Midgham railway station

Midgham railway station is located in Berkshire, England, in the valley bottom village of Woolhampton.

Midgham
Midgham Station, looking east
LocationWoolhampton; Midgham, West Berkshire
England
Coordinates51.3961°N 1.1783°W / 51.3961; -1.1783
Grid referenceSU572666
Managed byGreat Western Railway
Platforms2
Other information
Station codeMDG
ClassificationDfT category F2
History
Original companyBerks and Hants Railway
Pre-groupingGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGWR
Key dates
21 December 1847Opened as "Woolhampton"
1 March 1873Renamed "Midgham"
2 November 1964Renamed "Midgham Halt"
5 May 1969Renamed "Midgham"
Passengers
2015/16 34,772
2016/17 36,410
2017/18 34,310
2018/19 30,556
2019/20 36,770
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
The station looking to the west from the level crossing

It is 46 miles 59 chains (75.22 km) measured from London Paddington.

History

The line from Reading to Hungerford was planned by the Berks and Hants Railway, and before it was opened, it was absorbed by the Great Western Railway (GWR).[1] The station at Woolhampton was opened with the line on 21 December 1847;[2] it was originally named "Woolhampton" but on 1 March 1873 was renamed "Midgham",[3][4][5] allegedly because it was frequently being mistaken for Wolverhampton station. The station appeared in a 1943 World War 2 information film for US service personnel titled "A Welcome to Britain."[6]

The station was subsequently renamed twice by British Rail: on 2 November 1964 it became "Midgham Halt" but on 5 May 1969 it reverted to "Midgham".[7] The station is a mile distant from Douai Abbey and the station name was subtitled "for Douai Abbey and School" until refurbishment with current Network Rail signage.

Description

Midgham station is near the centre of Woolhampton village, on an unclassified road just south of its junction with the A4 road. There are two flanking platforms on each side of the double track line. The Reading bound platform has a small shelter and a small car park. The unclassified road crosses the railway line at the eastern end of the station by means of a level crossing, and this crossing also provides the only access between the platforms.

Services

The station is served by local services operated by Great Western Railway from Reading to Newbury. Trains run hourly in both directions on Mondays to Saturdays, and every other hour on a Sunday. Typical journey times are about 12 minutes to Newbury and 20 minutes to Reading. Passengers for London Paddington must normally change trains at Reading (except on Sundays, when services run to & from the capital).[8]

Preceding station National Rail Following station
Aldermaston   Great Western Railway
Reading to Newbury
Local Services
Reading to Taunton line		   Thatcham

References
  1. MacDermot, E.T. (1927). History of the Great Western Railway, vol. I: 1833-1863. Paddington: Great Western Railway. pp. 192–3, 294–5.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 255. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Butt 1995, pp. 159,255
  4. "Basingstoke Railway History in Maps". Christopher Tolley. 2001. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. MacDermot 1927, p. 336
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltVtnCzg9xw
  7. Butt 1995, p. 159
  8. Table 116 National Rail timetable, May 2016
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