Victorian

Great Western Branches

Railway Accidents

Southern Railway

Reading Station

The GWR in the twentieth century

Building the Great Western Railway

In 1832 a committee was formed in Bristol to look at how a railway might be built between Bristol and London. Bristol at that time was an important port, with much trade with America. The merchants of Bristol were anxious to avoid the delays over the last hundred miles to London, which were all to common on the canals.

In 1834 a bill was put before Parliament to give the Great Western Railway Company the rights to build a line between Bristol and London, passing through Reading. The Canal company, the people that owned land that would be used by the railway, the stage coach owners all tried to stop the act being passed by Parliament. Although some people in Reading were against the Railway, most of the ordinary people in the town thought that it would improve the town. A meeting was held in the Town Hall about the plan, and the local MP Charles Russell was asked to present it to Parliament. This bill failed, but in 1835 a second bill was passed and construction of the railway started in 1836.

Work soon began on the line between Reading and London, but there was one major obstacle on this part of the route. Between Reading and Twyford Sonning Hill stood in the way of the railway line. A deep cutting had to be cut through the hill. This was done with no machinery, all of the earth was moved by hand, using spades, wheelbarrows and horses and carts to take away the spoil. The cutting took two years to make, and several of the people working on the cutting (or navvies) were killed during the work.

In 30th March 1840 the line from Reading to London was at last completed, and the people were able to travel to London from Reading Station for the first time. 17 trains left Reading that day, the fastest getting to London in just over an hour, three times fastest than a coach. Charles Russell, now chairman of the GWR was one of those using the trains on the first day. By 1841 the GWR was open from London to Bristol.

For the use of people visiting the town, the GWR built a hotel opposite the station in 1844. Although no longer a hotel, this is the oldest Railway Hotel that still exists.