Waterloo To Reading Line - History

History

• London to Richmond was opened on 27 July 1846 by the Richmond Railway, which was purchased by the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) in 1847. Until 1 July 1848 the London terminus was Nine Elms, thereafter it was Waterloo which was called "Waterloo Bridge station" until 1886.
• Richmond to Staines (and Datchet) opened on 22 August 1848 by the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway under L&SWR auspices. This line reached Windsor on 1 December 1849.
• Staines to Ascot was opened 4 June 1856 by the Staines, Wokingham and Woking Junction Railway (worked by the L&SWR).
• extended from Ascot to Wokingham on 9 July 1856 to join the South Eastern Railway line to Reading which had opened in 1849.

The line was electrified on the DC third rail system, initially at 660 volts, in sections:

• Waterloo to Twickenham flyover (for Kingston Loop) 30 January 1916
• Twickenham to Whitton Junction (for Hounslow Loop) 12 March 1916
• Whitton Junction to Windsor 6 July 1930.
• Virginia Water to Ascot and Reading South 1 January 1931. The Ascot station article says "1 January 1939"

Early on Sunday 15 November 2009 the bridge carrying the line over the River Crane at Feltham partly collapsed. Services between Feltham and Whitton, and between Feltham and Hounslow, were suspended. They were restored eight days later on a temporary diversionary line with a 20 mph speed limit laid across the adjoining site of the disused Feltham Marshalling yard. The defective bridge was demolished and rebuilt.