to more High Speed schedules with Adelante trains, to add to this some unofficial plans have been heard that they will be extending the platforms to allow all High Speed trains up to 8 carriages to stop at Twyford making it a more significant station on the line since it is the only Station on the Great Western Line which provides services to Henley on Thames. Henley-on-Thames is a town on the north side of the River Thames in south Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from

By 2016, there are plans for a direct rail link from Swindon to London Heathrow Airport. 2016 ( MMXVI) will be a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[1]

Route

Communities served: London (including Acton, Ealing, Hanwell) - Southall - Hayes - Harlington - West Drayton - Iver - Slough - Langley - Burnham - Taplow - Maidenhead - Twyford - Reading - Tilehurst - Goring-on-Thames - Streatley - Cholsey - Didcot - Swindon - Chippenham - Bath - Keynsham - Bristol

The main line was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in stages by the Great Western Railway between 1838 and 1841. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Acton is a place in west London, England situated west of Charing Cross. Ealing is a Town in the London Borough of Ealing. It is a Suburban development situated 7 Hanwell is a town situated in the London Borough of Ealing in West London, between Ealing and Southall. Southall is a suburb in the London Borough of Ealing, West London. Hayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is a suburban development situated 13 miles (20 Harlington is a place in the London Borough of Hillingdon. It is a suburban development situated 13 West Drayton is an area of West London in the London Borough of Hillingdon. Iver is in the south-east corner of the English county of Buckinghamshire and it forms one of the largest Civil parishes in the South Bucks district Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. Langley (also known as Langley Marish) is a Village in the unitary authority of Slough, Berkshire in South East England. Burnham lies north of the River Thames, and sits on the border with Berkshire, between the towns of Maidenhead and Slough. Taplow is a Village and Civil parish within South Bucks district in Buckinghamshire, England. Maidenhead is a town within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, in Berkshire, England. For other places of the same name see Twyford. Twyford is a large village and Civil parish in the English Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ as Redding) is a town in England, located at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, midway between Tilehurst is a Suburb of the town of Reading in the English Goring-on-Thames is a Village and Civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Oxfordshire. Streatley is a Village and Civil parish on the River Thames in the English county of Berkshire. Cholsey is a large Village and Civil parish, two miles (3 km from Wallingford, in the district of South Oxfordshire in the English Didcot is a Town in the Thames Valley, in the English county of Oxfordshire (although formerly in Berkshire) Swindon ( is a large town in the ceremonial county of Wiltshire in the South West of England, midway between Bristol (64 km / 40 miles Chippenham is a Market town in Wiltshire, England, located at, some 21 km (13 miles east of Bath and 163 km (96 miles west of London Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. Keynsham (ˈkeɪnʃm is a Town between Bristol and Bath in south-west England. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS (9 April 1806 &ndash 15 September 1859 (ˈɪzəmbɑrd ˈkɪŋdəm brʊˈnɛl was a British Engineer. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West It was originally a 7 ft 0¼ in (2,140 mm) broad gauge railway. Broad gauge Railways use a Rail gauge (distance between the rails greater than the Standard gauge of. Evidence of this can be seen at many places where bridges are a little wider than usual, or tracks ten feet apart instead of the usual six.

From London to Didcot the line follows the Thames Valley, crossing the River Thames three times, including on the famous Maidenhead Railway Bridge. Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. The Thames Valley generally implies the region that drains into the River Thames (the Thames catchment) from west of Cirencester to London The Thames ( is a major River flowing through southern England. Maidenhead Railway Bridge (aka Maidenhead Viaduct) is a Railway Bridge carrying the main line of the Great Western Railway over the River On this section there are four tracks, grouped by speed with the "relief" lines on the north side of the "main" lines. Most smaller stations only have platforms in use on the relief lines.

Didcot Power Station, as seen from a train on the GWML. The Didcot Power Stations are twin facilities for the generation of Electric power to supply the National Grid.

Didcot is home to the Didcot Railway Centre, a working steam railway museum. Didcot Railway Centre, located in the town of Didcot in the English county of Oxfordshire, is based around the site of an old engine shed Soon after leaving Didcot, trains pass Didcot Power Station, a major source of freight traffic on the route with heavy coal trains running from Avonmouth near Bristol. The Didcot Power Stations are twin facilities for the generation of Electric power to supply the National Grid. Avonmouth railway station serves the suburb of Avonmouth in Bristol. Between Didcot and Wootton Bassett there are a series of loop lines to allow fast trains to overtake slower ones. Wootton Bassett is a small Market town located in northern Wiltshire, UK. This section is also signalled for bi-directional running on each line but this facility is usually only used during engineering working or due to significant disruption to traffic in one direction.

The GWML at Challow, between Didcot and Swindon

Swindon, the next station, was the centre of the Great Western Railway and is still the headquarters for First Great Western. Challow railway station (sometimes referred to as Faringdon Road station) was built by the Great Western Railway extended their main line from Reading Didcot Parkway is a railway station serving the town of Didcot in Oxfordshire in England. Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. Leaving the station, trains pass the Swindon railway works on the north side of the line, now home to Steam - the Museum of the Great Western Railway. Swindon railway works were built by the Great Western Railway in 1841 in Swindon in the English county of Wiltshire. Swindon 'Steam' Railway Museum is located at the site of the old Railway works in Swindon, England - Wiltshire 's 'railway town' On the opposite side of the line is the "Railway Village", an area of industrial housing laid out for the employees of the railway workshops and a good example of early social housing.

At Wootton Bassett the two different routes to Bristol – via Box Tunnel and via Bristol Parkway – allow flexibility. Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the oldest and largest Railway station in Bristol, England Box Tunnel is a railway Tunnel in western England, between Bath and Chippenham, dug through the Box Hill. Bristol Parkway railway station is a Railway station on the northern edge of Bristol, England, at Stoke Gifford in South Gloucestershire A third arrangement is to run via the Wessex Main Line but this involves a reversal at Bradford Junction so is only really suitable for multiple unit trains. The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton. A further diversionary route is available from Reading to Bath via Newbury. Reading railway station (formerly Reading General) is a major rail transport hub in Reading. Bath Spa railway station is the principal Railway station in the city of Bath, in South West England. Newbury railway station is a railway station in the centre of the town of Newbury in the county of Berkshire in England.

References

• MacDermot, E T (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, volume I 1833-1863. London: Great Western Railway. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West  
• MacDermot, E T (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, volume II 1863-1921. London: Great Western Railway. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West  
• (2006) Great Britain Passenger Timetable. London: Network Rail.  
• (1976) Pre-grouping Atlas and Gazetteer. Shepperton: Ian Allan Limited. ISBN 0-71100-320-3.  
• 2007 Business Plan, Network Rail, London