Bathampton_railway_station

Bathampton railway station

Bathampton railway station

Disused railway station in Bathampton, Somerset

Bathampton railway station is a former railway station in Bath, England, serving the community of Bathampton. The station opened on 2 February 1857 and closed on 3 October 1966.[1] Very little remains, as the station site was replaced with improved trackwork for a nearby junction. The only significant remains are the gateposts at the head of the approach road.[2]

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History

The main line of the Great Western Railway (GWR) opened in stages, and was completed on 30 June 1841 with the opening of the stretch between Chippenham and Bath; there were initially two intermediate stations, at Corsham and at Box.[3] The Wilts, Somerset and Weymouth Railway (WS&WR) opened between Thingley Junction (west of Chippenham) and Westbury on 5 September 1848; it was absorbed by the GWR on 14 March 1850.[4] The Act of Parliament authorising the WS&WR had stipulated that it should also build a branch line connecting its main line to Bath, in order to communicate with Bristol, but owing to difficulty in obtaining finance, this was not proceeded with.[5] A lawsuit was successfully brought against the GWR in 1853, and on 31 July 1854, the GWR obtained a fresh Act of Parliament granting an extension of time for the completion of the branch, and this was opened on 2 February 1857 from Bradford Junction, a triangular junction at Trowbridge on the former WS&WR line, to a new station at Bathampton on the GWR main line.[6] It had been planned that this station would be the interchange point for trains on the branch to Bradford-on-Avon, but once the Bradford-on-Avon service commenced, it normally ran through to Bath. Bathampton station was mainly used by the people who lived in eastern Bath.[7]

The station had two platforms, used by both main line and branch trains; the junction of the two routes was at the eastern end of the station.[7] The main and branch lines had been built to the broad gauge; during June 1874, the main line from the junction to the west was altered to mixed gauge, and the Bradford-on-Avon branch was converted to standard gauge;[8] the main line from the junction to the east was altered to mixed gauge in March 1875;[9] and the main line was altered from mixed gauge to standard gauge in May 1892.[10] The main line was always double track, but the branch, which had been built as single-track, was doubled in May 1885. The station had several sidings, some of which served a timber works. There were two signal boxes, Bathampton and Bathampton West, which were replaced by a single signal box on 21 September 1956.[7]

Proposed reopening

The reopening of Bathampton station was initially proposed as part of the MetroWest project for local rail services in the West of England. A study into its reopening was undertaken in 2015,[11] which concluded a cost of between £3 million and £11 million.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 11 June 1875,a passenger train was derailed at Bathampton Junction. One person was killed and six were injured, three seriously.[12][13]
  • On 2 July 1876, a freight train was derailed at Bathampton Junction.[14]

References

  1. [1]
    Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 29. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  2. [2]
    Oakley, Mike (2002). Somerset Railway Stations. Bristol: Redcliffe Press. p. 20. ISBN 1-904537-54-5.
  3. [3]
    MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863. Paddington: Great Western Railway. pp. 130–1, 139, 857.
  4. [4]
    MacDermot 1927, pp. 286, 858
  5. [5]
    MacDermot 1927, p. 285
  6. [6]
    MacDermot 1927, pp. 395–6, 414–5, 861
  7. [7]
    Clark, R.H. (1976). An Historical Survey of Selected Great Western Stations: Layouts and Illustrations. Headington: Oxford Publishing Co. p. 18. ISBN 0-902888-29-3.
  8. [8]
    MacDermot, E.T. (1931). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. II: 1863-1921. Paddington: Great Western Railway. pp. 67–70, 599. OCLC 55853736.
  9. [9]
    MacDermot 1931, pp. 71, 600
  10. [10]
    MacDermot 1931, p. 606
  11. [11]
    "Bathampton Station - Bath & North East Somerset Council" (PDF). www.bathnes.gov.uk. 1 May 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  12. [12]
    "Railway Accident". The Times. No. 28340. London. 12 June 1875. p. 13.
  13. [13]
    "The Bathampton Railway Accident". The Times. No. 28341. London. 14 June 1875. col F, p. 13.
  14. [14]
    "Summary of this morning's news". The Pall Mall Gazette. No. 3548. London. 3 July 1876.

Further reading

  • Mitchell, Victor E.; Smith, Keith (1 July 1995). Country Railway Routes: Westbury to Bath. Midhurst: Middleton Press. figs. 80–96. ISBN 978-1-873793-55-8.
  • Mitchell, Victor E.; Smith, Keith (1 December 2002). Western Main Lines: Swindon to Bristol via Bath Spa. Midhurst: Middleton Press. figs. 58–65. ISBN 978-1-901706-96-3.
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