Transport in Swindon

Transport in Swindon and the surroundings have directly contributed to the town's growth and the ingress of Businesses and Industries.

Located on the M4 Corridor and the Great Western Railway Main Line, Swindon's local transport network is adequate to the needs of a growing town.

Road

Historic

The town of Swindon lies near a junction of two roman roads which passed close to the site of the Roman Fortified town of Durocornovium. Ermin Street passes to the East of the town and is the route from Corinium (Cirencester) to Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester), a road from Cunetio (Mildenhall) joins Ermin Street near Durocornovium.

The ancient path of The Ridgeway passes to the south of the town.

Turnpikes

With the expansion of the Quarries and also the introduction of the Turnpike Act (1706), the four main access roads into the Town were turned into turnpikes between 1751-1775. With the Swindon to Faringdon road completed in 1757 and the Swindon to Marlborough road in 1761.

Toll houses were also placed on the roads to Stratton St Margaret, Marlborough, Devizes, Wootton Bassett and Cricklade.

Residents of Rodbourne Cheney and the Liddiard's came into Swindon via roadways that linked Shaw and Rushey Platt with the gate at Kingshill.

The amount levied depended on the type of cart, the number of horses used and the width of wheels (as the narrower wheels caused more damage to the road).

Roads and Motorways

Major roads near or passing through Swindon.

*M4 Motorway - London to South Wales, Junctions 15 and 16
*A3102 - Swindon to Malmesbury
*A346 - Swindon to Ludgershall
*A361/A4361 - Devon to Northamptonshire
*A419 - Chiseldon to Whitminster, Gloucestershire
*A420 - Bristol to Oxford
*A4259 - Swindon to Wanborough

Roundabouts

The town is famous for its roundabouts, to the extent of selling yearly calendars featuring a different roundabout for each month.Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/3081662.stm|title=Round trip for town's calendar|accessdate=2007-01-17|publisher=BBC News|year=2003] The most notable roundabout is the Magic Roundabout that lies at the junction of Drove Road, Queens Drive and Fleming Way near to the County Ground.

The official name of this roundabout used to be County Islands, although hardly anyone other than officials called it by this name. The official name was changed in the late 1990s to match its popular name. It is the subject of a pop song by local band XTC. Locals often refer to it by the colloquial name of "The Tragic Roundabout" due to the many motor-accidents that occur on it, usually caused by drivers not familiar with its operation.Fact|date=February 2008 Accidents frequently occur on matchday's for Swindon Town F.C. and at weekends, where the increased traffic at these periods can be a contributory factor in causing them.Fact|date=February 2008

Buses

Urban buses were introduced into Swindon in 1927, after the abandonment of the Wilts and Berks Canal. Operated by Swindon Corporation, they made the tram network redundant by 1929.

Swindon Corporation Buses became Thamesdown Transport in 1974 when the council boundaries and name changed. Now a Limited Company with the council as a major shareholder and subsidiser, Thamesdown Transport is Swindon's largest urban Bus operator.

Swindon's second oldest operator, after Thamesdown Transport, is Stagecoach in Swindon, the successor to the Swindon branch of Bristol Tramways established in 1921. Formerly part of the National Bus Company and operating under the name Swindon and District, it was privatised in 1986 and absorbed into the Stagecoach Group in 1993.

Rail

Trams

Swindon Corporation was the local council formed by the 1901 Municipal Borough charter,cite book |author= The Swindon Society|title= A Century of Swindon|origyear= 2000|publisher= Sutton Publishing|location= United Kingdom|id= ISBN 0-7509-2889-1] with the amalgamation of the Old and New Swindon councils; a power station was built in Corporation Street. This power station became the siting of the tram depot.

The corporation started to operate electric trams in 1904. A total of convert|3.75|mi|km of convert|3|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on gauge track was laid down from the Great Western Railway Station to Rodboume, Gorse Hill and the Market Square in Old Town. A small fleet of nine 48 seater trams were bought at the time of inception with four further cars purchased at a later date.

In 1906, the Swindon Tram disaster occurred. A number 11 tram taking passengers from the Bath and West Show being held in Old Town suffered brake failure driving down Victoria Hill and crashed in Regents Circus killing 5.

After only 25 years of operation, Swindon's Trams were phased out by buses in 1929.cite book |author= Mark Child|title= Swindon : An Illustrated History|origyear= 2002|publisher= Breedon Books Publishing|location= United Kingdom|id= ISBN 1-85983-322-5]

Trains

Great Western Railway

Swindon was chosen as the site of the Great Western Railway's Engineering Works in 1841, an event which led to the creation of a Railway Town known as New Swindon and the eventual amalgamation into the town today.cite book
author= Mark Child
title= Swindon : An Illustrated History
origyear= 2002
publisher= Breedon Books Publishing
location= United Kingdom
id= ISBN 1-85983-322-5]

The works covered a site of convert|320|acre|km2 and became the focal point for the creation of New Swindon and the influx of over 10,000 new residents in the next 50 years. In its heyday, the railway employed over 14,000 people in Swindon and the main locomotive fabrication workshop, the "A Shop" was, at convert|11.25|acre|m2, one of the largest covered areas in the world.

The factory had to be immediately adjacent to the railway, and it was necessary for the workers to be housed as close as possible to it.

As the town of Swindon at that time was over a mile away on top of the hill, a modest Railway Village of 300 homes was proposed in 1841. Building began using stone from Swindon's quarries and also from stone excavated during the boring of Box Tunnel, 243 houses were completed by 1853 with the towns population being estimated at over 2,500. All 300 houses were completed by the mid-1860s.

Consequently a new town was built, known as New Swindon. This town would remain both physically and administratively separate from Old Swindon until the creation of Swindon Corporation in 1900.

Swindon railway station was opened in 1842 and until 1895 every passing train stopped here for at least 10 minutes to change locomotives. As such Swindon station hosted the first recorded Railway refreshment rooms.

In 1962 building of new locomotives ceased at Swindon. Locomotive repairs and carriage and wagon work continued, though the original carriage and wagon workshop was sold. The whole works closed in 1986, but one building currently houses Swindon Steam Railway Museum. The engineers' office is now the headquarters of English Heritage. Purpose-built storage there now houses the archive of the National Monuments Record.

Most of the remaining buildings are used as part of the Swindon Designer Outlet Village.

Midland and South Western Junction Railway

Known as "Swindon's other railway", the Midland and South Western Junction Railway was formed in 1884 and ran trains from Andover to Cheltenham. A station was sited in Old Town, Swindon (Station Road) and is now listed as Old Town Railway Cutting, Swindon a site of special scientific interest.

GWR absorbed the company before the railways were nationalised in 1948. The line finally closed in 1961.

Today

First Great Western operate Swindon railway station and the majority of services passing through the town, the company's headquarters are also located in Milford Street.

The Great Western Main Line passes through the town as does the Golden Valley Line to Cheltenham Spa. The frequency of trains to London and Bristol have contributed to a large number of commuters moving to the town.

The Swindon and Cricklade Railway operates on a small section of the former Midland and South Western Junction Railway route for enthusiasts and tourists, running Steam Train's between Blunsdon railway station and Hayes Knoll railway station.

Future

On the Great Western Main Line, there are plans to increase the number of tracks to four between Swindon and Didcot. In addition to the improvement on the Great Western Main Line, The Golden Valley Line is likely to see the redoubling of the track between Swindon and Kemble. This increased capacity will remove bottlenecks and enable further growth of the Swindon conurbation. There are plans to provide a direct rail link to London Heathrow Airport by 2016.Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/swindon_2026_supplementary_information.pdf|title=Swindon 2026|accessdate=2008-02-24|publisher=Swindon Borough Council]

In 2008, Network Rail announced the possibility of a new high-speed rail line, which would run adjacent to the current Great Western Main LineCite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7467203.stm|title=Major new rail lines considered|accessdate=2008-06-26|publisher=BBC News] . As part of the initial focus into high-speed rail, Swindon could be considered as it is a pinch-point in the railway networkCite web|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/transport/article4200730.ece|title=Network Rail forecasts overcrowded trains, longer journeys and no new lines|accessdate=2008-06-26|publisher=The Times] . The new line could possibly accommodate trains running at speeds of approximately 186mph (300km/h)Cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/06/25/highspeed.rail/|title=The high-speed rail revolution|accessdate=2008-06-26|publisher=CNN] - equivalent to the French TGV - which would result in Swindon being better connected to London, plus other towns and cities on the line.

The heritage Swindon and Cricklade Railway is due to extend North to Cricklade and South towards Moulden Hill. It may also one day become a branch off the Golden Valley Line and provide rail access to Swindon town centre from Cricklade and North-West Swindon.

Canals

In 1775, an act of parliament was passed authorising the building of the Wilts and Berks Canal. A "waterway that would link the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, near Trowbridge with the River Thames at Abingdon.." It reached Swindon in 1804, and Abingdon in 1810. In all, convert|58|mi|km of waterway was created.

The canal enabled Swindon businesses and farmers to transport goods over a wider area in a quicker time-scale. It also provided an influx of new residents, both from out of county and also from those navvies who settled after completion of the canal.

In 1813, another act of parliament was passed authorising the North Wilts Canal, a proposal by the Thames & Severn Canal Company and the Wilts & Berks Canal Company to link the existing Wilts and Berks Canal at Swindon with the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton, Cricklade. Consisting of nine miles (14 km) of waterway and 12 locks, it was completed in 1814. The two canals were consolidated in 1821 and brought together under the auspices of the Wilts & Berks Navigation Company.

With the railways providing a faster and cheaper method of transport, the canal was relatively unused by 1895. It was dredged in 1908, but declared ruined soon after It was finally closed under the "Wilts & Berks Canal Abandonment Act, 1914" and partly filled in.

Various elements of the Canal can still be seen in Swindon, with the route also being remembered at Canal Walk in the Town Centre. Swindon Borough Council is currently considering re-creating part of Canal Walk to celebrate the towns water-borne heritage. [cite web|url=http://www.wbct.org.uk/swindon.htm Canal|title=Walk - Swindon Dream or Vision?|publisher=Wilts & Berks Canal Trust|accessdate=2006-12-06]

Air

Civil airfields existed in Swindon's immediate surroundings up until the mid 20th century, with a small airfield at South Marston (X2SO) attached to the Vickers/Supermarine factory,Cite web|url=http://www.swindonweb.com/?m=8&s=116&ss=402&c=1331&t=Planes,%20Trains%20and%20Automobiles|title=Aircraft Production in Swindon|accessdate=2007-01-14|publisher=swindonweb.com|work=Swindon's Heritage] now the site of Honda.Cite web|url=http://www.swindonweb.com/?m=8&s=116&ss=362&c=1213&t=The%20Car%20Industry%20in%20Swindon|title=The Car Industry in Swindon|accessdate=2007-01-14|publisher=swindonweb.com|work=Swindon's Heritage] The nearest civilian airfield with a concrete runway is now at Kemble, with major international air traffic using Bristol Airport.Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/tourism/tourism-swindonslocation.htm|title=Visiting Swindon - By Air|accessdate=2007-01-14|publisher=Swindon Borough Council]

International Airports

*Bristol International Airport - convert|40|mi|km
*London Heathrow Airport - convert|68|mi|km
*Southampton Airport - 68 Miles
*Cardiff International Airport - 83 Miles
*Birmingham International Airport - 90 Miles
*London Gatwick Airport - 104 Miles
*Exeter International Airport - 114 Miles

There are plans to provide a direct rail link to London Heathrow Airport by 2016.Cite web|url=http://www.swindon.gov.uk/swindon_2026_supplementary_information.pdf|title=Swindon 2026|accessdate=2008-02-24|publisher=Swindon Borough Council]

Local Airfields

*Kemble Airport (EGBP) - Gloucestershire
*Redlands (X2SN)Cite web|url=http://www.redlandsairfield.co.uk/|title=Redlands Airfield|accessdate=2007-01-14|publisher=Redlands Airfield Ltd] - (East Swindon-Wanborough) accepting microlights
*Draycott (X2SW)Cite web|url=http://archive.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/2004/1/5/128810.html|title=John's sky high plans for airfield|accessdate=2007-01-14|publisher=Swindon Advertiser|year=2004|author=Anthony Osborne] - (Near Chiseldon) Grass strip accepting light aircraft and helicopters
*Oaksey Park (EGTW)Cite web|url=http://ukga.com/aerodrome/view.cfm?aerodromeId=1348|title=Oaksey Park|accessdate=2007-01-14|publisher=ukga.com|work=Airfields] - Malmesbury

Military Airfields

*RAF Lyneham
*RAF Fairford
*RAF Brize Norton
*AAC Netheravon (EGDN) - Army
*Upavon (X2UA) - grass strip - formerly EGDJ
*Wanborough (X2WB) - closed
*Wroughton (X2RN) - closed - formerly RAF Wroughton EGDT

ee also

*Swindon
*Transport in the United Kingdom

References