Marlow Donkey train service celebrates ‘landmark’ 150th anniversary

A long-running train service connecting Bourne End and Marlow marked its 150th anniversary this week.

On Tuesday, Great Western Railway welcomed several community groups, including the Marlow and District Railway Society and Marlow-Maidenhead Passengers’ Association, on board a newly-liveried train.

Association member and attendee, Peter Hicks, from Wooburn Green, said: “My dad was a railway enthusiast. I was here, 50 years ago, with my dad when I was 12 years old, and he was a steward in this station at the 100th anniversary when they had steam running. That was an amazing day.”

The Marlow branch line, known colloquially as The Marlow Donkey, first opened to passengers on June 27, 1873.

Although unconfirmed, the ‘Marlow Donkey’ derived its name from the livestock, including donkeys, that were traditionally transported by the train.

The single-track railway line launched by The Great Marlow Railway Company originally ran between ‘Marlow Road’ and ‘Great Marlow’, which were later renamed Bourne End and Marlow in 1874 and 1899 respectively.

In 1897, Great Western Railway absorbed the line to link Marlow with the mainline at Maidenhead, and intended to connect the Buckinghamshire community to London and Cornwall.

The company saw lots of support following plans to connect Henley-on-Thames with a direct line to Marlow in 1898 but the scheme was deferred and didn’t progress further after protests by a rowing club in Henley.

The final steam-hauled passenger service ran in 1962, with rail freight transport ceasing in 1966.

In 1967, Marlow station building was closed, and a new platform was built.

Following the closure of the train service from Bourne End to High Wycombe for economic reasons in 1970, concerns were raised about the future of the Maidenhead to Marlow service.

Community support for keeping the line open soon led to the formation of the Marlow – Maidenhead Railway Passengers’ Association, who in the following years were successful in blocking the service closure.

Mike Copland, who was a member when the Association was founded, said they persuaded British Rail with two methods; producing and distributing brochures about the line to the community and a a ‘Steam Day’ featuring three steam engines that ran between Maidenhead and Marlow.

He said: “About 10,000 people came out to watch and a prominent BBC broadcaster came down – and we won. Here we are.”

Talking about the event on Tuesday, Simon Gillbrand, Network Rail’s Head of Metro Operations said: “It’s been a fantastic day with a good turnout. It’s great to see there’s still a keen, remarkable interest in the goings on of the railway.

“The railways were built to last and to connect communities. There’s history here, and a great connection for commuters and leisure, across the summer in particular.”

People and Transformation Director (Regional) for GWR and Network Rail Wales and Western, Ruth Busby, added: “We are thrilled to celebrate this landmark day with our guests from across the Marlow and Bourne End community.

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

Guests disembarked at Bourne End station on Tuesday for speeches before enjoying a specially designed cake.

The design was a map of the branch line running along the River Thames, marking the day the line between Bourne End and Marlow first became operational.

Maidenhead MP Theresa May said: “This much-used connection has linked the community of Marlow to the GWR mainline and served my constituents in Cookham and Furze Platt for a century-and-a-half, and with it brought many economic benefits.

“I hope everyone attending the anniversary celebrations had a lovely time and enjoyed travelling on GWR’s specially-decorated train.”