An Illustrated History of: The Stratford on Avon to Cheltenham Railway (IR627)

Product No.: IR627
Title: An Illustrated History of: The Stratford on Avon to Cheltenham Railway
Author(s): Baker, Audie
Illustrator(s): N/A
Publisher: Irwell Press
ISBN: 187160827
Condition: New
Binding: Laminated Pictorial Boards
Dust Jacket: None
Edition: 1st Edition
Publication Year: 1994

Features: 156 Pages with Black/White Photos.

Although the Honeybourne to Cheltenham line opened throughout in the summer of 1906, connecting with the single-line branch from Honeybourne to Stratford upon Avon , it was to be another two years before the line came into its own as a through route. The final section of line to open was between Bishops Cleeve and Cheltenham. To start with, all trains reversed at Malvern Road Junction to gain access to the St James terminus station in Cheltenham , as Cheltenham Malvern Road station did not open until 1908.

There were proposals to build a spur to gain southbound access to Cheltenham St James but this never came to fruition. With the southern half of the line complete, the engineers moved north to concentrate on completing doubling of the Stratford branch, which diverged from the Worcester to Oxford line at Honeybourne. Honeybourne Junction was remodelled and a new loop was completed allow access for trains to Stratford from the Oxford direction.

Honeybourne station is actually about half a mile east of the junction and provided access to three routes : north towards Stratford ; east and west towards Oxford and Worcester and south towards Cheltenham. The Stratford-Cheltenham line passed beneath the Worcester-Oxford route and the two routes were connected by junctions to reach Honebourne station. Thus, through trains on the Stratford to Cheltenham line by-passed Honeybourne station altogether.