Midland and South Western Junction Railway

Midland and South Western Junction Railway
1920 map of the railway
Overview
StatusDisused
Termini
Service
TypeHeavy rail
Operator(s)Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Great Western Railway
British Railways
History
Opened1884–1891
ClosedPassengers 1961
Goods 1964–1970
Technical
Line length63 miles 75 chains (102.9 km) (1919)[1]
Track length118 miles 63 chains (191.2 km) (1919)[1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Midland and South Western Junction Railway
Cheltenham Spa
Cheltenham South
& Leckhampton
Charlton Kings
Andoversford
B&CDR line to Banbury
Andoversford
and Dowdeswell
Withington
Chedworth Halt
Foss Cross
Cirencester Town
Cirencester Watermoor
Cerney and
Ashton Keynes
Cricklade
Hayes Knoll
Blunsdon
Moredon Halt
Moredon power station
Swindon
Rushey Platt
Swindon Town
Chiseldon
Chiseldon Camp Halt
Ogbourne
Marlborough (GWR)
Marlborough Low Level
link (
1883–1898
1926–1964
)
Marlborough
Goods
(GWR)
Marlborough tunnel
Burbage Wharf goods
link (1933–1964)
Savernake Low Level
Savernake High Level
Grafton and Burbage
Collingbourne
Kingston Halt
Tidworth
Collingbourne
(Military Depot)
Ludgershall
Weyhill
Andover Junction
Andover Town
Clatford
Fullerton Junction
Stockbridge
Horsebridge
Mottisfont
Romsey
Nursling
Redbridge
Millbrook
Southampton Central
Southampton Terminus
to Southampton
Eastern Docks

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.

  1. ^ a b The Railway Year Book for 1920. London: The Railway Publishing Company Limited. 1920. p. 215.
  2. ^ "Swindon & Cricklade Railway – Brief history of the MSWJ". Swindon-cricklade-railway.org. Retrieved 27 July 2013.