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Region provided 14 trains on weekdays the journey with four stops taking 17 mins; the following year the service was withdrawn.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 bridge over the Wraysbury River in the process of being demolished, sometime in the early-mid 1980s. This is looking toward Staines: the houses on Moor Lane can just be made out on the right of the photo. The first bridge that was built here was of such poor construction, it collapsed before the line opened. This replacement bridge was built only wide enough for one track, unlike the other infrastructure on the branch which was built for the provision of two tracks (though never utilised). (photo © Paul Matthews)

View from Moor Lane of the bridge over the Wraysbury River being demolished. (photo © Paul Matthews)

The bridge seen above would have been on the far right of this photo. The photo shows the embankment taking the line toward Staines Moor. (photo: Feb 2014)

Early/mid-1980s photo by Paul Matthews, approaching the bridge (on foot from Moor Lane) that carried the line over the LSWR line to Waterloo. (photo © Paul Matthews)

Top photo: Paul Matthews' early/mid 1980s photo of the bridge over the LSWR line, looking in the Staines direction, shortly before removal. Bottom photo (move your cursor over the image to view): Feb 2014 view. There used to be a public footpath across the railway at the point where the photographs were taken from. As of 2014, it has been closed and a formal application has been lodged to close it permanently. Certainly the trains hurtle past at a fair speed along this stretch and it is probably a wise decision to close the footpath. (top level photo © Paul Matthews)

Close up of the northern-most bridge abutment. (photo: Feb 2014)

The bridge over the LSWR line, again looking in the Staines direction. The southern bridge abutment can be clearly seen on the right of the track. (photo: Aug 2006)

Early/mid-1980s photo by Paul Matthews showing the The Farewell To Staines West Branch railtour, which took place on 24th January 1981, passing over the bridge. The view is looking toward Staines. (photo © Paul Matthews)

Early/mid-1980s photo by Paul Matthews showing the top of the bridge, looking northward away from Staines. The tracks have been removed from the bridge but at this time, still remain on the other side. (photo © Paul Matthews)

Early/mid-1980s photo by Paul Matthews, the view is heading northward away from Staines. Further along the line, just short of Yeoveney station, the connection with the LSWR would have appeared on the right. Today there is no evidence of it. (photo © Paul Matthews)

Westward view. The track in the foreground, with a well established tree growing in the middle of it, is the link line built during WWII from the Staines West branch to the LSWR line. Up on the embankment in the background, the track is being lifted from the Staines West line. (photo early-mid 1980s, © Paul Matthews)

Bridge on Staines Moor, south of the vicinity of Yeoveney Halt. (photo: Aug 2006)

Early/mid-1980s photo by Paul Matthews showing the other side of the bridge. (photo © Paul Matthews)   (continues on next page...)