Midland and South Western Junction Railway

Midland and South Western Junction Railway
1920 map of the railway
Overview
Status	Disused
Termini	Cheltenham Spa Andover
Service
Type	Heavy rail
Operator(s)	Midland and South Western Junction Railway Great Western Railway British Railways
History
Opened	1884–1891
Closed	Passengers 1961 Goods 1964–1970
Technical
Line length	63 miles 75 chains (102.9 km) (1919)[1]
Track length	118 miles 63 chains (191.2 km) (1919)[1]
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map v t e Midland and South Western Junction Railway Legend MR Gloucester to Birmingham Line Cheltenham Spa GWR Honeybourne Line Cheltenham South & Leckhampton Charlton Kings Andoversford B&CDR line to Banbury Andoversford and Dowdeswell Withington Chedworth Halt Foss Cross Cirencester Town Cirencester Watermoor GWR to Kemble Cerney and Ashton Keynes Cricklade Hayes Knoll Swindon & Cricklade Rly Blunsdon Moredon Halt Moredon power station GWR Golden Valley line to Gloucester GWR Main Line to Bristol Swindon Rushey Platt Swindon Town Chiseldon Chiseldon Camp Halt Ogbourne Marlborough (GWR) Marlborough Low Level link ( 1883–1898 1926–1964 ) Marlborough Goods (GWR) Reading–Taunton line Marlborough tunnel Burbage Wharf goods link (1933–1964) Savernake Low Level Savernake High Level Reading–Taunton line Grafton and Burbage Collingbourne Kingston Halt Tidworth Collingbourne (Military Depot) Ludgershall Weyhill Sprat and Winkle Line Waterloo–Exeter Line Andover Junction Andover Town Clatford Fullerton to Hurstbourne Line Fullerton Junction Stockbridge Horsebridge Mottisfont Romsey Wessex Main Line Eastleigh–Romsey line Nursling London & South Western Rly South West Main Line Redbridge Sprat and Winkle Line Millbrook Southampton Central Southampton Terminus Southampton Tunnel to Southampton Eastern Docks London & South Western Rly South West Main Line

The Midland and South Western Junction Railway (M&SWJR) was an independent railway built to form a north–south link between the Midland Railway and the London and South Western Railway in England, allowing the Midland and other companies' trains to reach the port of Southampton.^[2] The M&SWJR was formed in 1884 from the amalgamation of the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway and the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway. The line was absorbed by the Great Western Railway at the 1923 grouping of the railways, and became part of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948. The railway closed to passengers in 1961, and to goods between 1964 and 1970. A small part of it has been reopened as the heritage Swindon and Cricklade Railway.