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Railways reached Stratford in 1859, after a branch was built to the town from the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway at Honeybourne, Worcestershire. In October 1860, this was followed by the opening of the Stratford on Avon Railway, which linked the town to the Great Western Railway at Hatton, about 9 miles to the north-east. Initially having separate termini, the two branches were connected with a single station opening at the present-day site of Stratford-upon-Avon railway station on 24 July 1861. Stratford Old Town railway station was opened in 1873 and, from 1909 until 1923, formed a part of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. The station was closed to passengers in 1952, though it served a train carrying the Queen Mother to Stratford in 1964. Freight services to the station ceased in 1965.

Railways reached Stratford in 1859, after a branch was built to the town from the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway at Honeybourne, Worcestershire. In October 1860, this was followed by the opening of the Stratford on Avon Railway, which linked the town to the Great Western Railway at Hatton, about 9 miles to the north-east. Initially having separate termini, the two branches were connected with a single station opening at the present-day site of Stratford-upon-Avon railway station on 24 July 1861. Stratford Old Town railway station was opened in 1873 and, from 1909 until 1923, formed a part of the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. The station was closed to passengers in 1952, though it served a train carrying the Queen Mother to Stratford in 1964. Freight services to the station ceased in 1965.

[[Elizabeth II]], who had previously been given a set of Shakespeare volumes by the town on her 18th birthday in 1944, visited the town alongside [[Prince Philip|Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] in June 1957. They visited Shakespeare's birthplace, the town hall and attended an anniversary performance of ''[[As You Like It]]''.<ref>[https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/the-queen-and-the-rsc The Queen and the RSC | Royal Shakespeare Company]</ref>

[[Elizabeth II]], who had previously been given a set of Shakespeare volumes by the town on her 18th birthday in 1944, visited the town alongside [[Prince Philip|Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] in June 1957. They visited Shakespeare's birthplace, the town hall and attended an anniversary performance of ''[[As You Like It]]''. The first of four visits made by the Queen as Monarch of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II would return to the town in 1975, to open the Centenary Garden, 1986 to open the Swan Theatre and 2011 to open the transformed Royal Shakespeare Theatre following a 3-year construction project.<ref>[https://www.rsc.org.uk/news/the-queen-and-the-rsc The Queen and the RSC | Royal Shakespeare Company]</ref>

== Culture ==

== Culture ==