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Just as the railways had spelled the end for the stage-coaches and the decline of the canals, so they suffered in their turn from competition from cars, lorries and buses. The Midland Railway branch serving Stroud and Nailsworth closed to passenger transport in 1947, shortly before the railways were nationalised. Freight was carried twice or three times a week, until the lines were closed completely in the mid-1960s. The old Cheapside spur was re-used in the 1980s as the route for the bypass between Wallbridge and London Rd The Great Western Railway line has survived, although the small halts all disappeared after the Railcar service was discontinued in 1964. The line is an alternative route from London to South Wales if the Severn Tunnel is ever impassable. There are currently through trains from Stroud to London Paddington (2003). These run every one to two hours during the day, as well as the diesel railcar service, which shuttles between Gloucester and Swindon. From January 2016, this website is managed by Stroud Local
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