The great lost trains stations of Wiltshire and what remains of them

The UK thrived following the invention by famous Cornish engineer Richard Trevithick, who designed and built the world’s first steam locomotive.

George Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’ locomotive pathed the way for steam locomotive design and innovation right until the last engine was completed at Swindon Works in 1960.

In the 1950s and 1960s, British Railways was losing millions of pounds every year.

The British Transport Commission hired Dr Richard Beeching, whose short time as chairman would be embroiled in controversy.

His famous ‘The reshaping of British Railways’ report would cut communities from the rail network forever in an attempt to make Britain’s railways profitable and thousands of branch lines and stations were closed as a result.

Here are some of Wiltshire’s lost railway stations.

Highworth 

Highworth station was the terminus of the branch line from Swindon.

Opened by the Swindon and Highworth Light Railway in 1879, the line did not start to operate commercially as a branch line until 1883.

The railway served various communities near Swindon such as Stratton, Stanton and Hannington.

Sadly, like many branches, traffic declined after the Second World War and the line was closed to passengers on February 20, 1953.

The last passenger train was the 6.05 pm from Swindon on that evening and its respective return working.

All traffic on the line ceased on August 3, 1962, when a Class 03 diesel mechanical shunter hauled a workers' train from Swindon to Highworth and return.

A housing estate now occupies the site of the station.

Wootton Bassett Junction

Wootton Bassett Junction was a station, where the Great Western and South Wales Main Lines diverged.

The station served the town for 124 years before its closure in 1965.

It opened on July 30, 1841, when the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington was extended from Chippenham to Bristol Temple Meads.

In 1903, the Great Western Railway rebuilt the station to coincide with the opening of the new South Wales mainline which went via the Severn Tunnel as it does today.

Local passenger services between Swindon and Chippenham were withdrawn on January 4, 1965. Coal trains continued to serve the goods yard until October 4.

In August 2012 Wiltshire Council commissioned Robert McClean, a transport planning consultant, to undertake a study to identify potential rail demand within Wiltshire.

New stations including one at Royal Wootton Bassett were being considered.

However, if it does reopen the new station would not be located on the old site as there is no longer capacity on the existing mainline.

Devizes

The line from Patney and Chirton through via Devizes connected the Reading-Taunton mainline at Patney and Chirton with the Wessex mainline at Holt Junction which connected the towns of Trowbridge and Melksham.

It acting as a useful diversionary route, when the Great Western mainline was closed for engineering work.

However, like many secondary routes, it closed completely on April 18, 1966.

Devizes station was subsequently demolished and there is little trace of the station. The road bridge over the old Pans Lane Halt station and the footbridge at Devizes remain.

In place of the station, there is now a public car park and a new property development, both on Station Road.

A new station called Devizes Gateway is now being proposed next to the Clock Inn in Lydeway, where the former branch line diverges from the main line.

Much of the branch line has been built over in Devizes itself, which is why the centre of town has been deemed unlikely.

Swindon Town

Up until the mid-1960s, Swindon used to have two railway stations.

One served the Great Western mainline through to Bristol and South Wales and remains open today.

The other severed the Midland and South Western Junction Railway line which went Cheltenham to Andover.

It opened in July 1881 just to the east of the Devizes Road bridge and south of Newport Street near the Old Town cattle market.

Passenger services were withdrawn in September 1961, whilst goods traffic soldiered on until 1964.

Today an industrial estate now occupies the site and track that led to it is now a cycle path.

The section between Taw Valley Halt, Blunsdon and Hayes Knoll is preserved as the Swindon and Cricklade Railway.

An extension is currently being constructed towards Cricklade itself.

Calne

Calne was the terminus of the branch line from Chippenham.

The branch was only five miles long with Stanley Bridge Halt being the only other station on the line.

It originally opened for freight traffic on October 29, 1863, with passenger services operating from November 3.

The Calne Railway Company was absorbed by the Great Western Railway in 1892.

Calne station was used during the Second World War to transport serviceman and goods to nearby RAF bases at Yatesbury and Compton Bassett.

Following the closure of the RAF bases, passenger usage fell very quickly.

Freight services on the line were withdrawn on November 2, 1964, with passenger services following on September 18, 1965.

Today nothing much remains of Calne railway station, the buildings were demolished in the 1970s, a housing estate now occupies the site.

The trackbed now forms part of the National Cycle Network and is known as the Chippenham/Calne Railway path.

Marlborough High and Low Level

Up until the mid-1960s Marlborough had two railway stations that served the town.

Marlborough High Level was the Great Western Railway station and was situated to the south-east of the town centre.

It was the terminus of the line from Savernake Low Level, where the Reading to Taunton line carried on.

The Midland and South Western Railway’s station was located on the line from Swindon to Andover.

Closure of the M&SWR line to passengers took place in 1961 and that included the remaining branch line service from Savernake Low Level.

Goods traffic continued to Marlborough from Savernake for a further three years, with the GWR station's goods yard remaining open until May 1964 and the M&SWJR station's goods facilities holding on until September 1964.