Single line 6 miles

Opened 9.8.1884 West Drayton - Colnbrook; 2.11.1885 Colnbrook - Staines West.
Closed to passengers - 29.3.1965
Closed to goods - 27.1.1981 Colnbrook - Staines West New Spur Jn.

Stations
- West Drayton 2nd (opened 1884) r/n 1895 West Drayton & Yiewesley r/n 1974 West Drayton; West Drayton 1st (opened 1838, closed 1884)
- Colnbrook Estate Halt (opened 1961, closed 1965)
- Colnbrook (opened 1954)
- Poyle Estate Halt (opened 1954)
- Poyle Halt for Stanwell Moor (opened 1927)
- Runnymede Range Halt (opened 1887) r/n 1934 Runymede Halt r/n 1935 Yeoveny Halt (closed 1962)
- Staines r/n 1949 Staines West.

Motive Power Depots - Staines one-track sub-shed to Southall 81C (closed 1952)

History
The town of Staines, 19 miles SW of central London, was in Middlesex until 1974 but is now in Surrey close to the Gtr London boundary. Independently promoted the Staines & West Drayton Railway (S&WDR) it reached Staines in 1885 and was absorbed by the GWR in 1900. The original plans had envisaged linking it into the Windsor lines on Staines Moor but the L&SWR would not agree so it was carried over its lines to terminate alongside Pound Mill in Moor Lane. Because finances were tight the struggling S&WDR bought a mill owner's house adjacent to the site and altered it to serve as a station. In 1964 the Western Region provided 14 trains on weekdays the journey with four stops taking 17 mins; the following year the service was withdrawn.

After closure to passengers the goods yard at Staines West was demolished and a rail accessed oil storage depot built in its place. When the line was severed by the building of the M25 in 1981, a new connection with the Southern Region line was made to serve the oil depot but ten years later it closed. The three miles between West Drayton and Colnbrook remain open as a means of getting stone, steel and construction materials to Heathrow Airport for the terminal 5 project due for completion in 2008.

Route - when open
The bay platform at the west end of West Drayton station (GR061801) was used by both Uxbridge and Staines branch trains with both branches diverging NW from the Paddington - Reading line immediately west of the station. The two branches then parted company after a short distance with this line turning south to pass under the main line and bridge the River Colne. From there it headed SW passing under the later M4, the A4 at Colnbrook Estate Halt and at Colnbrook over Bath Road by means of a level crossing. Poyle for Stanwell Moor Halt was located on the south side of the Horton Road overbridge and for the next two miles it ran south alongside the Wraysbury River. It then climbed away from Yeoveney, bridged the L&SW Windsor branch, passed under the Staines Bypass (A30) and ended at Staines West station (GR032718) near the junction of Wraysbury Road and Moor Lane.

Route - today
The operational part of the branch currently ends at the site of Colnbrook station (GR036767) in Bath Road and since April 2004 rails across the Bath Road have disappeared under a thick layer of tar. From there it is walkable south to Horton Road where, in 2003, there was a work site for an M25 spur. The trackbed continues on the opposite side of Horton Road and ends abruptly at the M25. For 320 yards, the trackbed is lost under the M25 but a pedestrian underpass under J14 gives access to a tarmac bridleway that the route of the line joins. The trackbed stops at the dismantled bridge over the existing LSWR line. A pedestrian crossing over the line slightly further west leads to Moor Lane which leads to Staines West station. Overgrown tracks that served the oil depot at Staines are still in place.

Relics
- West Drayton station (2nd) - still open (Paddington - Reading line)
- West Drayton station (1st) - demolished: no trace
- Colnbrook Estate Halt - no trace
- Colnbrook platforms and main station buildings removed but S.M.s house alongside the level crossing survives
- Poyle Estate Halt - no trace
- Poyle Halt for Stanwell Moor - built over by J14 of M25
- Yeoveney - Wooden entrance gate and concrete supports remain.
- Staines West station building intact listed grade ll, a section of platform track and buffer stop remain, platform area now a car park.

Bridges - all bridges in place West Drayton - Colnbrook
bridge over stream south of Colnbrook station in place
bridge over stream north of Horton Road in place but heavily overgrown
Lintel's bridge carrying Horton Road at Poyle Halt for Stanwell Moor demolished and built over by J14 of M25
bridge over Windsor Branch at Staines - bridge removed but both abutments remain
brick-arched bridge over Wraysbury River in Staines demolished
underpass under A30 in Staines survives with impenetrable undergrowth on north side
cattle bridge over line south of A30 in place.
Loco sheds - Staines (GR033720) on west side of line at north end of Staines West station demolished 1955, site now a timber yard.

(The above text courtesy of Ralph Rawlinson   ©2005.)

The Farewell To Staines West Branch railtour, which took place on 24th January 1981. (photo © Paul Matthews)

Early/mid-1980s with the photographer facing northwards. The hill in the background (between the tree on the left and the track) is adjacent to the M25 - it's actually the built up flood protection for the Wraysbury Reservoir - which places this photo a few hunderd yards short of the vicinity of the old Yeoveney station. Further on from here, the route of the line disappears under the M25 for just under a mile. (photo © Paul Matthews)

A stray railway sleeper still remaining. (photo: Mar 2015)

A stray railway sleeper still remaining. (photo: Mar 2015)

These two concrete blocks exist on the east of the line's location across Staines Moor. Their purpose is unknown but they are possibly supports for the signal box/ground frame that used to exist in this area. The area is also where the connection to the LSWR branched off, so it is possible that they are related to that. (photo: Mar 2015)

The heavy rains of early 2014 caused much flooding around the area. The raised level of the railway embankment meant that is was relatively unaffected. Shown here is the entrance to Yeoveney Halt station. (photo: Feb 2014)

Closer view of the entrance to Yeoveney Halt station in much dryer weather. The fence supporting posts seen here are from railway operational days. (photo: Mar 2015)

The rotting remains of the gate for Yeoveney Halt. Judging by the deteriorating condition, the gate may not be there for much longer. The location of the halt and its remains were identified by Nick Catford, the great lost railways detective. (photo: Mar 2015)

Just about visible is a concrete slab that formed part of the path up to the platform. (photo: Mar 2015)

The location of Yeoveney Halt station, looking northwards from the southern end. 200 yards north of the platform's midpoint is where the trackbed meets the bridleway that runs parallel to the M25 motorway (see the bottom photo on this page for further details). (photo: Mar 2015)

Concrete supporting post for the otherwise wooden structure of Yeoveney Halt. (photo: Mar 2015)

Concrete supporting posts for the otherwise wooden structure of Yeoveney Halt. A constructional diagram of the station, showing these concrete posts, is contained within Keith Jagger's excellent 22 page account about this line during the 1950s/60s (and contains photographs and maps). (photo: Mar 2015)

North of Yeoveney Halt and a fenced pathway across the line. Beyond the fence, the line is impassable due to the foilage, for a short distance. (photo: Mar 2015)

Looking back toward Staines, this photo shows the bridleway (on the right of the photo) that runs parallel to the M25. It continues southward until it reaches Moor Lane, the Staines (eastern) end of which is where Staines West station was located. The metal gate on the left is across the trackbed and the area shown is where the trackbed meets the bridleway; the trackbed (behind the photographer) continues northwards, more or less along the route of the bridleway for about 1,000 yards, then obliquely crosses the M25, taking approximately 320 yards to do so. (photo: Aug 2006)     (continues on next page...)