Place Cricklade Grid reference SU097934 18 December 1883 (1883-12-18) Station opened | Area Wiltshire Post-grouping Great Western Railway Platforms in use 2 | |
Pre-grouping Midland and South Western Junction Railway Original company Midland and South Western Junction Railway Similar Ogbourne railway station, Collingbourne Kingston Halt railw, Grafton and Burbage r, Oaksey Halt railway st, Bromham and Rowde Halt railw | ||
Cricklade railway station was on the Midland and South Western Junction Railway in Wiltshire. The station opened on 18 December 1883 on the Swindon and Cheltenham Extension Railway line from Swindon Town to the temporary terminus at Cirencester Watermoor. The S&CER line then amalgamated with the Swindon, Marlborough and Andover Railway to form the M&SWJR, and through services to the junction at Andoversford with the Great Western Railway's Cheltenham Lansdown to Banbury line, which had opened in 1881, began in 1891.
Cricklade station was on the southern edge of the town of Cricklade, and was a passing place on the M&SWJR line, which was mostly single track. It was one of the busier stations on the line with both passengers and freight traffic, and there was a large volume of milk traffic.
As a whole, traffic on the M&SWJR fell steeply after the Second World War and the line closed to passengers in 1961, with goods facilities at Cricklade being withdrawn in July 1963. No trace of the station now remains, as link roads around the town now use the rail alignment and land beside the roads has been used for housing.
Future and Preservation
The Heritage Swindon and Cricklade Railway aim to extend north to Cricklade in the near future, where a new "replacement" station site would be constructed as part of the S&CR's northern extension.