Kemble railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Kemble


code = KEM
manager = First Great Western
locale = Kemble
borough = Cotswold (district)
usage0405 = 0.223
usage0506 = 0.237
usage0607 = 0.261
platforms = 2
start =

Kemble railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire. The station is located on the Swindon to Gloucester "Golden Valley" line. Despite its rural location, Kemble station has a high number of passengers, due mainly to the proximity of Cirencester.

The station has two platforms, and is served by First Great Western: operating services from London Paddington to Gloucester and Cheltenham using HST and "Adelante" Class 180 trains, and local services from Swindon to Gloucester and Cheltenham Spa using the former Wessex Trains Class 150 two carriage sets.

History

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1882. Until the 1960s the station was a junction, with two branch lines to Cirencester and Tetbury. You can still see the old branch lines today - just before the tunnel after Kemble station (going Swindon-bound). The Tetbury branch was closed to traffic on the 5th August 1963, whilst Cirencester closed to traffic on the 4th April 1965. A detailed and interesting history of the Swindon-to-Gloucester line can be found at: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/davidlloyd/CGWURLYHOME.htm

The Tetbury bound platform remains, but the track has been lifted. The building on the down platform (no. 2) has been out of use for several years, containing toilets and a waiting room, which are still in situ. On the former Cirencester platform, a short stub of track remains for the occasional stabling of track machines. This ends at a buffer stop just before the station car park.

There was a proposal to redouble the railway line from Swindon to Kemble; the second track was removed by British Rail in 1968 during the Wilson Government's anti-rail mania. Network Rail has investigated the options for reinstating the second track, along with the likely cost of such options (presently, £32million). The 2007 Network Rail business plan mentioned these proposals as being scheduled for delivery in 2009. However, the Office of Rail Regulation has now decided against including the redoubling in N.R.'s 2009-2014 infrastructure plans, instead opting for double-tracking about one-quarter of the Oxford-to-Worcester line (North Cotswold line). At this time the plans are in draft and still open for submissions, and the Office of Rail Regulation will accept comments until 4 September 2008 on including other work, such as Swindon-to-Kemble. All of the Cotswolds' MPs are presently (July 2008) involved, along with Gloucestershire County Council, Network Rail and First Great Western in bringing forward a submission to the O.R.R. on including Swindon/Kemble. Further information on this is available at the Gloucestershire Transport website (http://www.visit-gloucestershire.co.uk/boards/). The recent (30 June 2008) Parliamentary debate on the redoubling can be read at: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2008-06-30a.703.0&m=1494

Current Services

Kemble station is served on a Monday to Friday by:
* 18 Swindon bound trains, 8 of which continue to London Paddington via Reading
* 18 Gloucester bound trains, 17 of which continue to Cheltenham Spa.Making an off peak service of one train every two hours to London, with trains to Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester every hour. The station is occasionally served by Cardiff Central / Swansea services diverted during engineering works.

Facilities

The station has a ticket office on platform 1, which open Mondays to Saturdays from 6:40am until lunchtime, for all other times the station is unmanned. During the times the station is manned the toilets are open.

There is also a small café selling newspapers, coffee and bacon rolls, this is also only open for the morning rush hour.

External links