The former Great Western Railway's Cheltenham Branch started life as part of that company's broad gauge (7' 0¼") network. This commenced with the GWR's own terminus in Gloucester, later Central station, which itself became a through station in 1851 with the opening of the South Wales Railway, and ran via Tramway Junction where it connected with the Midland Railways standard gauge line to Birmingham. This then formed a mixed gauge line to Lansdown Junction at Cheltenham, where a broad gauge line diverged to the GWR's station in the town, that became St James. A second station at Cheltenham Malvern Road station opened in 1908 to serve trains on the new direct route from Birmingham via Honeybourne. The only intermediate station between Tramway junction and St James was at Churchdown, opened by the GWR in January 1874.

The problems at Gloucester in the early years caused by the change of gauge were a major factor in Parliament ultimately passing legislation requiring all future lines to be built to the standard gauge. This led to the eventual complete phasing out of the broad gauge, with the Cheltenham branch itself being converted to standard gauge, commencing operations in this form in May 1872.

With the opening of the Honeybourne & Cheltenham line in 1908, the Cheltenham branch became part of the Great Western's main line from Birmingham to Bristol & South Wales, albeit that it could still only reach Bristol by using running powers over the Midland Railway's line south of Standish Junction.

The second world war saw the greatest volume of traffic over this section with the two track section between Lansdown Junction & Engine Shed Junction, Gloucester being widened to four. After the war and nationalisation and with declining traffic, rationalisation became the order of the day, part of which was deemed to be the elimination of duplicate routes. This eventually resulted in the closure of the former GWR line from Birmingham south of Stratford-upon-Avon and with it the stations at Cheltenham Malvern Road & St James. All traffic was therefore concentrated on the former Midland/LMSR line and station at Cheltenham Lansdown.

A timetable extract dated the 6th October 1947 showing the services that operated between Gloucester and Cheltenham over the Cheltenham branch can be viewed here.

A few items of ephemera used by the travelling pubic on the railway for journeys made over part of the Cheltenham branch.

Some local adverts dating from the 1930's illustrate the attractions Cheltenham offered to the visiting public.

A gallery of photographs of the Cheltenham branch is included below.

To view any full size image and caption details please click the maroon button below each thumbnail