Marlborough Railway Stations - Decline and Closure

Decline and Closure

The Midland and South Western Junction line was very heavily used for troop and other military movements across Salisbury Plain in the Second World War, but after the war both passenger and goods traffic declined sharply in competition with road transport. Marlborough, about midway between London and Bath/Bristol, had become a focus for long-distance east-west bus services and the railway found it difficult to compete. The whole line closed for passenger services in 1961, and that included the remaining branch line service from Savernake Low Level.

Before the closure, there had been one last twist in the intertwined history of the two lines and the various stations. In September 1958, a landslip blocked the main line close to Savernake High Level station. Through services were diverted back through Savernake Low Level, as they had been from 1883 to 1898, but this time using the later 1933 link between the lines, and Savernake High Level station closed. This arrangement, however, lasted only three years until passenger services were withdrawn. Goods traffic continued to Marlborough from Savernake for a further three years, with the GWR station's goods yard remaining open until May 1964 and the M&SWJR station's goods facilities holding on until September 1964. There were occasional passenger services too in this period, associated with Marlborough College excursions.

Today both Marlborough stations have disappeared beneath new developments in the town.