Buildwas | |
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General information | |
Location | Buildwas, Shropshire England |
Coordinates | 52°38′03″N2°31′00″W / 52.6342°N 2.5167°W Coordinates: 52°38′03″N2°31′00″W / 52.6342°N 2.5167°W |
Grid reference | SJ651041 |
Platforms | 3 |
Other information | |
Status | Disused |
History | |
Original company | Severn Valley Railway |
Pre-grouping | Great Western Railway |
Post-grouping | Great Western Railway |
Key dates | |
1 February 1862 | Opened |
9 September 1963 | Closed [1] |
Buildwas railway station was an isolated junction railway station on the Wellington to Craven Arms Railway and Severn Valley Railway. Opened on 1 February 1862. Although the station served both the Severn Valley Railway and Wellington to Craven Arms Railway, it was an interchange station in open countryside with no passenger access except by rail. [2]
The station had three platforms, with two platforms at a lower level serving the Severn Valley Railway and one at a higher level serving the Wellington to Craven Arms Railway. [3] At its peak, the station had a total of eleven staff, including the station master. Up to 1923 the area was controlled by two signal boxes, the Station signal box controlling the station area and the Junction signal box controlling the junction between the Severn Valley line and the double track line across the Albert Edward Bridge towards Lightmoor Junction. These were replaced with a single signal box approximately midway between its predecessors in 1923. This box was subsequently enlarged to accommodate a frame containing 113 levers on 9 December 1931. The track layout was altered several times during its existence including the additional CEGB sidings opened in 1932.[ citation needed ]
The planned closure of the northern end of the Severn Valley Line including Buildwas station pre-dated the Beeching report. Following closure, the station was demolished to make way for Ironbridge B Power Station. Coal for the power station was offloaded close to the site of the original station until the power station stopped generating electricity in November 2015.[ citation needed ]
The Telford Steam Railway has aspirations to operate to this site, running over the Albert Edward Bridge to a new terminus on or close to the site of Buildwas station.[ citation needed ]
The Ironbridge Power station closed in 2015 and the site was decommissioned by Uniper until sold to the Harworth Group in June 2018. Regeneration of the site is set to include approximately 1000 new homes with the potential of the reopening of a train station on the site. Both Telford Steam Railway and National Rail have expressed interest in the reintroduction of both heritage and passenger services to the site using the disused tracks, which currently links the power station to the Birmingham-Shrewsbury line near Telford. Harworth Group's planning proposal was initially rejected by Shropshire Council in August 2021 over a number of issues including the level of guaranteed affordable housing, [4] but was granted in September 2021 after amended proposals were submitted. [5]
In March 2020, a bid was made to the Restoring Your Railway Fund to get funds for a feasibility study into reinstating the line from Wolverhampton to Ironbridge. In March 2021 a bid was made to the Restoring Your Railway fund for money to strengthen and develop the case for plans to reinstate the former Ironbridge to Bridgnorth line. Both bids were unsuccessful. [6] [7]
During 2021 part of the former railway line at the site was recommissioned and buildings, platform and other infrastructure features were installed to act as a marketing facility for the Revolution Very Light Rail (RVLR) Demonstrator vehicle announced in October 2021. [8]
Shropshire is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to the north, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the southeast, and Herefordshire to the south. A unitary authority of the same name was created in 2009, taking over from the previous county council and five district councils, now governed by Shropshire Council. The borough of Telford and Wrekin has been a separate unitary authority since 1998, but remains part of the ceremonial county.
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The 16-mile (26 km) heritage line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route, and crossing the river on the historic Victoria Bridge.
The English county of Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 National Rail stations on various national lines; there are also a small number of heritage and freight lines, including the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire.
The Telford Steam Railway (TSR) is a heritage railway located at Horsehay, Telford in Shropshire, England, formed in 1976.
The Ironbridge power stations refers to a series of two power stations that occupied a site on the banks of the River Severn at Buildwas in Shropshire, England. The Ironbridge B Power Station was operated by E.ON UK but the site is now owned by Haworth Group. The station stands near the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site. Originally powered by coal, they were converted to use 100% biomass fuel. Ironbridge B Power Station stopped generating electricity on 20 November 2015, with the decommissioning process continuing into 2017. The main phase of the 27-month demolition process began at 11:00 GMT on 6 December 2019, commencing with the four cooling towers.
Buildwas is a village and civil parish in Shropshire, England, on the north bank of the River Severn at grid reference SJ641045. It lies on the B4380 road between Atcham and Ironbridge. The Royal Mail postcodes begin TF6 and TF8.
Coalport is a village in Shropshire, England. It is located on the River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, a mile downstream of Ironbridge. It lies predominantly on the north bank of the river; on the other side is Jackfield.
The Wolverhampton–Shrewsbury line is the railway line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury via Wellington; it was originally built by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway. The line is double track throughout, with rarely used relief sidings at Cosford and four tracks through Wellington station.
Shrewsbury railway station is in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Built in 1848, it was designated a grade II listed building in 1969.
Craven Arms railway station serves the town of Craven Arms in Shropshire, England. Until 1974 it was known as "Craven Arms and Stokesay", named after the nearby coaching inn and the historic settlement of Stokesay to the south. It is situated at the junction of the Welsh Marches Line and the Heart of Wales Line, 20 miles (32 km) south of Shrewsbury. All passenger trains calling at the station are operated by Transport for Wales, who also manage it.
Wellington railway station serves the town of Wellington, Shropshire, England. It is situated on the former Great Western Railway's London Paddington to Birkenhead via Birmingham Snow Hill line. Trains are operated by West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast and Transport for Wales.
Jackfield is a village in Shropshire, England, lying on the south bank of River Severn in the Ironbridge Gorge, downstream from Ironbridge.
Cosford railway station is a railway station which serves the village of Cosford in Shropshire, England. It also serves RAF Cosford which is also home to a branch of the Royal Air Force Museum. The station is served by West Midlands Trains, who manage the station, and Transport for Wales. Between 2008 and 2011 it was also served by the direct London operator, Wrexham & Shropshire.
Lightmoor Junction was a railway junction between Ironbridge Power Station at Buildwas and Madeley Junction in Shropshire, England.
Coalbrookdale railway station is a disused station at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, England. The station was situated on the now mothballed freight-only line between Buildwas Junction and Lightmoor Junction. The station buildings are now used by the Green Wood Centre.
Ironbridge and Broseley railway station was a railway station with two through platforms on the Severn Valley Railway Line in Shropshire, England.
The Wellington to Craven Arms Railway was formed by a group of railway companies that eventually joined the Great Western Railway family, and connected Wellington, Shropshire and Shifnal, with Coalbrookdale, Buildwas, Much Wenlock and a junction near Craven Arms. Its objectives were dominated by the iron, colliery and limestone industries around Coalbrookdale.
The Wenlock, Craven Arms and Lightmoor Extension Railway was a railway in Shropshire, England. It was built as two portions either end of the Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Railway between 1864 and 1867 and formed part of the Wellington to Craven Arms Railway. For much of its working life it was worked by the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western Region of British Railways.
The Albert Edward Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the River Severn at Coalbrookdale in Shropshire, England.
Horsehay and Dawley railway station was a station in Horsehay, Shropshire, England. The station was opened in 1859, closed in 1962, then reopened in 1976 as part of the Telford Steam Railway.
Preceding station | Disused railways | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Cressage Line and station closed | Great Western Railway Severn Valley Railway | Ironbridge and Broseley Line and station closed | ||
Coalbrookdale Line and station closed | Great Western Railway Wellington to Craven Arms Railway | Farley Halt Line and station closed |