Fairford railway station
Encyclopedia
Fairford railway station served the town of Fairford
in Gloucestershire
. It was the western terminus of the East Gloucestershire Railway line from . It had one platform, and a stone-built station building.
, 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Fairford. The line continued a further 500 yards (457.2 m) west of the station, apparently aiming to pass just south of Fairford and cross the River Coln
at Horcott. The EGR intended to extend via Cirencester
to Cheltenham
but was unable to do so, and its route remained a lightly used branch line
.
During The Second World War
Fairford station was busy with traffic for RAF Fairford
. British Rail
ways closed the EGR and Fairford station to all traffic on 18 June 1962. The station was demolished in the 1970s and the site is now an industrial estate.
Fairford
Fairford is a small town in Gloucestershire, England. The town lies in the Cotswolds on the River Coln, about east of Cirencester, west of Lechlade and north of Swindon. Nearby are RAF Fairford and the Cotswold Water Park.-Schools:...
in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
. It was the western terminus of the East Gloucestershire Railway line from . It had one platform, and a stone-built station building.
Background
The station opened on 15 January 1873. It was built in open fields beside the road to LechladeLechlade
Lechlade, or Lechlade-on-Thames, is a town at the southern edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. It is the highest point at which the River Thames is navigable. The town is named after the River Leach that joins the Thames near here....
, 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Fairford. The line continued a further 500 yards (457.2 m) west of the station, apparently aiming to pass just south of Fairford and cross the River Coln
River Coln
The River Coln is a river in Gloucestershire, England. It rises at Brockhampton to the east of Cheltenham, and flows in a south/south-easterly direction through the Cotswold Hills via Andoversford, Withington, Fossbridge, Bibury, Coln St Aldwyns and Fairford...
at Horcott. The EGR intended to extend via Cirencester
Cirencester
Cirencester is a market town in east Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles west northwest of London. Cirencester lies on the River Churn, a tributary of the River Thames, and is the largest town in the Cotswold District. It is the home of the Royal Agricultural College, the oldest agricultural...
to Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
but was unable to do so, and its route remained a lightly used branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
.
During The Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Fairford station was busy with traffic for RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England. It is a standby airfield, not in everyday use. Its most prominent use in recent years has been as an airfield for United States Air Force B-52s during the 2003 Iraq War, Operation Allied Force in 1999, and the first Gulf War in...
. British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
ways closed the EGR and Fairford station to all traffic on 18 June 1962. The station was demolished in the 1970s and the site is now an industrial estate.