Ledbury and Gloucester Railway
Introduction A bridge carrying a minor road over the railway trackbed near Rudford churchThe '''Ledbury and Gloucester Railway,''' (also known as the Daffodil Line), was a railway line in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire, England, running between Ledbury and Gloucester. It opened in 1885 and closed in 1964.
History Most of the line followed the route of the southern section of the Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal, which was inaugurated in 1798.===Construction and opening===After a period of financial struggle, the canal was leased to the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1863.Conversion to a railway began in 1881 The railway was built by two companies: the '''Newent Railway''' and the '''Ross and Ledbury Railway'''. Colonel F. H. Rich inspected the line in July 1885, and it officially opened on 27 July. The GWR operated the railway, eventually merging with both smaller companies in 1892.===Closure===The line closed to passenger traffic in 1959, with the Dymock to Gloucester section remaining open to goods traffic until 1964.
Route The line followed a south and then south-easterly route between Ledbury railway station and Gloucester Central railway station, it joined the Gloucester to Newport Line at Over Junction. Stations were established at Ledbury Town Halt, Greenway Halt, Dymock, Four Oaks Halt, Newent, Malswick Halt, and Barbers Bridge. Notably, a skew bridge that carried the line over Hereford Road in Ledbury remains in use as part of the Ledbury Town Trail footpath.
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