Cosford railway station
Encyclopedia
Cosford railway station is a two platform station on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line
serving Cosford
in Shropshire
, England
. The station buildings at platform level are a little unusual compared with other stations on the line in that they are constructed entirely of timber. Nearby is DCAE Cosford which is also home of a branch of the Royal Air Force Museum
.
The station is served by London Midland
, who manage the station, and Arriva Trains Wales
. Between 2008 and 2011 it was also served by the direct London operator, Wrexham and Shropshire.
this signal box controlled entrance and exit to up and down refuge loops and the previous rail connection into the adjacent RAF site from the up refuge loop. It has been abolished as a result of the 2006 resignalling scheme with control passing to Madeley Junction
. Much of the redundant signalling equipment has been distributed to various heritage railways, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
is believed to have received the majority. This structure is thought to have been the last signal box constructed by the Great Western Railway
in Shropshire. Much of the contents and structure of this 1939 constructed signalbox has been salvaged for reuse on another heritage railway. The remaining brickwork was demolished in the small hours of Sunday 21 October 2007. Remarkably, the signalman's portacabin style privy remains in-situ as of late August 2008.
The advent of longer trains destined for Ironbridge Power Station
has resulted in much reduced used of the refuge loops as they are too short to accommodate today's coal traffic
Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line
The Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line is the railway line from Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury via Wellington; it was originally built by the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway. The line is double track throughout, with rarely used relief sidings at Cosford and 4 tracks through Wellington station...
serving Cosford
Cosford, Shropshire
Cosford is a village in Shropshire, England. It lies between the town of Shifnal and the large village of Albrighton, in the parish of Donington...
in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The station buildings at platform level are a little unusual compared with other stations on the line in that they are constructed entirely of timber. Nearby is DCAE Cosford which is also home of a branch of the Royal Air Force Museum
Royal Air Force Museum Cosford
The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is a museum dedicated to the history of aviation, and the Royal Air Force in particular. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and a registered charity...
.
The station is served by London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
, who manage the station, and Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
. Between 2008 and 2011 it was also served by the direct London operator, Wrexham and Shropshire.
2011-12 reconstruction
The station will be closed to passengers from October 2011 until March 2012. Costing 2.1 million pounds, Network Rail will be replacing the 1937 station buildings, as well as the platforms (which are constructed from century-old wood railway sleepers) and the stairs leading up to them.Signal box
The most recent Cosford signal box stood a little to the west of the station. As well as forming a block postBlock post
A block post in railway signalling is the signal box at one end of a block section. -German practice:In Germany block posts are known as Blockstellen and are defined as railway facilities on the open line that, as part of a block system, mark the end of a block section. The usually have a home...
this signal box controlled entrance and exit to up and down refuge loops and the previous rail connection into the adjacent RAF site from the up refuge loop. It has been abolished as a result of the 2006 resignalling scheme with control passing to Madeley Junction
Madeley Junction
Madeley Junction is a railway junction situated between Shifnal and Telford Central on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line in Shropshire, England....
. Much of the redundant signalling equipment has been distributed to various heritage railways, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway
The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a volunteer-run heritage railway on the Gloucestershire/Worcestershire/Warwickshire Borders that has reopened the closed railway line between Laverton Halt and Cheltenham Racecourse railway stations in Gloucestershire/Worcestershire., it currently...
is believed to have received the majority. This structure is thought to have been the last signal box constructed 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...
in Shropshire. Much of the contents and structure of this 1939 constructed signalbox has been salvaged for reuse on another heritage railway. The remaining brickwork was demolished in the small hours of Sunday 21 October 2007. Remarkably, the signalman's portacabin style privy remains in-situ as of late August 2008.
The advent of longer trains destined for Ironbridge Power Station
Ironbridge Power Station
The Ironbridge power stations refers to a series of two coal-fired power stations which have occupied a site on the banks of the River Severn at Buildwas in Shropshire, England. The current Ironbridge B power station is operated by E.ON UK...
has resulted in much reduced used of the refuge loops as they are too short to accommodate today's coal traffic