Place Woolhampton; Midgham Station code MDG DfT category F2 Number of platforms 2 Original company Berks and Hants Railway | Grid reference SU572666 Managed by Great Western Railway 2011/12 27,232 | |
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Address Woolhampton, Reading RG7 5SL, United Kingdom Similar Aldermaston railway station, Newbury Racecourse railway st, Thatcham railway station, Theale railway station, Kintbury railway station | ||
Midgham railway station is a railway station named after the village of Midgham in Berkshire, England. In fact the station is in the nearby valley bottom village of Woolhampton and some distance downhill from Midgham village itself.
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History
The line from Reading to Hungerford was planned by the Berks and Hants Railway, and before it was opened, it was absorbed by the Great Western Railway (GWR). The station at Woolhampton was opened with the line on 21 December 1847; it was originally named "Woolhampton" but on 1 March 1873 was renamed "Midgham". According to oral history, the name Midgham was used in preference to Woolhampton in order to avoid possible confusion with the much larger Wolverhampton railway station; the GWR having reached Wolverhampton in 1854.
The station was subsequently renamed twice by British Rail: on 2 November 1964 it became "Midgham Halt" but on 5 May 1969 it reverted to "Midgham". The station name was subtitled "for Douai Abbey" until refurbishment with current Network Rail signage.
Description
Midgham station is near the centre of Woolhampton village, on an unclassified road just south of its junction with the A4 road. There are two flanking platforms on each side of the double track line. The Reading bound platform has a small shelter and a small car park. The unclassified road crosses the railway line at the eastern end of the station by means of a level crossing, and this crossing also provides the only access between the platforms.
Services
The station is served by local services operated by Great Western Railway from Reading to Newbury or Bedwyn. Trains run hourly in both directions on Mondays to Saturdays, and every other hour on a Sunday. Typical journey times are about 12 minutes to Newbury and 20 minutes to Reading. Passengers for London Paddington must normally change trains at Reading (except on Sundays, when services runs to & from the capital).