The opening of the Severn Valley Railway in 1862 had no direct effect on Kidderminster because the line initially had only a south facing connection to Hartlebury,passengers wishing to use the line had to change there. The situation changed in 1878,when a north-facing connection was opened between Bewdley and Kidderminster,linking Kidderminster directly with the Severn Valley Line.[2]
Kidderminster station in 1963,with auto-train to Bewdley.
From about 1900,there was a brisk passenger trade of tourists and day trippers from the West Midlands conurbation.
Due to dwindling passenger numbers,the Severn Valley Line closed to through traffic in 1963. North of Bewdley,the line closed completely in early 1969 when Alveley colliery was shut down and freight traffic ceased.
Passenger services on the Kidderminster,Bewdley and Hartlebury section were withdrawn on 3 January 1970.[3]
The halt of traffic to Stourport power station in 1979,and Kidderminster to Foley Park British Sugar traffic in 1982 saw the end of regular British Rail services off the main line.
Station buildings
The earliest station building was replaced by another in 1859. In 1863 the second building was destroyed by fire,and a third station building of a Mock Tudor design was built to replace it. This survived until 1968 when it was demolished owing to the effects of dry rot and replaced by British Rail in 1974 with a small utilitarian brick building.[4][5][6]
As passenger numbers grew,this building became inadequate,and funding for a new building was secured in February 2015,[7] with a new £4.3 million design announced in July 2017. Originally due to open in summer 2019,the new glass fronted building,which is twice the size of the previous one,was eventually opened in June 2020.[8][9]
The 1863 Mock Tudor station building,demolished in 1968.
The 1974 brick station building,in 2006.
The new glass-fronted station building,opened 2020.
There is a large car park for 400 cars, administered by West Midlands Trains, in part of the old goods yard between the two railway stations. The Severn Valley Railway has its own car park on the town centre side of its station.
In 2009 a footbridge (with lifts) was opened, transforming access between the platforms. Before this work, it was via the road overbridge.[10]
Prior to its demolition, the signal box (a short distance to the south of the station) was known as Kidderminster Junction. This controlled the junction to the Severn Valley Line until its closure in the 1970s.
Severn Valley Railway terminus
The Severn Valley Railway's southern terminus shares the same station approach road and is known as Kidderminster Town to distinguish it from the National Rail station. This also reflects the Great Western Railway tradition of suffixing the station name with "Town" if it was closer to the main body of the town served than that of its competitor(s), which Kidderminster Town achieves to the tune of around 60 yards.
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