Gotherington railway station

Gotherington
Gotherington station looking towards Cheltenham in 2014
Location
Place	Gotherington
Area	Tewkesbury
Coordinates	51°58′02″N 2°02′16″W / 51.9672°N 2.0378°WCoordinates: 51°58′02″N 2°02′16″W / 51.9672°N 2.0378°W
Grid reference	SO974298
Operations
Original company	Great Western Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Operated by	Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
Platforms	was 2 now 1
History
1 June 1906	Station opened as Gotherington
1 December 1940	Renamed Gotherington Halt
13 June 1955	Station closed
1997	Reopened in preservation
Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom
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Gotherington railway station is a railway station serving the village of Gotherington in Gloucestershire, England. The station is located just to the north of the village.

It is located on the former Cheltenham to Stratford-upon-Avon line, which was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1906. The station opened as Gotherington on 1 June 1906; it was renamed Gotherington Halt on 1 December 1940, and was closed on 13 June 1955.^[1] It was the first station to close on this route (most of the other stations closed in 1960). The line itself remained open until 1976. The track was later lifted by 1979.

Preservation

The line was relaid by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, during the mid-1990s reaching Gotherington in 1997. Trains recommenced the same year, and were extended to Cheltenham Racecourse in April 2003.

The station buildings are privately owned, so trains use the opposite platform. During major events the private garden is opened to passengers and the station house becomes a tea room. A short length of track in the garden allows rides on a Wickham or pump trolley.

Signalling

Just south of Gotherington station is a passing loop controlled by a new signal box.^[2] When the box is switched in, it breaks the very long section between Winchcombe and Cheltenham Racecourse, then short section token working is in use from Cheltenham Racecourse Station to Gotherington, and Gotherington to Winchcombe. There is also a provision for Down trains to terminate at the Gotherington, use the loop to run round the train and return to Winchcombe.^[3]

References

1. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 107. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
2. http://www.gwsr.com/news/2011/december/gotherington-signalbox-opens.aspx
3. http://www.gwsr.com/news/2011/november/gotherington-signalling.aspx

Preceding station	Heritage railways			Following station
Winchcombe		Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway		Cheltenham Racecourse
	Historical railways
Gretton Halt Line open, station closed		Great Western Railway Honeybourne Line		Bishop's Cleeve Line open, station closed
	Proposed Heritage railways
Winchcombe Line and station open		Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway		Bishop's Cleeve Line open, station closed