Hereford railway station

Last updated

2+12 years later and having used 3+14 million bricks the tunnel was completed, freight traffic started in July 1852 to provide cash flow. However, construction continued, with the massive earthworks for a cutting to enter Barrs Court started in August 1852. [3]

The plan was to jointly open both stations between all four railways on 6 December 1853, with what was planned to be a Railway Fete. However, the first S&HR passenger service arrived at Barrs Court on Saturday 28 October, which carried the chairman Mr Ormsby-Gore and engineer Thomas Brassey. [3] As the negotiations and financing of the joint station had taken so long, they arrived at an incomplete facility. [4] Whilst completion of the station would follow shortly after, significant rebuilding would occur later in the nineteenth century, when the current Victorian Gothic buildings, designed by R.E. Johnson, [5] would be constructed. [2] The station opened on 6 December 1853, and the name was simplified to Hereford in 1893 on the closure of Barton station to passengers. [6]

2-6-0 on pilot duty in 1959 Hereford Station, with 2-6-0 on pilot duty geograph-2523386-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg
2-6-0 on pilot duty in 1959

In 1866, a line connecting the NA&HR's route to the south of the city, branching off from the line to Barton at Redhill and joining with the HR&GR's route into Barrs Court station from the south, rendered Barton station obsolete, as through north–south services could now utilise the larger and better equipped Barrs Court station. However, Barton clung onto passenger services until January 1893, [7] the last services to use it being Midland Railway trains to Hay-on-Wye and Brecon. It would remain open as a goods only station until 1979, and the route through it from north to south, used as a goods only line to avoid Barrs Court, also remained until approximately this time[ disputed (for: Its signalboxes had all closed in 1966) ].

Station Ticket Hall in 2018 2018 at Hereford station - ticket hall.JPG
Station Ticket Hall in 2018

The former branches to Brecon via Hay-on-Wye and Gloucester both closed to passenger traffic in the early 1960s; Brecon services were withdrawn from 31 December 1962, [8] whilst the Gloucester via Ross-on-Wye line fell victim to the Beeching Axe on 2 November 1964. [9]

The station was designated a Grade II listed building in 1973. [10]

Services

Hereford
National Rail logo.svg
2018 at Hereford station - exterior.JPG
General information
Location Hereford, Herefordshire
England
Coordinates 52°03′41″N2°42′30″W / 52.06139°N 2.70833°W / 52.06139; -2.70833
Grid reference SO515405
Managed by Transport for Wales
Platforms4
Other information
Station codeHFD
Classification DfT category C1
History
Original company Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway
Pre-groupingShrewsbury and Hereford Railway
Post-groupingShrewsbury and Hereford Railway
Key dates
6 December 1853 (1853-12-06)Opened as Hereford Barr's Court
1893Renamed Hereford
Passengers
2018/19Decrease2.svg 1.216 million
 Interchange  57,141
Railways in Hereford
BSicon CONTg.svg
BSicon ABZg+l.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon exABZq+lr.svg
BSicon eABZgr+r.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Hereford Barrs Court
BSicon exBHF.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Hereford Barton
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon exhKRZWae.svg
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon xKRWg+l.svg
BSicon xKRWgr.svg
Rotherwas Junction
BSicon CONTf.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon exCONTf.svg
Hereford, Ross
and Gloucester Railway
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon CONT3.svg
BSicon ABZ+1l.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon exABZq+lr.svg
BSicon eABZgr+r.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon BHF.svg
Hereford Barrs Court
BSicon exBHF.svg
BSicon STR.svg
Hereford Barton
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon exhKRZWae.svg
BSicon hKRZWae.svg
BSicon WASSER+r.svg
BSicon xKRWg+l.svg
BSicon xKRWgr.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
Rotherwas Junction
BSicon STRc2.svg
BSicon STR3.svg
BSicon exBST.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
ROF Rotherwas
BSicon CONT1.svg
BSicon STRc4.svg
BSicon exSTR.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
BSicon exTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
Dinedor tunnel
BSicon exHST.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
Holme Lacy
BSicon exTUNNEL1.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
Ballingham tunnel
BSicon exHST.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
Ballingham
BSicon WASSER+l.svg
BSicon exhKRZWae.svg
BSicon WASSERr.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
BSicon exTUNNEL1.svg
Fawley Tunnel
BSicon WASSER.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Fawley
BSicon WASSERl.svg
BSicon exhKRZWae.svg
BSicon WASSER+r.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
BSicon WASSER.svg
Backney Halt
BSicon dWASSERq.svg
BSicon exhKRZWae.svg
BSicon WASSERr.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Ross-on-Wye
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon exABZgr.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Weston under Penyard Halt
BSicon exCONTgq.svg
BSicon exABZg+r.svg
BSicon exHST.svg
Mitcheldean Road
BSicon exTUNNEL1.svg
Lea Line tunnel
BSicon exHST.svg
Longhope
BSicon exHST.svg
Blaisdon Halt
BSicon CONTgq.svg
BSicon exSTR~L.svg
BSicon STR+r.svg
BSicon exSTR~R.svg
BSicon veHST-exHST.svg
Grange Court
BSicon evSHI2g+l-.svg
Grange Court Junction
BSicon STRl.svg
BSicon CONTfq.svg

Hereford is served by trains operated by Great Western Railway, Transport for Wales Rail and West Midlands Trains. It is the terminus of the routes from Birmingham New Street and from London Paddington, via Worcester Foregate Street; it is also served by all trains on the Manchester Piccadilly to Cardiff and Carmarthen route.

West Midlands Railway

Great Western Railway

Transport for Wales

On Sundays, the service to Birmingham New Street is reduced to 1tp2h, the service to London Paddington is reduced to 3tpd and the service to Holyhead is reduced to 2tpd.

Preceding station National Rail logo.svg National Rail Following station
Transport for Wales
Transport for Wales
Terminus  West Midlands Railway
Hereford to Birmingham
  Ledbury
  West Midlands Railway
Hereford to Dorridge
 
  Great Western Railway
Cotswold Line
 
  Historical railways  
Holme Lacy   Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
British Railways
 Terminus

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hereford</span> City in Herefordshire, England

Hereford is a cathedral city and the county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately 16 miles (26 km) east of the border with Wales, 23 miles (37 km) north-west of Gloucester and 24 miles (39 km) south-west of Worcester. With a population of 53,112 in 2021, it is the largest settlement in Herefordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Snow Hill railway station</span> Railway station in Birmingham, England

Birmingham Snow Hill, also known as Snow Hill station, is a railway station in Birmingham City Centre. It is one of the three main city-centre stations in Birmingham, along with Birmingham New Street and Birmingham Moor Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross-on-Wye</span> Market town in Herefordshire, England

Ross-on-Wye is a market town and civil parish in Herefordshire, England, near the border with Wales. It had a population estimated at 10,978 in 2021. It lies in south-east of the county, on the River Wye and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herefordshire</span> County of England

Herefordshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Monmouthshire and Powys to the west. The city of Hereford is the largest settlement and the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welsh Marches line</span> Railway line

The Welsh Marches line, known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch. The line thus links the south of Wales to north-west England via the Welsh Marches region, bypassing Birmingham. Through services from south-west Wales, Swansea and Cardiff to Manchester and from Cardiff to Wrexham, Chester, the north coast of Wales and Anglesey constitute the bulk of passenger operations on the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster line</span>

The Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster line is a railway line which runs from Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester via Stourbridge and Kidderminster in the West Midlands, England. It is one of the Snow Hill Lines, with trains operated by West Midlands Trains and Chiltern Railways using a variety of rolling stock including Class 172 and Class 168 diesel units. It is a future aspiration of Network Rail to electrify the entire line, as well as the Chiltern Main Line to London Marylebone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colwall railway station</span> Railway station in Herefordshire, England

Colwall railway station is a railway station on the Cotswold Line serving the village of Colwall in Herefordshire, England. The station has one platform with seating. There is no ticket office; a passenger-operated Permit to Travel machine is installed, and there has been a ticket machine since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester Shrub Hill railway station</span> Railway station in Worcester, Worcestershire, England

Worcester Shrub Hill railway station is one of two railway stations serving the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. The other station is Worcester Foregate Street in the city centre. A third station, Worcestershire Parkway, is located just outside the city to the south-east. The station is managed by West Midlands Trains, operating here under the West Midlands Railway brand, and it is also served by Great Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hay-on-Wye railway station</span> Former railway station in Powys, Wales

Hay was a railway station serving the town of Hay-on-Wye in Powys, Wales, although the station was located just across the English border in Herefordshire. Hay had one of the earliest railway stations in the country, being part of a horse-drawn tramway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Droitwich Spa railway station</span> Railway station in Worcestershire, England

Droitwich Spa railway station serves the town of Droitwich Spa in Worcestershire, England. It is located just to the south-west of Droitwich Spa Junction of the Worcester to Leamington Spa Line and the Worcester to Birmingham New Street line. The station is managed by West Midlands Trains, who also operate all trains serving it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcester Foregate Street railway station</span> Railway station in Worcester, Worcestershire, England

Worcester Foregate Street railway station, opened by the Great Western Railway in 1860 serves the city of Worcester, Worcestershire, England. It is one of the two stations serving the city, with the other station, Worcester Shrub Hill, being located to the east. A third station, Worcestershire Parkway, is located just outside the city to the south-east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershore railway station</span> Railway station in Worcestershire, England

Pershore railway station serves both the town of Pershore and village of Pinvin in Worcestershire, England. The station is on a single-track section of the Cotswold Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by Great Western Railway.

Hereford has seen a history of expansion and decline in its railway history.

The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway was an English railway company that built a standard gauge line between those places. It opened its main line in 1853.

The Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway was a railway company formed to connect the places in its name. When it sought Parliamentary authorisation, it was denied the southern section, and obliged to use the Monmouthshire Railway between Pontypool and Newport.

The Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway (HH&BR) was a railway company that built a line between Hereford in England and a junction with the Mid-Wales Railway at Three Cocks Junction. It opened its line in stages from 1862 to 1864. It never had enough money to operate properly, but the Midland Railway saw it as a means of reaching Swansea, and from 1869 the Midland Railway was given exclusive running powers over the HH&BR. There was then a long-running dispute over whether the Midland inherited rights of access previously granted to the HH&BR.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway</span> Railway line in England, closed 1965

The Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway was a railway which ran for 22+12 miles (36.2 km) linking Hereford and Gloucester, England, via Ross-on-Wye. It was opened on 1 June 1855 as a 7 ft 14 in broad gauge line, it was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1862. In 1869 the railway was converted to 4 ft 8+12 in standard gauge. The railway was closed to passengers on 2 November 1964, freight services between Ross-on-Wye railway station and Grange Court railway station continued on until 1 November 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross and Monmouth Railway</span>

The Ross and Monmouth Railway was a standard gauge railway of 13 miles (21 km) which ran between Ross-on-Wye, in Herefordshire, England and Monmouth, Wales.

The Worcester and Hereford Railway started the construction of a standard gauge railway between the two cities in 1858. It had needed the financial assistance of larger concerns, chiefly the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway, and the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway. It opened its line progressively from 1859 to 1861, delayed by exceptionally difficult tunnelling at Colwall and Ledbury. The company was purchased by the West Midland Railway in 1860, and that company amalgamated with the Great Western Railway in 1863.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worcestershire Parkway railway station</span> Railway station in Worcestershire, England

Worcestershire Parkway is a split-level railway station where the Cotswold and Cross Country lines cross near Norton, Worcester, England. It opened on 23 February 2020.

References

  1. "Award for rail station". Hereford Times. 29 January 2004. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  2. 1 2 "Full steam ahead at railway station". Hereford Times. 6 March 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  3. 1 2 3 "Hereford and the railways". archenfield.com. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  4. Cavalcade of a Century, 1832-1932, 100 years of the Hereford Times. Hereford Record Office - BH74.
  5. Marks, R.; Farnworth, R. (27 January 2007). "Hereford Barrs Court". The Railway Station Gallery. Archived from the original on 18 May 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2007.
  6. Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 118. ISBN   1-85260-508-1. R508.
  7. "Herefordshire through time". 16 May 2016. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  8. "Hereford, Hay-on-Wye and Brecon Railway" Archived 2 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine Pastscape; Retrieved 25 August 2016
  9. "Ross-on-Wye- The Railway, The Decline" Ross-on-Wye.com; retrieved 25 August 2016
  10. "Barr's Court Railway Station". Historic England. Historic England.

Bibliography