Wessex Main Line
Encyclopedia
The Wessex Main Line is the railway line from Bristol Temple Meads to Southampton
. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line
from Westbury
to Weymouth.
Passenger services are currently operated by First Great Western
local services, supplemented by South West Trains
between Salisbury and Bristol Temple Meads, and First Great Western
high speed express services between Bristol
and Bath. Many services continue beyond Southampton along the West Coastway Line
to Portsmouth Harbour
and Brighton
, and beyond Bristol to Newport
and Cardiff
along the South Wales Main Line
. Strong passenger growth meant that Wessex Trains
increased train lengths from 2 carriages to 3 in 2004, but the new franchise specification reduced them back to 2 coaches, with inevitable chronic overcrowding and passenger protests. As of 2011, the service now regularly runs with 3 carriages, although with significant overcrowding remaining in peak times.
to Chippenham
, with an intermediate stop at Melksham
. Despite showing strong passenger growth in the previous few years, the new franchise reduced services in December 2006 to 2 each way per day, at times barely convenient for commuters. This has particularly hit Trowbridge to London commuters, who now generally have to drive to Chippenham or Westbury for a connection to London if they wish to arrive at the capital relatively early.
High Speed Train
will start back from Bristol Temple Meads, calling at Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge, before reversing at Westbury and resuming the existing route via Newbury to London Paddington. A corresponding evening service from London Paddington will serve Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon in the opposite direction; this service however will not call at Westbury, instead taking the little-used east curve to avoid the main station. This development would provide Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge with their first direct service to and from London Paddington since the mid-1960s, and will complement the existing three daily services between London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads via Salisbury provided by South West Trains
. It will also help ease congestion on the roads to Chippenham and Westbury, which have become the intercity railhead
s for the surrounding Wiltshire towns since the reduction in frequency of the Westbury-Trowbridge-Melksham-Chippenham line service.
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. Diverging from this route is the Heart of Wessex Line
Heart of Wessex Line
The Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
from Westbury
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
to Weymouth.
Places served
The places served are listed below.- BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
- KeynshamKeynshamKeynsham is a town and civil parish between Bristol and Bath in Somerset, south-west England. It has a population of 15,533.It was listed in the Domesday Book as Cainesham, which is believed to mean the home of Saint Keyne....
- Oldfield ParkOldfield Park railway stationOldfield Park railway station is a suburban railway station in the city of Bath in Bath and North East Somerset, England. Situated at the junction of Brook Road and Moorland Road, it serves the mainly residential areas in southern Bath...
- Bath
- Great Western Main LineGreat Western Main LineThe Great Western Main Line is a main line railway in Great Britain that runs westwards from London Paddington station to the west of England and South Wales. The core Great Western Main Line runs from London Paddington to Temple Meads railway station in Bristol. A major branch of the Great...
diverges to ChippenhamChippenham, WiltshireChippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
, SwindonSwindonSwindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
and London Paddington
- Great Western Main Line
- FreshfordFreshfordFreshford is a village and civil parish in the Avon valley south-east of Bath, in the county of Somerset, England. The parish has a population of 530...
- AvoncliffAvoncliffAvoncliff is a village in Wiltshire.It is the point at which the Kennet and Avon canal crosses the river and railway line via the Avoncliff Aqueduct, which was built by John Rennie and chief engineer John Thomas, between 1797 and 1801...
- Bradford-on-Avon
- TrowbridgeTrowbridgeTrowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
- WestburyWestbury, WiltshireWestbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
- Heart of Wessex LineHeart of Wessex LineThe Heart of Wessex Line, also known as the Bristol to Weymouth line, is a United Kingdom railway line that runs from Bristol to Westbury to Weymouth...
diverges to Weymouth
- Heart of Wessex Line
- Dilton MarshDilton MarshDilton Marsh is a village and parish in the County of Wiltshire, in the south west of England.-Location:Its closest town is Westbury, which lies due east of the village....
- WarminsterWarminsterWarminster is a town in western Wiltshire, England, by-passed by the A36, and near Frome and Westbury. It has a population of about 17,000. The River Were runs through the town and can be seen running through the middle of the town park. The Minster Church of St Denys sits on the River Were...
- Salisbury
- DeanWest Dean, WiltshireWest Dean is a small village in Wiltshire, England. The village was mentioned in the Cartularium saxonicum for the year 880 as Deone, as Duene in the Domesday Book, as Westdone in 1265, and as Westdune in 1270....
- Mottisfont & Dunbridge
- RomseyRomseyRomsey is a small market town in the county of Hampshire, England.It is 8 miles northwest of Southampton and 11 miles southwest of Winchester, neighbouring the village of North Baddesley...
- Eastleigh to Romsey LineEastleigh to Romsey LineThe Eastleigh-Romsey Line is the railway line from Eastleigh to Romsey in Hampshire, England. At Eastleigh, trains join the South Western Main Line for onward travel to Southampton and Totton...
diverges to Chandler's FordChandler's FordChandler's Ford is a largely residential area and civil parish in the Borough of Eastleigh in Hampshire, England, with a population of 20,071 in the 2001 UK Census....
and EastleighEastleighEastleigh is a railway town in Hampshire, England, and the main town in the Eastleigh borough which is part of Southampton Urban Area. The town lies between Southampton and Winchester, and is part of the South Hampshire conurbation...
- Eastleigh to Romsey Line
- SouthamptonSouthamptonSouthampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
Passenger services are currently operated by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
local services, supplemented by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
between Salisbury and Bristol Temple Meads, and First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
high speed express services between Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and Bath. Many services continue beyond Southampton along the West Coastway Line
West Coastway Line
The West Coastway Line is a railway line in England, along the south coast of West Sussex and Hampshire, between Brighton and Southampton, plus the short branches to Littlehampton and Bognor Regis....
to Portsmouth Harbour
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, and beyond Bristol to Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
along the South Wales Main Line
South Wales Main Line
The South Wales Main Line , originally known as the London, Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway or simply as the Bristol and South Wales Direct Railway, is a branch of the Great Western Main Line in Great Britain...
. Strong passenger growth meant that Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains
Wessex Trains was the primary passenger rail operator in the South West of England. The company operated trains in the region bounded by Penzance, Cardiff, Gloucester, Worcester and Brighton...
increased train lengths from 2 carriages to 3 in 2004, but the new franchise specification reduced them back to 2 coaches, with inevitable chronic overcrowding and passenger protests. As of 2011, the service now regularly runs with 3 carriages, although with significant overcrowding remaining in peak times.
Chippenham branch
There is a link from TrowbridgeTrowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
to Chippenham
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
, with an intermediate stop at Melksham
Melksham
Melksham is a medium-sized English town, lying on the River Avon. It lies in the county of Wiltshire.It is situated southeast of the city of Bath, south of Chippenham, west of Devizes and north of Warminster on the A350 national route. The 2001 UK census cited Melksham as having 20,000...
. Despite showing strong passenger growth in the previous few years, the new franchise reduced services in December 2006 to 2 each way per day, at times barely convenient for commuters. This has particularly hit Trowbridge to London commuters, who now generally have to drive to Chippenham or Westbury for a connection to London if they wish to arrive at the capital relatively early.
Proposed Avon Valley to London direct service
From 23rd May 2011 an existing early-morning Westbury to London Paddington weekday service operated by a First Great WesternFirst Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
High Speed Train
High Speed Train
There are three types of trains in Britain that have been traditionally viewed as high speed trains:* Advanced Passenger Train - Tilting trains which never entered into regular revenue-earning service....
will start back from Bristol Temple Meads, calling at Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge, before reversing at Westbury and resuming the existing route via Newbury to London Paddington. A corresponding evening service from London Paddington will serve Trowbridge and Bradford-on-Avon in the opposite direction; this service however will not call at Westbury, instead taking the little-used east curve to avoid the main station. This development would provide Bradford-on-Avon and Trowbridge with their first direct service to and from London Paddington since the mid-1960s, and will complement the existing three daily services between London Waterloo and Bristol Temple Meads via Salisbury provided by South West Trains
South West Trains
South West Trains is a British train operating company providing, under franchise, passenger rail services, mostly out of Waterloo station, to the southwest of London in the suburbs and in the counties of Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Berkshire, and Wiltshire and on the Isle of Wight...
. It will also help ease congestion on the roads to Chippenham and Westbury, which have become the intercity railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
s for the surrounding Wiltshire towns since the reduction in frequency of the Westbury-Trowbridge-Melksham-Chippenham line service.
External links
- www.savethetrain.org.uk–Melksham-based campaign to maintain services on the Chippenham branch.