Reading to Basingstoke Line

[ v t e ] Reading to Basingstoke
Legend Great Western Main Line Reading Reading West Reading Central (goods only) Coley Branch Line Southcote Junction Reading to Taunton line River Kennet Reading Green Park (Planned) M4 motorway ROF Burghfield Mortimer Bramley Level Crossing Bramley Bramley Munitions Depot Chineham (Proposed) Daneshill Sidings Former GWR Terminus Basingstoke South Western Main Line

The Reading to Basingstoke Line is a short railway link between the South Western Main Line and the Great Western Main Line, constructed by the Great Western Railway between 1846 and 1848. The line is served by First Great Western local services between Reading and Basingstoke, which stop at the intermediate stations Reading West, Mortimer and Bramley. The line is also an important through route for longer distance passenger and freight services: CrossCountry services from Bournemouth and Southampton to Birmingham and the North of England and freight trains between Southampton Docks and the Midlands use the line. The section of line between Southcote Junction and Basingstoke was resignalled in 2006, to increase the capacity of the line.

History

A railway was originally proposed in 1843 as a link between Basingstoke, Newbury and Didcot by London and South Western Railway. A new company, Berks and Hants railway had the idea of building the link between Basingstoke and Reading. Berks and Hants railway joined Great Western Railway before the track was laid.

The railway was built by Great Western railway, with the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who used a broad gauge, from Reading's railway station to Basingstoke. Since the main line at Basingstoke used a standard gauge, this meant that it would be impossible for the railways to share the same station. Great Western railway built a small station to the north of L&SWR's station.

In 1846 prior to the line being built, the Gauge Commissioners (Regulation of Gauge Act) recommended to Parliament that the line from Reading to Basingstoke should be built using standard gauge. In 1854 the Great Western was ordered to convert the railway to standard gauge between Reading and Basingstoke by 7 February 1856, or face a fine of £200 each day. However, it was not until 22 December 1856 that a mixed gauge track was opened. Basingstoke kept its separate Great Western station until 1 January 1932 when trains were diverted into the L&SWR station with addition of one platform, still in use today, from the old station.^[1]

In 1895, a railway station was opened at Bramley, then in 1917, a large depot was opened at Bramley Ordnance Depot, which had a complex network of sidings. The depot was used to manufacture and store ammunition, and lasted until 1987. Another station was opened at Reading West, and allowed long-distance trains to call at Reading without the need to reverse at Reading's main station. This became less of an issue when diesel multiple unit trains were introduced, which could easily reverse at Reading General.

• 

  The northern terminus at Reading

• 

  The station at Mortimer, looking towards Basingstoke

• 

  Looking towards Basingstoke - Bramley Station

• 

  The southern end station at Basingstoke

Infrastructure

Since the conversion, the line uses standard gauge. The line is limited to 75 mph, and is not electrified. It has a maximum tonnage of 15 tonnes. The line has two tracks. There is a level crossing at Bramley railway station.

Services

The route sees 2 stopping services in either direction every hour which are operated by First Great Western. A further train in each direction every hour is operated by CrossCountry which reverses at Reading.

Future

The railway is listed with Network Rail as part of route 13, the Great Western main line. In July 2007, plans were agreed to build a station in Reading south of Southcot Junction in the Green Park business park, serving the southern suburbs of Reading and also the Madejski Stadium. Construction on Reading Green Park railway station was expected to be completed in 2010, but the plans have since been suspended.^[2]

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Reading to Basingstoke Line

• Basingstoke's railway history
• Official Site for First Great Western

v t e Railway lines in the South East Primary High Speed 1 · Great Western Main Line · West Coast Main Line Secondary Bexleyheath Line · Brighton Main Line · Caterham Line · Chatham Main Line · Chiltern Main Line · Crossrail (under construction)  · Dartford Loop Line · Epsom Downs Branch · London to Aylesbury Line · North Kent Line · Oxted Line · Shepperton Branch Line · South Eastern Main Line · South Western Main Line · Sutton & Mole Valley Lines · Tattenham Corner Line · Thameslink · Waterloo to Reading Line Local Alton Line · Arun Valley Line · Ascot to Guildford line · Ashford to Ramsgate (via Canterbury West) line · Cherwell Valley Line · Cotswold Line · East Coastway Line · Eastleigh to Fareham line · Eastleigh to Romsey Line · Hampton Court Branch Line · Hastings Line · Henley Branch Line · Hundred of Hoo Railway · Island Line, Isle of Wight · Kent Coast Line · Lymington Branch Line · Maidstone East Line · Marlow Branch Line · Marshlink Line · Marston Vale Line · Medway Valley Line · New Guildford Line · North Downs Line · Oxford to Bicester Line · Oxfordshire Ironstone Railway  · Portsmouth Direct Line · Princes Risborough to Aylesbury Line · Reading to Basingstoke Line · Reading to Taunton Line · Redhill to Tonbridge Line · Sheerness Line · Slough to Windsor & Eton Line · Staines to Weybridge Line · Staines to Windsor Line · Wessex Main Line · West Coastway Line · West of England Main Line