Henley Branch Line

Henley Branch Line
A sign at Henley-on-Thames showing the Regatta Line name
Overview
Type	Heavy rail
System	National Rail
Status	Operational
Locale	Berkshire Oxfordshire South East England
Termini	Twyford Henley-on-Thames
Stations	4
Operation
Opened	1857
Owner	Network Rail
Operator(s)	Great Western Railway
Rolling stock	Class 165 "Turbo" Class 166 "Turbo Express"
Technical
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Old gauge	7 ft (2,134 mm)
Operating speed	50 mph (80 km/h)

Henley Branch Line
4¾ Henley-on-Thames 2¾ Shiplake Shiplake Railway Bridge (River Thames) 1¾ Wargrave 0¾ Twyford Great Western Main Line ( Reading – London )

The Henley Branch Line is a branch railway line between Twyford in Berkshire and Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. It was built by the Great Western Railway in 1857. Train services are provided by the present day Great Western Railway train operating company.

The railway provides access to the River Thames and the Thames Path and is heavily used during the Henley Royal Regatta. It is sometimes referred to as the Regatta Line, and was branded as such by First Great Western and Oxfordshire County Council in 2006.

At periods other than the Regatta, many of the line's users are commuters to London, and students attending the nearby Henley College.

From a junction with the Great Western Main Line at Twyford railway station, the line turns north and goes under the A4 main road; the first station is at Wargrave. From there, the line crosses the River Thames into Oxfordshire and proceeds to Shiplake, the second stop on the line. Finally it continues to the town of Henley-on-Thames, where the line terminates.

The speed limit is 50 mph along most of line, except for the Shiplake bridge, which is 30 mph for multiple units (10 mph for any other type of train), and the approach to Twyford, which is 25 mph.