- ex isting ▁single ▁track ▁Hat ton ▁to ▁ ▁branch ▁line , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁by ▁the ▁Str at ford ▁on ▁Av on ▁Railway . ▁Part ▁of ▁this ▁branch ▁between ▁Bear ley ▁and ▁Str at ford ▁was ▁double d ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁work , ▁to ▁incorpor ate ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁new ▁main ▁line , ▁providing ▁a ▁more ▁direct ▁link ▁between ▁B irmingham ▁and ▁Str at ford , ▁connecting ▁Hen ley - in - Ar den ▁and ▁Sh ir ley ▁en ▁route . ▁This ▁made ▁redundant ▁the ▁existing ▁branch ▁line ▁to ▁Hen ley - in - Ar den ▁from ▁, ▁which ▁later ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 . ▁The ▁N W L ▁formed ▁the ▁final ▁stage ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁main ▁line ▁route , ▁which ▁also ▁incorpor ated ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁branch ▁south ▁of ▁Str at ford ▁to ▁, ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 9 , ▁which ▁was ▁also ▁double d ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁and ▁joined ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁line ▁from ▁H oney bourne ▁to ▁Ch el ten ham ▁( the ▁H oney bourne ▁Line ), ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 . ▁This ▁gave ▁the ▁G WR ▁a ▁new ▁main ▁line ▁between ▁the ▁West ▁Mid lands ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁West ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁South ▁Wales , ▁providing ▁a ▁shorter ▁link ▁than ▁existing ▁routes ▁via ▁Oxford ▁and ▁Here ford . ▁It ▁thus ▁placed ▁the ▁Great ▁Western ▁in ▁a ▁position ▁to ▁comp ete ▁with ▁the ▁B irmingham ▁to ▁Br