The Fairford Branch Line was built in two stages by two separate private companies. The Witney Railway Co. was formed locally after the residents of the prosperous blanket making town were repeatedly thwarted in their attempts to get connected to the booming railway network during the early Victorian era. The locally dominant Great Western Railway was continually trying to scupper rival company's proposals and although various routes were put forward which would have put Witney on a main line route, the continual brinkmanship ensured that nothing was done. Against this background, on 23 December 1858 a meeting was held in the town which led to the formation of the independent Witney Railway Co. Royal assent was granted to a bill to build a line from the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway at Yarnton to Witney on 1 August 1859. The line was surveyed by the well known engineer Sir Charles Fox and a considerable amount of the building work was carried out by local builder Malachi Bartlett. The line opened with the customary festivities on 13 November 1861.      

What might have been. This 1849 map clearly shows the Witney Railway diverging from the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway near Wilcote and heading in a southerly direction towards the town. At this time there were numerous abortive attempts to reach the town, but it has to be said that this was surely not the most logical route, as it would have involved considerable gradients in the North Leigh area. As the junction is shown trailing in towards the Oxford direction (as eventually built at Yarnton), the route cannot have been chosen for quicker access to the Worcester end of the line. It also demonstrates the perils of basing a map on proposals rather constructed lines! 
Martin Loader Collection

The East Gloucestershire Railway had initially been conceived as a cross country route linking Witney and Faringdon to Cheltenham via Andoversford, indeed earthworks were already underway at Andoversford when the operation was scaled down to a purely local line from Witney to Fairford. In 1869 work commenced on this less ambitious plan, although the layout of the station at Fairford clearly indicates that it was never intended as a terminus and that Cirencester and a connection with Midland & South Western Junction Railway was their ultimate aim. The line from Witney to Fairford opened on 14 January 1873 and the resultant 22 mile branch line was operated by the GWR until that company took over the two local companies entirely in 1890.

For the first half of the twentieth century the Fairford Branch like so many rural lines up and down the country continued to serve the local community with remarkably little change in the pattern of services. The second world war did however bring an increase in traffic to the line and numerous track improvements were put in place to cater for the extra traffic. Aerodromes at Fairford, Broadwell (near Alvescot), Brize Norton & Stanton Harcourt, as well as various army camps all ensured a large number of military personnel using the line. However, after the war, the increased use of road haulage of goods and the ever increasing rise in the use of the private motor car saw traffic on the line reduce considerably.

Now here is something a little out of the ordinary. A horse bus poses for the photographer at Bampton station in 1908. The board on the roof indicates that W. Payne & Sons are operating the service on behalf of the GWR. Walter Frederick Payne is listed in Kelly's Directory as a carrier from Bridge Street, Bampton. The wording on this bus advertises fine omnibuses, horse and brakes for hire, plus cartage and removals. There are plenty of staff in this view, yet no passengers, indicating this is a specially posed photograph, although presumably there was some local service operating at this time. Incidentally, the horse looks a little undernourished! Integrated transport of a century ago! This view is also particularly interesting as it shows the eastern end of Bampton station building prior to the addition of a parcels office during WW1, which completely altered this end of the building. The chimney seen here was replaced by one much lower down the roof on what is the very corner of the building in this view. The building was considerably extended and lost its half-hipped roof.
Martin Loader Collection

The diesel era commenced on the Witney branch on 3 January 1966, when North British Locomotive Company Class 22 diesel hydraulics started to work the thrice weekly freight. Occasionally Class 08 diesel shunters substituted, but their 15mph top speed was a little limiting even for this backwater. The Class 22s performed well for the next five years, and like the Metro tanks before them, found that this to be their last stamping ground. Of this small class of 58 locos, at least 13 individual locos are known to have worked to Witney.