IN THE spring of 1963, in common with every other railway periodical, the pages of the Railway Observer carried plenty of news and speculation about the Beeching Report. Reshaping British Railways was published on March 27 that year, and public attention focused on lines proposed for closure and the likely effect of these measures on rural and less populated areas of the country.
The former GWR branches in the Thames Valley between Paddington and Reading serve sizeable populations, but did not entirely escape the ‘Beeching Axe’ as the popular press put it.
The nearest GWR branch to London is West Ealing to Greenford, the socalled Greenford Loop. For many years this line offered the unique opportunity of leaving a major London terminus in a single-car diesel unit ‘Bubble Car’, but the coming of electrification and the Elizabeth line put a stop to through services. GWR ‘Turbos’ now shuttle from a newly-constructed bay on the up platform at West Ealing.
Moving out to Slough, with its short branch to Windsor & Eton Central, and Twyford’s link to Henleyon-Thames, both also still enjoy regular Class165 ‘Turbo’ services, often three-car sets. The peak-hour through services to and from Paddington have been consigned to history, as have the expansive terminal stations originally constructed. Today, Windsor boasts only a simple platform in a shopping centre, often becoming extremely busy at the time of royal occasions.