GWR celebrates 150 years of the Marlow Branch Line

Great Western Railway (GWR) is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Marlow Branch Line with a special livery on one of its trains.

The Marlow branch line is a single track railway line in England, between Maidenhead in Berkshire and Bourne End and Marlow stations in Buckinghamshire, and trains first ran on the line on 27th June 1873.

The design – a map of the branch line running along the River Thames – marks the day the line between Bourne End and Marlow first became operational and features on unit 165122.

(c) GWR

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. Whatever the origins, a pub in Marlow is also named after it.

People and Transformation Director (Regional) for GWR and Network Rail Wales and Western, Ruth Busby, said: “We are thrilled to celebrate this landmark day with our guests from across the Marlow and Bourne End community. For a century-and-a-half, this branch line has kept families, friends and local businesses connected, whether it be for work or school, or to welcome visitors to this beautiful part of the Great Western network.”

“We are proud to work and celebrate alongside these incredibly dedicated people, whose love of the line helps to keep the community thriving.”