The station was opened by the Great Western Railway (GWR) as an exchange station on 12 May 1845 with the line opening from Swindon to Gloucester. Only on 1 May 1882 did it become a public station replacing the nearby Tetbury Road.[2]
The distance between the platforms and the large clearance between the remaining running lines is a legacy from when Kemble first opened because it originally accommodated Brunel's 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) broad gauge tracks. These were changed to standard gauge tracks in 1892.
John William Boyd 1900[4] - 1922[5] (formerly station master at Tetbury)
G. Evans 1922 – 1929[6] (formerly station master at Purton)
M.E. Waters until 1935[7] (also station master at Cirencester Town, afterwards station master at Cirencester Town)
C. Feldwick. 1935 – 1942[8] (afterwards station master at Cirencester Town)
Walter John Butt Watts from 1942 (formerly station master at Brimscombe)
Description
The station has two platforms in use. The former Tetbury bound platform remains but the track has been lifted. The building on the down platform (no. 2) has been out of use for several years, containing toilets and a waiting room, which are still in situ. On the former Cirencester platform, a short stub of track remains for the occasional stabling of track machines. This ends at a buffer stop just before the station car park. In 2013, Cotswold District Council refused an application by Network Rail to demolish part of the Grade II listed Cirencester bay platform in connection with the redoubling of the line from Swindon.[9] According to the Council, the platform was still in a good state of repair and any public benefit from the demolition would not outweigh the damage that would be caused to the historical significance of the station.[9] The station has a ticket office and a small café. The limestone bridge, at the south end of the station, was Grade II listed from 5 November 2015[10] and the station[11] and water tank from 27 February 1986.[12]
Diesel-hauled Up stopping train in 1962
Station entrance
Signals at Kemble Station
The former Cirencester platform, June 2009
Station platforms looking north-west. The old Cirencester line branches to the right.
The station is also served by limited services extending beyond Cheltenham Spa to Worcester Shrub Hill. There is also a limited service to/from Westbury via the Wessex Main Line.
The station is occasionally served by trains to and from Cardiff Central and Swansea during periods of engineering work.