175 Year Anniversary - GWR Windsor & Eton Central
Today, 8th October 2024 marks the 175th Anniversary of Windsor & Eton Central Station, Royal Branch Line, created by GWR.
On this day in 1849, the first train left for Slough at 8.05am and there were a further 10 departures that day, with the last leaving at 9.20pm. The journey time was 6 minutes - the same as it is today.
Have you ever wondered why a relatively small town, the size of Windsor, has two stations?
The team at Windsor Museum have put together a very informative exhibition, including fascinating photographs and timelines from over the years. This exhibition can be enjoyed, in the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, at the Windsor Guildhall, in its current opening hours of Tuesday’s 10am - 4pm.
To ensure as many people can access this important history, we have also created a link to the main exhibit boards - and you can read these here.
The museum also have a railway quiz that was created for the airing of the Architecture the Railways Built tv programme. https://forms.gle/ojNi16mDe2TNSGtA9. The programme is still available on UKTV player to watch (S2 Ep3) and covers the coming of the railway stations to Windsor.
The coming of the railways transformed Britain. People and places were better connected over vast distances, and this helped to open up new markets for trade. Like all towns in Britain, Windsor benefited both socially and economically. However, unlike other towns of its size, it gained two separate railway stations - which it still has to this day. This is the legacy of a unique and long fought railway dispute that unfolded here nearly 200 years ago. The key players were: the Crown; Eton College; Great Western Railway (GWR); South Western Railway (SWR); and the people of Windsor.
Both of Windsor’s stations have been an essential part of the Town’s infrastructure since their opening 175 years ago. They have enabled generations of residents and visitors to go about their daily activities, from commuting to work to seeking leisure trips. The railways have carried people to Windsor for numerous historic events, including the golden and platinum jubilees of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II; Olympic events in 1908, 1948 and 2012; and for the funerals of five monarchs
We thank the team at the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, especially Becky Tarbar for their work in researching and curating this exhibition.
If you love history, and would like to get involved - the museum always welcome volunteers. There is also the Windsor Local History Group, who meet regularly and hold talks in the town - you can connect with them here.
Taking the train is still a fun, convenient and sustainable way to travel to and from Windsor! We thank GWR for their support within the VisitWindsor Partnership. To check out train times, follow this link.