Changes in the Line

Steam was replaced by diesel railbuses on the Tetbury and Cirencester branches These were four wheeled 52 seater units built by AC. With them came the opening of new halts and their introduction attracted more passengers. The Tetbury branch carried only one tenth of the Cirencester branch, but its annual figure of 12,000 passengers was two and a half percent higher than those in steam days. The Cirencester railbus suffered from over crowding but this had to be tolerated as replacement by a larger railcar would have increased costs and disrupted the cyclic working of the branches.The railbus was kept overnight in a shed at Cirencester. It was manned by a conductor/guard.

The banches had gained considerable support, especially from Cirencester, but as the Beeching "axe" swung, like so many other branches, they were declared uneconomic. Closure came on 6th April 1964. The railbuses were transferred to the Southern Region and then to Scotland. Tetbury had been closed to goods from 5th August 1963, Culkerton goods closing one month earlier. The coal depot at Cirencester continued until the l9th May 1964 and the goods station until the 4th April 1965.

The Kemble to Swindon train, usually composed of a tank engine and two suburban coaches, was withdrawn on Saturday the 31 October l964, nine trains a day running in each direction .just before closure. With it went the intermediate stations of Purton, Minety and Oaksey Halt. Purton and Minety goods facilities had been withdrawn on the 1st July 1963, Kemble retaining its goods handling until the 1st August 1967 but the Kemble coal depot had closed three years earlier on the 19th May 1964. Purton station had just undergone complete rebuilding, the paint hardly dry when closure struck., and the two stations buildings were then left to the elements.

Swindon station  a shadow of its formal glory	The new  Swindon Platform on the down Bristol line.

The junction at Swindon. The Cheltenham line curves away to the right

The Chalford railcar saw the end of its service on 31st October 1964, all of its stations and halts, except Stroud, Stonehouse and Gloucester abandoned with it. Chalford and Brimscombe stations ceased handling goods from the l2th August 1963 and Stonehouse on the 28th December 1964. Stroud goods shed closed on the 10th July 1967. Cheltenham to London services were diverted into Gloucester Eastgate from Monday the 2nd November 1964, to save the reversal process at Central The first London train left Eastgate station, hauled by a Western hydraulic. It was only because it had been delayed by fog that the regulars who were still waiting on Central station, were able to make the 250 yard dash across the footbridge and catch it.

In the winter of 1964 the Cheltenham to Swansea services were curtailed with the closure of many intermediate stations, including Churchdown on the 2nd November. The Cheltenham to Gloucester line was reduced from quadruple to double track as far as Churchdown by September 1966 and completely by February 1967. The spur from Lansdown Road to St James' station was closed to passengers on the 3rd January 1966 but goods continued until the end of October that year. Gloucester trains then departed from the Midland's Lansdown Road station. Malvern Road station had closed on 3rd October 1964, the engine shed having closed in October 1963. After diesel traction was introduced to the line, the steam shed at Horton Road was closed in December 1965, but still remains as a stabling point and a light maintenance depot.

On the 26th May l968, Gloucester Central was redesigned, with an extension at the London end of the down platform. Gloucester Eastgate was reduced from four platforms to an island platform after mass demolition of the Midland goods yard and sidings. The up platform of Central station was reduced to parcels status and the bay removed. In the early 1980s it was reinstated for passenger use by the through Cardiff to the Midlands trains.

During March 1968 coloured light signals replaced semaphores on the Kemble to Swindon sections, controlled by Swindon West box. Gloucester controlled everything to just east of the Sapperton tunnel after the intermediate signal boxes were closed between 1968 and 1970.

To save on track maintenance costs, British Rail decided to downgrade the Cheltenham line and on the weekend of 27/28th July 1968 the 12½ miles from Swindon to Kemble were single tracked. The section began ¾ mile from Swindon and ended just after Kemble tunnel.

Standish Junction signal box closed on the weekend of 13/14th October 1968 when the line between Standish and Gloucester was relayed. The Western Region tracks were removed and trains from Bristol and Swindon shared the same line to Gloucester. access to the Quedgley Ministry of Defence depot was retained, the siding complex also housing a Dow-Mac concrete installation. Gloucester Eastgate finally closed on the 1st December 1975, the Barton Street loop closing with it. The deciding factor in this closure was the Barton Street level crossing which had caused very long traffic delays. Bristol to Birmingham trains calling at Gloucester now had to reverse at Central, but many of these trains by-passed Gloucester, using the avoiding line. The up line between the avoiding line junction and the old Tuffley Junction was designalled for reversed line working, enabling the south bound trains from the avoiding line to have priority over the trains from the Central station. Gloucester Central underwent a rebuilding in the 1970s and the new station with its modern ticket office, travel centre and buffet was officially opened on 8th March 1967. This modernisation had included the realignment of track and resignalling at a total cost of over a million pounds. The station now has one of the longest platforms on the British Rail network.

British Rail announced plans to close Stonehouse station from the 6th October 1975, but the station had become listed as being of "Architectural and Historic" interest. The Parish Council agreed to pay thirteen thousand pounds towards modernisation and the maintenance of local services, which were subsequently improved. The original Brunel Buildings were demolished as a result of this deal, although the footbridge and signal box remained. Modern concrete waiting shelters were provided on the up and down platforms. The name of Burdett Road was deleted in May 1968

With the removal of certain through trains to Paddington, the Cheltenham line was given the first refurbished diesel multiple units operating in the West of England. These came into service in 1978 and ran to Swindon where passengers changed for London trains. These multiple unit services were later extended to Worcester. Until 1982 the line had only witnessed the High Speed 125 trains on occasional Sundays when the Severn Tunnel was under repair and South Wales trains ran via Gloucester. In that year the first High Speed Train on a regular scheduled service ran to Cheltenham. The new Millennium has brought new Adelante Class 180 units on the Paddington to Cheltenham trains with various sprinter units on the Swindon locals. At Swindon a new platform on the down Bristol line has been built, but trains to Cheltenham cannot use this platform as there is no pointwork to allow access.

Two views of Stroud, the first in 1960 with 0-4-2 tanks the second in 2004 with a London bound HST

There are calls to reopen Chalford Station to serve the expanding hosing at Bussage, near Stroud.

Adelante Class 180 unit approaches Stroud

Steam has made a few appearances to the area since dieselisation. On the Midland branch from Stonehouse to Stroud and Nailsworth a special railtour ran on 7th July l963 sixteen years after the last passenger train, while a year later on the 16th July 1964 the LNER pacific "Flying Scotsman" roared down the Golden Valley on an enthusiasts' special. On the 27th November 1975, Castle C1ass 7027 "Clun Castle" pulled a "Farewell to Steam" special from Paddington to Cheltenham, calling at Gloucester.