You only need look at the map to see how geography and established transport links put Gloucestershire at the heart of the UK road and rail network. It’s just one more reason why the county is such a popular choice for inward investment and tourism.
Road travel
Gloucestershire (and your business when you set-up here) enjoys excellent A-road and motorway links to England’s other business centres
- North to Birmingham and the Midlands with the M5
- Further north with the M6, M42 and M1
- South to Bristol and South West England with the M5
- West into Wales with the M50
- East to Swindon and the M4 corridor with the A417/419
- East to London, the Home Counties, the South East and the Channel Tunnel with the A40, M4 (and M25)
Guideline car journey times from Gloucester include:
Car Journey Times from Gloucester to major cities in the UK
| Bristol |
45 minutes |
| Swindon |
40 minutes |
| Birmingham |
70 minutes |
| Cardiff |
75 minutes |
| Manchester |
2 hours 40 minutes |
| London |
2 hours 20 minutes |
Rail travel
Gloucestershire offers your business the convenience of several railway stations, giving good access to the Midlands, London, Bristol and South West England and elsewhere in the country.
Ashchurch
Located close to the M5 Junction 9 (adjacent to Tewkesbury Business Park and Ashchurch Business Centre), this is the Park and Ride railhead for northern Gloucestershire.
Direct services from Ashchurch include the following destinations:
- Birmingham
- Worcester
- Cheltenham
- Gloucester
- Bristol
There is also a convenient bus link between Ashchurch station and Tewkesbury.
Cheltenham Spa
All trains stop here, Direct services from Cheltenham Spa include the following destinations:
- London
- Reading
- South Wales
- Bristol
- South West England
- Northern England
- Nottingham
- Birmingham
- Worcester
Parking is available at the station and a regular bus link runs to Cheltenham town centre.
Gloucester
Most trains stop at Gloucester station, which is conveniently located in the centre of the city. Direct services from Gloucester include the following destinations:
- London
- Reading
- South Wales
- Bristol
- Nottingham
- Birmingham
- Worcester
Parking is available at the station with convenient bus links nearby.
Cam & Dursley
This is the Park and Ride railhead for services to Gloucester, Bristol and Taunton. There is a bus link to Cam and Dursley from the station.
Stonehouse
This station offers regular services to Swindon and London. There is limited parking at the station and convenient nearby bus links.
Stroud
This is the Park and Ride railhead for Stroud and the surrounding area. There are regular services to Swindon and London as well as nearby bus links.
Kemble
Kemble is the Park and Ride railhead for the southern Cotswolds. There are regular services to Swindon and London as well as convenient bus links from the station to Cirencester, Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold.
Moreton-in-the-Marsh
Moreton is the Park and Ride railhead for the northern Cotswolds. Destinations served from here include Oxford, London and Great Malvern. There are also some through trains to Hereford.
Bus links from Moreton-in-the-Marsh serve Stratford-on-Avon, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water and Cirencester.
Lydney
This is the Park and Ride railhead for the southern Forest of Dean, with regular services to Gloucester and South Wales.
Rail information on the Gloucestershire County Council website
More information about rail services and stations is available by visiting www.gloucestershire.gov.uk (then go to ‘A-Z’ and click on ‘R’ for Rail and Bus Information).
Alternatively, more information on rail services is available from the following sources:
Bus travel
Gloucestershire County Council collates bus timetable information for all services within the county. Visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk (then go to ‘A-Z’ and click on ‘R’ for Rail and Bus Information). You may also find the following useful:
Traveline 0870 608 2608 www.traveline.org.uk
Air travel
Several international airports are between one and two hours away from Gloucestershire by car. These include the following:
For fixed-wing and helicopter business aviation, Gloucestershire Airport is conveniently located between Gloucester and Cheltenham.
Gloucestershire Airport: www.gloucestershireairport.co.uk
Sea travel
Sharpness Docks, located on the Severn Estuary in the south of Gloucestershire, provides extensive cargo-handling facilities and port services for vessels up to 6,000 tonnes.
For further details please contact Sharpness Dock Ltd on 01453 811644
Sustainable transport
For details of cycle routes and sustainable transport in Gloucestershire, please visit Sustrans at www.sustrans.org.uk