Gloucester railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Gloucester
code = GCR


manager = First Great Western
locale = Gloucester
borough = Gloucester
usage0405 = 0.810
usage0506 = 0.876
usage0607 = 0.943
platforms = 4
start =

Gloucester railway station (formerly known as Gloucester Central station) serves the city of Gloucester. The station is unusual as it is located off the main Bristol-Birmingham line, meaning trains that call at Gloucester usually have to reverse. Only trains that continue along the line to Chepstow and Cardiff do not have to reverse. At 602.69 metres (1977 ft. 4 ins.) Gloucester has the second longest railway platform in Great Britain, just behind Colchester (620m, 2034ft). The reason for this extreme length is due to a break-of-gauge between the Great Western Railway (7ft 0¼ in (2140 mm)) and Midland Railway's (4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm)) tracks here prior to the latter's adoption as standard gauge in 1892.

The footbridge had a direct connection into Gloucester Eastgate railway station until that station closed in 1975, due to level crossings affecting the city's road traffic. Eastgate station provided sharply curved through platforms on the Bristol-Birmingham (former Midland Railway) Line, avoiding the current problems with trains having to reverse.

ervices

The station is served by several operators.
*Arriva Trains Wales operates an hourly local service between Maesteg, Cardiff Central, Chepstow and Cheltenham Spa.

*CrossCountry operates an hourly Cardiff Central - Nottingham service with 2 trains in the early morning stopping at Lydney, Chepstow, Caldicot and Severn Tunnel Junction. They also serve the city as part of their Cross-Country operations. However, only 1 train in each direction stops at Gloucester a day so as to avoid the trains having to reverse (There is a proposed Gloucestershire Parkway station to be located on the main Bristol to Birmingham line just north of the branch into Gloucester). Instead, passengers for Gloucester have to change at Cheltenham Spa for a connecting service.

*First Great Western operates an hourly service to Swindon via the Golden Valley Line with 2-hourly extensions to London Paddington. They also operate an hourly Westbury & Bristol to Gloucester service, which has 2-hourly extensions to Cheltenham, Worcester & Great Malvern.

*London Midland operates 1 Friday night service from Birmingham New Street to Gloucester departing at 23:04 and arriving at 00:16. From December 2008, they will be operating a 2-hourly Worcester to Gloucester service (6 trains per day) to fill the current gaps in between First Great Western services. Early online timetables on the National Rail ticket booking facility show that southbound trains are spaced to fill the gaps in between First Great Western services, however northbound trains have a 40-minute turnaround at Gloucester, leaving the London Midland and First Great Western services only about half an hour apart.cite web| title=New LM Worcester - Gloucester service confirmed from December 2008| url=http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/info/3251_Hourly_Worcester_Gloucester_from_December.html| date=2008-09-13| publisher=First Great Western Coffee Shop Forum]

rail line|previous=Terminus|next=Cheltenham Spa|route=London Midland
Birmingham - Gloucester (Limited service)|col=76B41F
-
colspan=5|"* Limited service"

Ticket Office Information

The ticket office just inside the station entrance is open for most the day, seven days a week:
Monday - Friday: 0600 to 2000
Saturday: 0600 to 1930
Sunday: 0900 to 2030

The station is also staffed for about 19 hours a day, opening at 0530 on Mondays to Saturdays and 0800 on Sundays.

There are ticket machines in the booking hall.

Snacks and drinks are served in the café on platform 2.

References

External links