Cheltenham Spa Express
Encyclopedia
The Cheltenham Spa Express is a British
named passenger train service from Paddington station, in London, to Cheltenham Spa
, in Gloucestershire
, via Reading
, Kemble
, Stroud
, Stonehouse
and Gloucester
. During the 1930s, when operated by the Great Western Railway
, the service was more popularly known as the Cheltenham Flyer.
Even prior to the First World War the Great Western Railway ran a high-speed service between Cheltenham and London, covering the 91 miles (146.4 km) from Kemble Junction to Paddington in 103 minutes. After the war an additional stop was made at Swindon
and the time for the 77¼ miles (124.32 km) to Paddington was scheduled at 85 minutes.
However, in 1923 the first batch of Charles Collett
's GWR 4073 Class
(also called Castle Class) 4-6-0
express engines entered service and this enabled a significant improvement in timings. The name "Cheltenham Spa Express" was given to the service, which reached Paddington in 75 minutes from Swindon, an average speed of 61.8 miles per hour (27.6 m/s).
Fierce rivalry between the four main railway companies during the 1920s and 1930s to run the fastest train in the country, and therefore in the world, led to further accelerations to the service. In July 1929 the scheduled journey time became 70 minutes, an average speed of 66.2 miles per hour (29.6 m/s). Two years later (1931) the train was again accelerated to an average speed of 69.2 miles per hour (30.9 m/s), and by now had acquired its popular nickname of the "Cheltenham Flyer", although this was never adopted officially.
On Monday, June 6, 1932, the train broke railway speed records with a time of 56 mins 47 seconds at an average speed of 81.6 miles per hour (36.5 m/s). Such a journey speed had never been previously recorded and this made this run the fastest railway run in the world. The train was hauled by Castle class 5006 "Tregenna Castle" and was crewed by Driver Ruddock and Fireman Thorp of Old Oak Common shed
.
In September 1932 the time from Swindon to London was further reduced to 65 minutes, giving an extraordinary average speed, for the time, of 71.3 miles per hour (31.9 m/s) over the whole trip of 77¼ miles (124.32 km). This was the first occasion in the history of railways that any train had been scheduled at over 70 miles per hour (31.3 m/s).
The Great Western Railway's successor, British Rail
, continued to use the "Cheltenham Spa Express" brand until the 1960s, when it fell out of use. It was reintroduced in 1984, and continues to be used by First Great Western
. , the "Cheltenham Spa Express" forms the 11:48 departure from Paddington (arriving in Cheltenham at 14:03), and the 14:46 departure from Cheltenham (arriving in London at 16:56). (The service runs Mondays-Fridays only.)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
named passenger train service from Paddington station, in London, to Cheltenham Spa
Cheltenham Spa railway station
Cheltenham Spa railway station is in Gloucestershire, England, on the Bristol-Birmingham main line. It is managed by First Great Western and is about one mile from the town centre.-History:...
, in Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, via Reading
Reading railway station
Reading railway station is a major rail transport hub in the English town of Reading. It is situated on the northern edge of the town centre, close to the main retail and commercial areas, and also the River Thames...
, Kemble
Kemble railway station
Kemble railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Kemble in Gloucestershire. The station is located on the Swindon to Gloucester "Golden Valley" line. Despite its rural location, Kemble station has a high number of passengers, due mainly to the proximity of...
, Stroud
Stroud railway station
Stroud railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Stroud in Gloucestershire, England. The station is located on the Swindon-Gloucester "Golden Valley" line.-History:...
, Stonehouse
Stonehouse railway station
Stonehouse railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Stonehouse in Gloucestershire, England. The station is located on the Swindon-Gloucester "Golden Valley" line.-History:...
and Gloucester
Gloucester railway station
Gloucester railway station serves the city of Gloucester in England. The station was originally built as the terminus of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway in 1840, but the arrival of the Bristol and Gloucester Railway and Cheltenham and Great Western Union Railway in 1844, and then conversion...
. During the 1930s, when operated by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
, the service was more popularly known as the Cheltenham Flyer.
Even prior to the First World War the Great Western Railway ran a high-speed service between Cheltenham and London, covering the 91 miles (146.4 km) from Kemble Junction to Paddington in 103 minutes. After the war an additional stop was made at Swindon
Swindon railway station
Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station entrance is on Station Road, to the south of the line.It is approximately from the central bus station and the town centre...
and the time for the 77¼ miles (124.32 km) to Paddington was scheduled at 85 minutes.
However, in 1923 the first batch of Charles Collett
Charles Collett
Charles Benjamin Collett was chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway from 1922 to 1941. He designed the GWR's 4-6-0 Castle and King Class express passenger locomotives.-Career:...
's GWR 4073 Class
GWR 4073 Class
The GWR 4073 Class or Castle class locomotives are a group of 4-6-0 steam locomotives of the Great Western Railway. They were originally designed by the railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett, for working the company's express passenger trains.-History:A development of the earlier...
(also called Castle Class) 4-6-0
4-6-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...
express engines entered service and this enabled a significant improvement in timings. The name "Cheltenham Spa Express" was given to the service, which reached Paddington in 75 minutes from Swindon, an average speed of 61.8 miles per hour (27.6 m/s).
Fierce rivalry between the four main railway companies during the 1920s and 1930s to run the fastest train in the country, and therefore in the world, led to further accelerations to the service. In July 1929 the scheduled journey time became 70 minutes, an average speed of 66.2 miles per hour (29.6 m/s). Two years later (1931) the train was again accelerated to an average speed of 69.2 miles per hour (30.9 m/s), and by now had acquired its popular nickname of the "Cheltenham Flyer", although this was never adopted officially.
On Monday, June 6, 1932, the train broke railway speed records with a time of 56 mins 47 seconds at an average speed of 81.6 miles per hour (36.5 m/s). Such a journey speed had never been previously recorded and this made this run the fastest railway run in the world. The train was hauled by Castle class 5006 "Tregenna Castle" and was crewed by Driver Ruddock and Fireman Thorp of Old Oak Common shed
Old Oak Common TMD
Old Oak Common TMD is situated to the west of London, in Old Oak Common. The Traction Maintenance Depot is the main facility for the storage and servicing of locomotives and multiple-units which utilise Paddington Station. The depot codes are 'OC' for the diesel depot, and 'OO' for the carriage shed...
.
In September 1932 the time from Swindon to London was further reduced to 65 minutes, giving an extraordinary average speed, for the time, of 71.3 miles per hour (31.9 m/s) over the whole trip of 77¼ miles (124.32 km). This was the first occasion in the history of railways that any train had been scheduled at over 70 miles per hour (31.3 m/s).
The Great Western Railway's successor, British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
, continued to use the "Cheltenham Spa Express" brand until the 1960s, when it fell out of use. It was reintroduced in 1984, and continues to be used by First Great Western
First Great Western
First Great Western is the operating name of First Greater Western Ltd, a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup that serves Greater London, the South East, South West and West Midlands regions of England, and South Wales....
. , the "Cheltenham Spa Express" forms the 11:48 departure from Paddington (arriving in Cheltenham at 14:03), and the 14:46 departure from Cheltenham (arriving in London at 16:56). (The service runs Mondays-Fridays only.)