Marlow Branch Line
| Marlow branch line | |
|---|---|
A Class 165 DMU runs beside the River Thames between Bourne End and Marlow. This service is known locally as 'The Marlow Donkey'.
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| Overview | |
| Type | Heavy rail |
| System | National Rail |
| Status | Operational |
| Locale |
Buckinghamshire, Berkshire South East England |
| Termini | Maidenhead Marlow |
| Stations | 5 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1854 |
| Owner | Network Rail |
| Operator(s) | Great Western Railway |
| Character | Branch line |
| 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) |
The Marlow branch line is a 7.25-mile (11.67 km) single track railway line between Maidenhead, Berkshire, Bourne End and Marlow, Buckinghamshire, England. Passenger services are operated by Great Western Railway using Class 165 and Class 166 diesel trains. The line connects to the Great Western Main Line at Maidenhead station, and uses a section of the former Wycombe Railway line to High Wycombe together with the former Great Marlow Railway.
The train that runs on the branch line is known as The Marlow Donkey although the exact derivation of the term is unclear. Karau and Turner say "the trains of pack horses, mules and donkeys carrying goods to the riverside prompted the local people to christen the train on the Great Marlow Railway, the 'Marlow Donkey', a name which survives to this day". However, Anthony Wethered, great-grandson of the first chairman of the company, suggests that it is the name of the line. A third tradition identifies a particular locomotive. A pub in Marlow is named after it.
The off-peak service is one train per hour in each direction between Maidenhead and Marlow. During morning and evening peak times a two trains per hour service is achieved by using two trains: one shuttling between Marlow and Bourne End, and another between Bourne End and Maidenhead/London Paddington. This is possible because Bourne End station has two platforms that may be used simultaneously.
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Wikipedia