Stourbridge Railway

Last updated

The Stourbridge Railway was a small independent railway company in England which existed between 1860, and 1870 when it was taken over by the Great Western Railway (GWR). The company built a line from the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWWR) at Stourbridge Junction to Smethwick, where it joined the Stour Valley Line at Galton Junction.

Contents

History

Opening

The act incorporating the company was passed on 14 June 1860, allowing it to build a three and a half mile long line from Stourbridge Junction to Old Hill, another act was passed the following year to allow it to reach the Stour Valley Line at Smethwick. The route was open in full by 1 April 1867.

The OWWR had come under the control of the GWR by this time, and so in order to integrate the Stourbridge Railway with their system, the GWR constructed a link from the Stourbridge Railway at Smethwick to Handsworth Junction, which was opened at the same time, connecting it to the GWR's Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level Line, allowing trains to run into Snow Hill station. The running of the line was also taken over by the GWR.

Merger with the GWR

The Stourbridge Railway was formally merged with the GWR in 1870 after it emerged that the company's director W. T. Adcock had fraudulently issued stock.

The route today

The line still functions today as part of the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line.

Related Research Articles

<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">Smethwick</span> Town in West Midlands, England

Smethwick is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies 4 miles (6 km) west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire and then Worcestershire before being placed into then West Midlands County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham Canal Navigations</span> United Kingdom legislation

Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) is a network of canals connecting Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and the eastern part of the Black Country. The BCN is connected to the rest of the English canal system at several junctions. It was owned and operated by the Birmingham Canal Navigation Company from 1767 to 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station</span> Railway station in Smethwick, England

Smethwick Galton Bridge is a split-level railway station in Smethwick, West Midlands, England. It is at a point where two railways' lines cross on two levels. It has platforms on both lines, allowing interchange between them. The two low-level platforms serve the Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton Line, while the two high-level platforms serve the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester Line. The high level line passes over the low level line at a right angle on a bridge. West Midlands Railway manage the station and operate the majority of its services, with others provided by Chiltern Railways and London Northwestern Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway</span> Railway in England

The Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway was authorised in 1846. It agreed to joint construction with others of the costly Wolverhampton to Birmingham section, the so-called Stour Valley Line. This work was dominated by the hostile London and North Western Railway, which used underhand and coercive tactics. The section between Shrewsbury and Wellington was also built jointly, in this case with the Shropshire Union Railway.

<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">Stourbridge Canal</span> Canal in England

The Stourbridge Canal is a canal in the West Midlands of England. It links the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal with the Dudley Canal, and hence, via the Birmingham Canal Navigations, to Birmingham and the Black Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stourbridge Junction railway station</span> Railway station in the West Midlands, England

Stourbridge Junction is one of two railway stations serving the town of Stourbridge, in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It lies on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line and is the junction for the Stourbridge Town Branch Line, said to be the shortest operational branch line in Europe. The other station serving Stourbridge is Stourbridge Town at the end of the branch line.

The South Staffordshire line is a partially mothballed and active former mainline that connects Burton-upon-Trent to Lichfield in Staffordshire and formerly then to the West Midlands towns of Walsall, Wednesbury, Dudley and Stourbridge. However, Dudley and Stourbridge were already joined to the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway's (OW&WR) line just north of Dudley Station. It in essence, continued to Stourbridge along with Wednesbury and Walsall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorridge railway station</span> Railway station in the West Midlands, England

Dorridge railway station serves the large village of Dorridge in the West Midlands of England. The station is served by Chiltern Railways, who manage the station, and also by West Midlands Trains. It is situated 10+12 miles (16.9 km) south of Birmingham Snow Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solihull railway station</span> Railway station in the West Midlands, England

<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.

The Stour Valley Line is the present-day name given to the railway line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, in England. It was authorised as the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway in 1836; the title was often shortened to the Stour Valley Railway.

The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OW&WR) was a railway company in England. It built a line from Wolvercot Junction near Oxford to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley and Wolverhampton, as well as some branches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line</span> UK railway line

The Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line is a railway line in the West Midlands of England. It is a loop off the West Coast Main Line (WCML) between Rugby and Stafford, via the West Midlands cities of Coventry, Birmingham and Wolverhampton. The direct route between Rugby and Stafford is the Trent Valley Line.

The South Staffordshire Railway (SSR) was authorised in 1847 to build a line from Dudley in the West Midlands of England through Walsall and Lichfield to a junction with the Midland Railway on the way to Burton upon Trent, with authorised share capital of £945,000. It was supported by the newly-formed London and North Western Railway (LNWR) and the Midland Railway, giving each company access to important areas. It completed its main line in 1849. As collieries in the Cannock region rose in importance, it built a second main line from Walsall to Rugeley, as well as numerous short spurs and connections to lines it intersected. Colliery working in the Cannock area expanded enormously, and mineral traffic carryings increased in step.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverhampton Low Level railway station</span> Disused railway station in Wolverhampton, West Midlands

Wolverhampton Low Level was a railway station on Sun Street, in Springfield, Wolverhampton, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hockley Tunnels</span>

Hockley Tunnels are two tunnels used by the railway and tram in Hockley, Birmingham, England. Tunnel No. 1 is 136 yards (124 m) long and Tunnel No. 2 is 160 yards (150 m) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smethwick West railway station</span> Former railway station in England

Smethwick West was a railway station on the Great Western Railway between Stourbridge Junction station and Smethwick Junction. It was opened as Smethwick Junction railway station in 1867.

The Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Railway was an English railway company promoted to connect those places by rail. It was authorised by Parliament in 1846. It became apparent that it would be advantageous to merge with the Great Western Railway. The rival London and North Western Railway went to great lengths to frustrate the amalgamation, but ultimately failed, and the merger took place in 1847.

References