
Cheltenham Racecourse
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GWR 4575 class no. 5542 at Cheltenham Racecourse, 7th March, 2015
With the Stratford-Cheltenham line
running just north of the racecourse, it ultimately made sense to provide a
rail link to such a renowned local attraction. The station opened on the 12th March
1912 and had the booking office and waiting room situated on the road bridge
above the line, and toilets provided on the platforms.
The majority of the traffic were
"Specials" for race meetings, although local passenger services did
stop here as well. Because there were no stabling facilities at the station,
the trains were stabled at Toddington or sometimes Bishop's Cleeve. Horses were
not loaded and unloaded at the station initially; this was done at Bishop's
Cleeve until 1935.
The station fared well until the 1950s
and the increase in coach traffic and the station closed to regular traffic
on the 25th March 1968, although some racecourse "specials" continued
right up to the complete closure of the line in 1976. The Gloucestershire
Warwickshire Railway re-opened Cheltenham Racecourse station in April
2003, and it is the current southern terminus of the line.