Stourbridge Junction railway station

Last updated

Line 2 extension plan- Wednesbury-Brierley Hill (incl. Stourbridge) Map of The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Tram Extension.webp
Line 2 extension plan- Wednesbury–Brierley Hill (incl. Stourbridge)

Since 2010, plans have existed to reintroduce services on part of the disused Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWW) from Stourbridge Junction to Brierley Hill. Services would be operated by similar PPM stock that is used to Stourbridge Town, or the branch route may be expanded, these plans were later paused in place of the West Midlands Metro extension. [25] [26]

In 2012 the extension of the West Midlands Metro to from Wednesbury to Brierley hill had been given the go ahead. [27] [28]

Due to funding constraints, it was decided to terminate Line 2 in Brierley Hill, and later Stourbridge, with the first section from Wednesbury to Dudley opening first. In early 2017, work began to clear vegetation and disused track from the former railway line. The estimated cost of Line 2 is now £449 million. [28]

In 2021, large funding was given to the West Midlands Metro, and the extension to Stourbridge Town Centre & Stourbridge Junction was confirmed to be under development / planning. However, there is no estimated date of construction or completion. Once complete, trams will run on 3 lines to Walsall, Wolverhampton & Digbeth (in Central Birmingham)

Stourbridge depot

On construction, the OWW built a small servicing depot just north of the station on the route to Wolverhampton. The GWR intended to improve this, but were delayed by the outbreak of World War I until 1926, when they built a new standard pattern single roundhouse with coaling/watering and light maintenance facilities, situated 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of the station, just north of the A458 Birmingham Street. The depot was allocated with mainly local service tank engines, such as Prairies and Panniers, with a small allocation of dedicated freight types. The original OWW shed was later used to house railmotors and diesel railcars. With the Beeching Report implemented, both depots closed in July 1966 and were demolished, with the land used for housing. [29]

Today the yard to the north of the station is home to a Light Maintenance Depot used by Chiltern Railways. This is used to stable stock for the peak services from Stourbridge, and is occasionally used to stable engineering vehicles.[ citation needed ] The land at the south end of platform 1 has a shed for the two Class 139 units that serve the Stourbridge Town branch.

References

  1. "The world's busiest, longest and fastest railways". The Telegraph. 25 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  2. "New group on track to spruce up Stourbridge stations". West Midlands Railway. 24 April 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  3. "Opening of the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway" . Worcester Journal. England. 6 May 1852. Retrieved 21 October 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "The new branch railway" . County Express; Brierley Hill, Stourbridge, Kidderminster, and Dudley News. England. 4 October 1879. Retrieved 21 October 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  6. "Stourbridge Junction. Opening of the New Station" . Worcestershire Chronicle. England. 5 October 1901. Retrieved 21 October 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Extract for the Accident at Stourbridge Junction on 17th February 1902" (PDF). Railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  8. "Stourbridge Mishap" . Evening Dispatch. England. 9 April 1902. Retrieved 22 October 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "Extract for the Accident at Stourbridge Junction on 9th July 1920" (PDF). Railwaysarchive.co.uk. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  10. "Startling Rail Collision at Stourbridge Junction" . Birmingham Daily Gazette. England. 4 April 1931. Retrieved 22 October 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "Round Oak Station". Rail Around Birmingham & the West Midlands. Archived from the original on 17 March 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  12. "Wednesbury to Brierley Hill" (PDF). Midland Metro Alliance. 1 June 2017. p. S-21 (4.21). Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  13. PSUL Summer 2004 - West Midlands Retrieved 11 December 2013
  14. "End of the line for 38 signal boxes". Express & Star. England. 7 August 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  15. 1 2 "Train timetables and schedules | Stourbridge Junction". West Midlands Railway.
  16. "Train times | Snow Hill Lines – Worcester to Birmingham Snow Hill, Solihull and Stratford upon Avon | 21 May until 9 December 2023". West Midlands Railway.
  17. "Timetable | from 22 May 2023 until 8 December 2023: London to High Wycombe, Bicester, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham". Chiltern Railways.
  18. "Our timetables have changed". Chiltern Railways.
  19. MP at launch of London train Worcester News 30 September 2002
  20. Passengers advised new train timetables imminent BBC News 5 May 2023
  21. Balancing enhancements with efficiency Modern Railways issue 896 May 2023 page 63
  22. Chiltern re-times trains to retain extra midweek peak capacity Rail issue 983 17 May 2023 page 10
  23. "Draft Worcestershire Rail Investment Strategy" (PDF). Worcestershire County Council. 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  24. Madeley, Peter (4 March 2019). "New West Midland Metro line back on track – but costs are up £100m". Express & Star. England. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  25. "Cradley Heath firm releases new images of proposed light rail link (From Halesowen News)". Halesowennews.co.uk. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  26. "Wednesbury to Brierley Hill" (PDF). February 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  27. Flash, Oprah (25 March 2019). "Final step in multi-million pound Dudley Metro plan given the thumbs up". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
  28. 1 2 "Second line of Midland Metro to be built in phases". Express & Star. 24 December 2012.
  29. E.T. Lyons (1972). An Historical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds. Oxford Publishing. p. 142. ISBN   978-0860930198.

Further reading

Stourbridge Junction
National Rail logo.svg
StourbridgeJunctionStation2024.jpg
Stourbridge Junction in 2024
General information
Location Stourbridge, Dudley
England
Coordinates 52°26′53″N2°08′02″W / 52.448°N 2.134°W / 52.448; -2.134
Grid reference SO909833
Managed by West Midlands Railway
Transit authority Transport for West Midlands
Platforms3
Other information
Station codeSBJ
Fare zone5
Classification DfT category D
History
Original company Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Pre-grouping Great Western Railway
Post-groupingGreat Western Railway
Key dates
1 May 1852 (1852-05-01)First station opened as Stourbridge
1 October 1879Renamed Stourbridge Junction; line to Stourbridge Town opens
1 October 1901Station resited
Passengers
2019/20Decrease2.svg 1.631 million
 Interchange Decrease2.svg 0.473 million