Sonning Cutting is on the original Great Western Railway built by

Isambard Kingdom Brunel Isambard Kingdom Brunel (; 9 April 1806 – 15 September 1859) was a British civil engineer who is considered "one of the most ingenious and prolific figures in engineering history," "one of the 19th-century engineering giants," and "on ...

. It is to the east of

Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of letters, symbols, etc., especially by sight or touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifaceted process involving such areas as word recognition, orthography (spelling ...

station and to the west of Twyford station near the village of

Sonning Sonning is a village and civil parish in Berkshire, England, on the River Thames, east of Reading. The village was described by Jerome K. Jerome in his book '' Three Men in a Boat'' as "the most fairy-like little nook on the whole river". Geo ...

in Berkshire, England. The railway's originally planned route had been around the north of

Sonning Hill Sonning Hill is a hill near the village of Sonning in Berkshire, England, close to the River Thames. Towards the Oxfordshire side of the main river channel, there is a long thin island creating two branches of the river. The Sonning Cutting tak ...

past the village. But because of local objections the railway bypassed the village in a cutting, over and up to deep, through the hill, giving a more direct route between Twyford and Reading. The cutting was hand-dug with no machinery and the spoil removed in wheelbarrows and horse-drawn carts. It took two years to complete and several people were killed in the process. The line was opened on 30 March 1840. After the ending of the broad gauge in 1892 the railway was widened to four tracks. This involved a major rebuilding of the cutting, during which the slope of the sides was reduced.

Accident

Early on 24 December 1841, a mixed goods and passenger train ran into a landslide in the cutting, caused by earlier persistent heavy rain.Railway Accidents near Reading

Reading History Trail
, United Kingdom. Many passengers who were carried in open-topped wagons were thrown out or crushed between the wagons. Eight people died there and seventeen, one of whom died later, were injured. Among the casualties were artisans returning home after working on the new Parliament building. The tragedy stimulated

William Ewart Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

, while

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

of the Board of Trade (1843–1845), to introduce legislation to improve safety on the railways.

References

{{Brunel Rail transport in Berkshire Geography of Berkshire Tourist attractions in Berkshire

Cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...

Great Western Railway Works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel Railway cuttings in the United Kingdom

Accident

See also

References