In 1834, the Great Western Railway Company presented a bill to Parliament which would give them the rights to build a line between London and Bristol. It was opposed by landowners, stagecoach owners and canal boat owners, and was defeated.

However, a second bill was passed the following year, and work on the line began shortly afterwards. The man in charge of the construction was Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The line was opened in stages, with the section between Paddington and Maidenhead opening in June 1838.

Initially there was no station at Slough, due to opposition from Eton College (see the article 'Slough Railway Station' for more details).

The railway provided the impetus which saw Slough grow from a village into a town. The improved transport facilities - rail travel was quicker and safer than coach travel - made it a desirable place to start a business, and thus a place where people would come to look for work.

In 1831 the population of Upton-cum-Chalvey was 1502. By 1851 it had more than doubled to 3573.

As a result of the railway, James Bedborough created Upton Park (now renamed Herschel Park) - a series of terraced houses and a pleasure ground. When it was being advertised, Bedborough stressed the proximity to the railway and to Windsor, making it the first example of a housing development aimed at commuters.

Slough was well on the way to becoming the town it is today.

For more information on how the railway came to Slough, together with information about the branch lines to Windsor and Staines, click on the link to the right and download Reg Harrison's booklet.