Churchdown | |
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![]() Cheltenham - Paddington express passing Churchdown station in 1961 | |
General information | |
Location | Churchdown, Tewkesbury England |
Grid reference | SO886202 |
Platforms | 4 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Birmingham and Gloucester Railway |
Pre-grouping | Midland Railway/Great Western Railway |
Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway/Great Western Railway |
Key dates | |
9 August 1842 | Opened |
27 September 1842 | Closed |
2 February 1874 | Re-opened |
2 November 1964 | Closed |
Churchdown railway station was situated on the main line between Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa. It served Churchdown and surrounding areas.
The railway line between Cheltenham and Gloucester opened on 4 November 1840, the final section of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (B&G) which had been authorised in 1836. [1] At first, there were no intermediate stations, but on 9 August 1842 the first station at Churchdown was opened by the B&G; it proved to be temporary, being closed again on 27 September. [2] Less than a year later, on 22 August 1843, a station opened closer to Cheltenham at nearby Badgworth. [3] [4] Both stations were built in response to request from the residents of Badgeworth for a station closer than Cheltenham or Gloucester; Churchdown was the first choice of the railway company since it was closer to the half-way point between the two towns. [5]
The permanent station at Churchdown was opened on 2 February 1874, and was the joint property of the Midland Railway (successor to the B&G) and the Great Western Railway, [2] [6] who had shared the line since 1847. [7]
The station closed on 2 November 1964, [2] as part of the reshaping of British Railways or more commonly known as the Beeching Axe by Dr Beeching.
The site of the station is 89 miles 65 chains (144.5 km ) from Derby. [4] Little remains of the station itself next to what is now Station Close, but through traffic continues on the line.
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Cheltenham Malvern Road | Great Western Railway Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway | Gloucester | ||
Gloucester | Birmingham and Gloucester Railway | Badgworth | ||
Gloucester Eastgate | Midland Railway | Cheltenham Spa (Lansdown) |