Some Early Lines – Old Railway Companies – Berkshire & Hampshire Railway + ext

Although nominally independent (incorporated on 30th June, 1845). The Company was backed by the GWR, which absorbed it by an Act of 14th May,1846. It continued the GWR’s Newbury branch to Hungerford and a 13.5 mile line ran from Southcote Junction, Reading, to a separate station at Basingstoke. Opening from Reading to Hungerford was on 21st December, 1847, and to Basingstoke on 1st November, 1848. Broad gauge to begin with, authority to ‘adapt the broad gauge’ was obtained on 21st June 1873. It was extended to Devizes as the Berkshire & Hampshire Extension Railway.
This line was authorised on13th August,1859 to extend the Berkshire & Hampshire Railway along the Kennet Valley for another 24.5 miles from Hungerford to Devizes. It was opened on 11th November, 1862 and absorbed by the GWR on 10th August, 1882, having been further extended to the WS & WR at Westbury under Authority of 28th June, 1866.