The Cholsey and Wallingford Railway is a heritage line in Oxfordshire, England, tracing its roots back to the mid-19th century. Originally conceived in 1861 as part of a broader route from Cholsey to Princes Risborough, the plan was scaled down due to financial constraints. In 1864, local businessmen formed the Wallingford and Watlington Railway Company (WWRC), and the branch line from Moulsford to Wallingford officially opened in July 1866.
Despite its early promise, the railway faced financial difficulties from the outset. The collapse of Overend, Gurney & Co bank in 1866 triggered a national financial crisis, making it impossible to fund the extension to Watlington. By 1872, the WWRC sold the line to the Great Western Railway (GWR), which reconfigured the route to run from Cholsey to Wallingford. This adjustment was necessary to accommodate the expansion of the main line between Moulsford and Cholsey.
The line became affectionately known as the “Wallingford Bunk,” a nickname rooted in a local anecdote involving a locomotive departing without its coaches. Passenger services ceased in 1959, and freight operations dwindled until 1965, when Wallingford Station was closed. A shortened section continued to serve the ABM Maltings until 1981, after which the line was officially closed.
Preservation efforts began shortly thereafter. On May 31, 1981, a DMU tour dubbed “The Wallingford Wake” ran from Paddington to Wallingford, inspiring the formation of the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway Preservation Society. The line had previously been used to stable the Royal Train and even Winston Churchill’s train during World War II. It also gained fame as the backdrop for promotional photos of British Rail’s high-speed InterCity 125 trains.
Today, the Cholsey and Wallingford Railway operates as a 2½-mile heritage railway, offering scenic rides and a nostalgic experience of British rail history. Run by volunteers, the railway continues to evolve, with plans for infrastructure improvements such as a run-round loop and restored signal gantries.
This history was generated using AI and is based on publicly available sources including Wikipedia and the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway official site.
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