Station Name: BOXFORD
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Date opened: | 1.4.1898 |
Location: | At the end of a short access drive running west from an unnamed minor road. |
Company on opening: | Lambourn Valley Railway |
Date closed to passengers: | 4.1.1960 |
Date closed completely: | 4.1.1965 |
Company on closing: | British Railways (Western Region) |
Present state: | Demolished - no evidence of the station remains. The station shelter is still in use as a bus shelter in Boxford village. |
County: | Berkshire |
OS Grid Ref: | SU425717 |
Date of visit: | February 1969 and 21.2.2006 |
Notes: Boxford Station was the first stop on the route that had been equipped with a small goods siding in the form of a passing loop. Like all other stations on the line, passenger facilities were sparse, public access was a basic cinder crossing that led from the goods yard to the ramp at the Newbury end of the platform. The original platform was only 9" high but in 1908 the Board of Trade approved plans for the partial reconstruction of the station. These included lengthening the platform by some thirty feet and raising it to standard height; a GWR pagoda style shelter and station office were also provided. The siding length was increased to accommodate up to nineteen wagons. Like all of the intermediate stations on the Lambourn branch the platform was topped with cinders and fine gravel while it's leading edge was built of sleepers. Rails sunk vertically into the ground supported the entire structure throughout its length. Freight traffic was agricultural consisting of quite sizable quantities of corn, barley, hay, straw, timber, milk and eggs. The amount of traffic handled was impressive and accounted for a high percentage of the receipts for the branch. The station was unstaffed from 2.8.1954. Freight traffic
continued after closure until 4.1.1965. After closure to passengers,
the wooden shelter was moved to a site adjacent to 'The Bell
Inn' in the centre of the village where it still acts as a
bus shelter. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LAMBOURN VALLEY RAILWAY The railway came late to the isolated Berkshire town of Lambourn. The first scheme for a line to the town was put forward in 1873 with a proposal to build a tramway from Lambourn to Newbury but the scheme foundered through lack of money. In 1881 the proposal was revived when a Bill was put before parliament for a light railway. Despite being passed by the Commons the Bill was rejected by the Lords after some local protests. On 2.8.1883 a new Bill was introduced and passed authorizing the Lambourn Valley Railway to build its line. Lack of finance delayed the construction of the line and by July 1889 only the first 4 ½ miles was ready for track laying. By June 1890 9 miles of permanent way and been laid but the contractor was unable to complete the line and further work was halted. At the end of 1893 a further Bill was obtained giving the LVR a further 4 years to complete the line but work didn't restart until January 1897 and the line was not ready until the spring of 1898 with a private opening on 2nd April. The line was operated and maintained by the GWR under an Act of 1895 with 5 daily trains and an additional late evening train on Sunday. The line was initially single track throughout with no signaling and only one engine in steam. Station platforms were all nine inches high and with the exception of Welford Park, sited on the west side of the line. In January 1904 the GWR expressed an interest in buying the line and a year later the LVR board approved and amalgamation which took place on 2nd July that year. Plans were immediately drawn up to improve the line; these included a new halt at Newbury West Fields which opened in 1907 and the rebuilding of Lambourn Station with new buildings and a standard height platform. Eventually all the platforms on the branch were replaced; most stations were provided with a siding and passing loops were added at Boxford, Welford Park, Great Shefford and East Garston. The branch was worked by steam railmotors and locomotive hauled trains. By the mid 1930's, passenger numbers were dropping due to competition from local bus services and in an attempt to win back passengers and save costs and experimental diesel railcar was tried out on the line in late 1936. This proved successful and a rail car was specifically built for use on the branch and once again the line began to make a small profit. By nationalisation in 1946 the railway was in good order with a well used and reliable service. New traffic was brought to the line in the early 1950's, when a three mile branch was built from Welford Park to the American air base at RAF Welford. It was hoped that this would ensure the survival of both passenger and freight traffic but in 1959 British Railways announce closure of the line to passenger traffic and this took place on 4.1.1960. Freight traffic continued as far as Welford Park but the remaining track to Lambourn was lifted in about 1962. Freight traffic was withdrawn from Boxford and Welford Park in 1965 but the line was retrained to serve the American air base being leased by the Ministry of Defence from 1.7.1967. The MOD provided its own locomotive from 1.1.1972 but this was short lived with the last recorded military use of the line on 7.8.1972. The last public train ran on 3.11.1973 when a 3-car DMU ran four return trips from Newbury - Welford Park carrying 1997 passengers. Despite proposals to reopen the line as a steam railway then track was finally lifted in late 1976 Further reading: The Lambourn Valley Railway by MRC Price
1964/1976 Oakwood Press Other web sites: The Lambourn Valley Railway 1898 - 1973. Excellent web site with a large number of archive photographs of all the stations on the branch and pictures of the branch to RAF Welford.. To see the other stations on the Lambourn Valley Railway click on the station name: Newbury, Newbury West Fields Halt, Speen, Stockcross & Bagnor, Welford Park, Great Shefford, East Garston, Eastbury Halt & Lambourn |
Last updated: Sunday, 04-Jun-2017 09:55:07 CEST |
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