Arley railway station
Encyclopedia
Arley railway station is a station on the Severn Valley Railway
heritage line in Worcestershire
, situated just over the River Severn
from the village of Upper Arley
; a footbridge crosses the river to link the station to the village. The station is about one kilometre north of Victoria Bridge
, on which the SVR crosses the River Severn
.
was built in 1883, and the platform built to accommodate six coach trains. The local transport needs were met quite adequately, as the local roads and paths were, to say the least, primitive. Passenger trade was busiest with summer holiday visitors, and Arley was home to a small goods yard.
Opened by the West Midland Railway (Severn Valley Line), and absorbed by the Great Western Railway
on 1 August 1863, the station stayed with that company during the Grouping
of 1923, passing on to the Western Region of British Railways
during the nationalisation of 1948. It was later closed by the British Transport Commission
(BTC).
Although closed by the BTC on 9 September 1963 during the implementation of the Beeching Axe
, plans for its closure had already been made before Beeching's report was published. The passing loop was taken out, sidings cut up and platforms removed, with only Alveley coal
traffic surviving. In 1969 the line through Arley finally became disused.
When the line was reopened by SVR preservationists working up from Bridgnorth
in 1974, work got underway to restore Arley to its former glory. The main railway building was in relatively good condition and was totally renovated. The platforms were rebuilt and track re-laid.
The old signal box having been demolished, a replacement of LNWR design was bought from BR and brought in from Yorton
, near Whitchurch, Shropshire
, with the lever frame from the Kidderminster station Signalbox that was originally sited on Kidderminster (mainline) station. The station was re-opened on 18 May 1974.
Arley station has been used as a filming location for a number of films and TV programmes, such as the BBC
sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!
, The Box of Delights and The ChuckleVision episode Oh Brother.
Arley station is the current location for the Santas grotto each Christmas. Passengers Travel from Kidderminster Town to Arley Only.
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
heritage line in Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, situated just over the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
from the village of Upper Arley
Upper Arley
Upper Arley is a village is a village and civil parish near Kidderminster in the Wyre Forest District of Worcestershire, England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 645.- Amenities :...
; a footbridge crosses the river to link the station to the village. The station is about one kilometre north of Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, Worcestershire
The Victoria Bridge is a 200 ft single span railway bridge crossing the River Severn between Arley and Bewdley in Worcestershire. Opened for traffic on 31 January 1861, the original railway line was closed in 1963. The bridge now carries the operational heritage Severn Valley Railway...
, on which the SVR crosses the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
.
History
The station was built along with the line in 1862 and opened on 1 February that year. The first signal boxSignal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was built in 1883, and the platform built to accommodate six coach trains. The local transport needs were met quite adequately, as the local roads and paths were, to say the least, primitive. Passenger trade was busiest with summer holiday visitors, and Arley was home to a small goods yard.
Opened by the West Midland Railway (Severn Valley Line), and absorbed by the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
on 1 August 1863, the station stayed with that company during the Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...
of 1923, passing on to the Western Region of British Railways
Western Region of British Railways
The Western Region was a region of British Railways from 1948. The region ceased to be an operating unit in its own right in the 1980s and was wound up at the end of 1992...
during the nationalisation of 1948. It was later closed by the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...
(BTC).
Although closed by the BTC on 9 September 1963 during the implementation of the Beeching Axe
Beeching Axe
The Beeching Axe or the Beeching Cuts are informal names for the British Government's attempt in the 1960s to reduce the cost of running British Railways, the nationalised railway system in the United Kingdom. The name is that of the main author of The Reshaping of British Railways, Dr Richard...
, plans for its closure had already been made before Beeching's report was published. The passing loop was taken out, sidings cut up and platforms removed, with only Alveley coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
traffic surviving. In 1969 the line through Arley finally became disused.
Preservation
Bridgnorth
Bridgnorth is a town in Shropshire, England, along the Severn Valley. It is split into Low Town and High Town, named on account of their elevations relative to the River Severn, which separates the upper town on the right bank from the lower on the left...
in 1974, work got underway to restore Arley to its former glory. The main railway building was in relatively good condition and was totally renovated. The platforms were rebuilt and track re-laid.
The old signal box having been demolished, a replacement of LNWR design was bought from BR and brought in from Yorton
Yorton
Yorton is a small village in Shropshire, England.Its main feature is the Railway Hotel , a family-owned free house specialising in real ales and old-fashioned hospitality....
, near Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch, Shropshire
Whitchurch is a market town in Shropshire, England on the border between England and Wales. It is the oldest continuously inhabited town in Shropshire. According to the 2001 Census, the population of the town is 8,673, with a more recent estimate putting the population of the town at 8,934...
, with the lever frame from the Kidderminster station Signalbox that was originally sited on Kidderminster (mainline) station. The station was re-opened on 18 May 1974.
Arley station has been used as a filming location for a number of films and TV programmes, such as the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!
Oh, Doctor Beeching!
Oh, Doctor Beeching! is a British television sitcom written by David Croft and Richard Spendlove, which, after a broadcast pilot on 14 August 1995, ran for two series from 8 July 1996, with the last episode being broadcast on 28 September 1997...
, The Box of Delights and The ChuckleVision episode Oh Brother.
Arley station is the current location for the Santas grotto each Christmas. Passengers Travel from Kidderminster Town to Arley Only.
Further reading
- The Severn Valley Railway at Arley, Barrie Geens ISBN 1-874103-23-2