Shrewsbury railway station
Encyclopedia
Shrewsbury railway station (formerly known as Shrewsbury General) is the railway station
serving Shrewsbury
, county town of Shropshire
, England
. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey
, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended several times since. It was designated as a grade II listed building in 1969.
The station is 69 km (42.9 mi) north west of Birmingham New Street and serves as the rail 'Gateway to Wales' with many services starting at or passing through the station bound for places in Wales
. Shrewsbury is the busiest station in Shropshire and tenth busiest in the West Midlands region (by 2009/10 usage figures).
. The architect was Thomas Mainwaring Penson
of Oswestry. The building is unusual, in that the station was extended between 1899 and 1903 by the construction of a new floor underneath the original station building. The building style was imitation Tudor, complete with carvings of Tudor style heads around the window frames. This was done to match the Tudor building of Shrewsbury School
(now Shrewsbury Library
) almost directly opposite. The station's platforms also extend over the River Severn
. It was operated jointly by the Great Western Railway
(GWR) and the London and North Western Railway
(LNWR).
At Shrewsbury in steam days, the GWR regularly turned its locomotives by running round the triangle
formed by using the Abbey Foregate loop, which links the Wolverhampton Line
with the Welsh Marches Line
and enables through running for freight trains, summer Saturday specials and formerly for trains like the Cambrian Coast Express
. Until 1967 Shrewsbury was served by the GWR, latterly BR Western Region, express services between London Paddington and Birkenhead Woodside which was withdrawn upon the electrification of the West Coast Main Line.
The station was given Grade II listed status in May 1969; this applies to the main building on Castle Foregate, adjacent to platform 3.
as one of their key network hubs. There are five platforms in use, numbered 3 to 7 (platforms 1 and 2 have no track), of which platforms 4, 5, 6 and 7 are grouped on a main island, while platforms 1, 2 and 3 are separate, located by the main station building.
Platform 3 is at present used occasionally only by trains running in from the Wolverhampton direction and out towards Chester. Changes recently made to the signalling and track now allow additional passenger trains (those coming in from and going out to the Hereford
, Heart of Wales
and Cambrian
lines) to use platform 3. The upcoming timetable (for May—December 2011) has trains travelling from the Hereford direction towards Chester using the platform, as well as one Heart of Wales train departing (towards Hereford) on Sundays. A passenger lift was opened on the platform in 2009 and a waiting room opened shortly after.
Platforms 4 and 7 are through platforms, usually used for trains between Holyhead
(via Chester
) and Cardiff Central
/Birmingham International
and between Manchester Piccadilly
(via Crewe
) and Cardiff, Carmarthen
, and Milford Haven
. Platforms 5 and 6 are bay platforms, used mainly for trains to and from Aberystwyth
and Birmingham, as well as trains for the Heart of Wales Line.
The island platforms are connected to the main station building and platform 3 by a pedestrian subway running underneath the station. A pedestrian footbridge over the platforms still exists but has long been disconnected from the station; instead, it is a public walkway allowing pedestrians to cross over the station area, and part of a route named "The Dana".
Arriva Trains Wales
London Midland
http://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/SevernBridgeJunction.htm#Box, at the south end of the station and built by the LNWR, is the largest surviving mechanical signal box
in Britain, with a frame
accommodating 180 levers, and is a listed building. Whilst the line beyond Abbey Foregate signal box to Wolverhampton has been updated to electronic signalling
, Shrewsbury itself is set to remain lever operated for the foreseeable future - BBC News. As a result of Shrewsbury's joint (GWR
/LNWR) history, and having been transferred at different times between the Western and London Midland regions of BR
and more recently Network Rail
- it is now in the Great Western territory again - the signalling is a diverse mixture of lower-quadrant and upper-quadrant semaphore signals, with a few colour lights too. Crewe Junctionhttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/CreweJunction.htm#Box, on the north end of the station, accommodates around 120 levers and is of the same design as Severn Bridge Junction.
The other Shrewsbury signal boxes are at Abbey Foregate http://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/AbbeyForegate.htm (to a GWR design), controlling the eastern corner of the triangle, Sutton Bridge Junctionhttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/SuttonBridge.htm#Box where the Aberystwyth line diverges from the Hereford line, Crewe Bankhttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/CreweBank.htm#Box (was to have been closedhttp://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\Network%20Code\Network%20Change\Completed%20Proposals\Western\NCG12007WEST409V1%20Crewe%20Bank%20-%20Closure%20of%20Signal%20Box&pageid=2889&root= on 4/4/2009, but still hanging on) just beyond the station towards Crewe, and Harlescott Crossinghttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/HarlescottCrossing.htm, slightly further on towards Crewe.
In Autumn 2010 changes were made to allow Cambrian and Welsh Marches line trains to depart in a southerly direction from Platform 3 — an upper quadrant signal replaced the previous shunting disc and a facing point lock was added to the points. Though the track layout could already accommodate this, until the lock was added only non-passenger movements southbound from Platform 3 could be made.
statistics for the 2009/10 financial year, the total number of entries and exits at the station was 1,630,474 (based on tickets sold at Shrewsbury, and tickets sold to Shrewsbury); with 163,854 passengers interchanging between services.
, east of the town in the Preston Boats/Emstrey
area, adjacent to the A5 road. This new station would be co-located with a fourth bus-based Park & Ride site for the town to simultaneously serve shoppers and commuters heading both to and from Telford
and the West Midlands
conurbation. Reasons cited for this project include the poor provision of car parking at Shrewsbury's current only railway station and the lack of a park and ride site to serve visitors to the town from the east, who presently need to use Meole Brace
in the south or Harlescott
in the north of the town. Another proposed station is at Harlescott in the north of the town — a recent masterplan drawn up for the area includes the potential provision of a halt near to Harlescott Crossing.
As well as the poor provision of car parking previously mentioned, the town's geographic location in a tight meander of the River Severn, combined with the one-way systems for motor traffic in the town (particularly the need to go under the low and congested Cross Street arch bridge), make the station difficult and time-consuming to reach by car from many parts of the town. Indeed from many locations in southern Shrewsbury, eg Shrewsbury Business Park
, Shrewsbury College
on London Road and the Sutton Farm area, it often actually takes less time to drive to Telford Central railway station
, along the fast A5 and M54
, than to Shrewsbury station.
Grade II listing entry
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
serving Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, county town of 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...
. It is the only remaining railway station in the town; Shrewsbury Abbey
Shrewsbury Abbey (railway station)
Shrewsbury Abbey was a railway station in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England part of the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway. It was named after the nearby Shrewsbury Abbey...
, as well as other small stations around the town, having long closed. The station was built in 1848 and has been extended several times since. It was designated as a grade II listed building in 1969.
The station is 69 km (42.9 mi) north west of Birmingham New Street and serves as the rail 'Gateway to Wales' with many services starting at or passing through the station bound for places in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Shrewsbury is the busiest station in Shropshire and tenth busiest in the West Midlands region (by 2009/10 usage figures).
History
Shrewsbury railway station was originally built in October 1848 for the county's first railway — the Shrewsbury to Chester LineShrewsbury to Chester Line
The Shrewsbury to Chester Line, also known as the Severn–Dee Line , was built in 1846 as the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway...
. The architect was Thomas Mainwaring Penson
Thomas Mainwaring Penson
Thomas Mainwaring Penson was an English surveyor and architect who is credited with pioneering the revival of half-timbered architecture in Chester in the 1850s....
of Oswestry. The building is unusual, in that the station was extended between 1899 and 1903 by the construction of a new floor underneath the original station building. The building style was imitation Tudor, complete with carvings of Tudor style heads around the window frames. This was done to match the Tudor building of Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School
Shrewsbury School is a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 13 to 18, founded by Royal Charter in 1552. The present campus to which the school moved in 1882 is located on the banks of the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England...
(now Shrewsbury Library
Shrewsbury Library
Shrewsbury Town Public Library is housed in a historically important building situated on Castle Hill near Shrewsbury Castle. The building was the site of Shrewsbury School until 1882. It opened as the Library in 1983 following restoration work....
) almost directly opposite. The station's platforms also extend 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...
. It was operated jointly 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...
(GWR) and the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
(LNWR).
At Shrewsbury in steam days, the GWR regularly turned its locomotives by running round the triangle
Wye (railroad)
A wye or triangular junction, in rail terminology, is a triangular shaped arrangement of rail tracks with a switch or set of points at each corner. In mainline railroads, this can be used at a rail junction, where three rail lines join, in order to allow trains to pass from any line to any other...
formed by using the Abbey Foregate loop, which links the Wolverhampton Line
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...
with the Welsh Marches Line
Welsh Marches Line
The Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
and enables through running for freight trains, summer Saturday specials and formerly for trains like the Cambrian Coast Express
Cambrian Coast Express
The Cambrian Coast Express was a named passenger train of the Great Western Railway , and later British Rail, running from London via Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and Pwllheli over the Cambrian Line.-GWR era:...
. Until 1967 Shrewsbury was served by the GWR, latterly BR Western Region, express services between London Paddington and Birkenhead Woodside which was withdrawn upon the electrification of the West Coast Main Line.
The station was given Grade II listed status in May 1969; this applies to the main building on Castle Foregate, adjacent to platform 3.
Platforms and facilities
, the station is operated by Arriva Trains WalesArriva 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...
as one of their key network hubs. There are five platforms in use, numbered 3 to 7 (platforms 1 and 2 have no track), of which platforms 4, 5, 6 and 7 are grouped on a main island, while platforms 1, 2 and 3 are separate, located by the main station building.
Platform 3 is at present used occasionally only by trains running in from the Wolverhampton direction and out towards Chester. Changes recently made to the signalling and track now allow additional passenger trains (those coming in from and going out to the Hereford
Hereford railway station
Hereford railway station serves the city of Hereford, England. Managed by Arriva Trains Wales, it lies on the Welsh Marches Line between Leominster and Abergavenny and is the western terminus of the Cotswold Line.The station has four platforms...
, Heart of Wales
Heart of Wales Line
The Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
and Cambrian
Cambrian Line
The Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
lines) to use platform 3. The upcoming timetable (for May—December 2011) has trains travelling from the Hereford direction towards Chester using the platform, as well as one Heart of Wales train departing (towards Hereford) on Sundays. A passenger lift was opened on the platform in 2009 and a waiting room opened shortly after.
Platforms 4 and 7 are through platforms, usually used for trains between Holyhead
Holyhead railway station
Holyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
(via Chester
Chester railway station
Chester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
) and Cardiff Central
Cardiff Central railway station
Cardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
/Birmingham International
Birmingham International railway station
Birmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England.The station is on the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line 14 km east of Birmingham New Street and serves both Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition...
and between Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Piccadilly station
Manchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
(via Crewe
Crewe railway station
Crewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
) and Cardiff, Carmarthen
Carmarthen railway station
Carmarthen railway station is situated south of the River Towy on the edge of the town of Carmarthen. It is located on the West Wales Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, who operate most of the passenger trains serving it...
, and Milford Haven
Milford Haven railway station
Milford Haven railway station serves the town of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Opened on 7 September 1863, it was originally known as Milford, becoming Old Milford by January 1902, and finally being renamed Milford Haven by April 1910....
. Platforms 5 and 6 are bay platforms, used mainly for trains to and from Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth railway station
Aberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
and Birmingham, as well as trains for the Heart of Wales Line.
The island platforms are connected to the main station building and platform 3 by a pedestrian subway running underneath the station. A pedestrian footbridge over the platforms still exists but has long been disconnected from the station; instead, it is a public walkway allowing pedestrians to cross over the station area, and part of a route named "The Dana".
Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
- Alternate hourly service from HolyheadHolyhead railway stationHolyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
via ChesterChester railway stationChester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
and Wrexham GeneralWrexham General railway stationWrexham General railway station is a main line railway station and the main railway station serving Wrexham, north-east Wales. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, but services are also provided by Virgin Trains who operate a service to London Euston...
to Birmingham InternationalBirmingham International railway stationBirmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England.The station is on the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line 14 km east of Birmingham New Street and serves both Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition...
or Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
. - Two-hourly services from AberystwythAberystwyth railway stationAberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
and PwllheliPwllheli railway stationPwllheli railway station is a railway station serving the small coastal town of Pwllheli on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. It is the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway.- History :...
via the Cambrian LineCambrian LineThe Cambrian Line is a railway from Shrewsbury to Welshpool, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. The railway runs first through the central part of Wales and then along the coast of Cardigan Bay....
to Birmingham InternationalBirmingham International railway stationBirmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England.The station is on the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line 14 km east of Birmingham New Street and serves both Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition...
. - Hourly services from Manchester PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly stationManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
to Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
via the Welsh Marches LineWelsh Marches LineThe Welsh Marches Line , known historically as the North and West Route, is the railway line running from Newport in south-east Wales to Shrewsbury in the West Midlands region of England by way of Abergavenny, Hereford and Craven Arms, and thence to Crewe via Whitchurch...
. There is also a two-hourly local stopping service to CreweCrewe railway stationCrewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
on this route. - Services via the Heart of Wales LineHeart of Wales LineThe Heart of Wales Line is a railway line running from Craven Arms in Shropshire to Llanelli in South Wales. It runs, as the name suggests, through some of the heartlands of Wales. It serves a number of rural centres en route, including several once fashionable spa towns, including Llandrindod Wells...
to SwanseaSwansea railway stationSwansea railway station is a railway station that serves Swansea, Wales. The station is one of four in the City and County of Swansea and is the fourth busiest in Wales after Cardiff Central, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport.-History:...
. Four trains per day each way Monday–Saturday and two trains each way on Sundays. - Locomotive-hauled "Premier" service between HolyheadHolyhead railway stationHolyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
and Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway stationCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
via CreweCrewe railway stationCrewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents...
. One train each way per day. - Local Stopping services to Wrexham GeneralWrexham General railway stationWrexham General railway station is a main line railway station and the main railway station serving Wrexham, north-east Wales. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, but services are also provided by Virgin Trains who operate a service to London Euston...
London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon 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....
- Hourly stopping service to Birmingham New Street
Signalling
Severn Bridge Junction signal boxSevern Bridge Junction
Severn Bridge Junction is the area of railway lines just south of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, controlled by the signal box of the same name. The Network Rail signalling area code is 'SBJ.'-History:...
http://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/SevernBridgeJunction.htm#Box, at the south end of the station and built by the LNWR, is the largest surviving mechanical signal box
Signal 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...
in Britain, with a frame
Lever frame
Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
accommodating 180 levers, and is a listed building. Whilst the line beyond Abbey Foregate signal box to Wolverhampton has been updated to electronic signalling
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...
, Shrewsbury itself is set to remain lever operated for the foreseeable future - BBC News. As a result of Shrewsbury's joint (GWR
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...
/LNWR) history, and having been transferred at different times between the Western and London Midland regions of BR
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
and more recently Network Rail
Network Rail
Network Rail is the government-created owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain .; it is not responsible for railway infrastructure in Northern Ireland...
- it is now in the Great Western territory again - the signalling is a diverse mixture of lower-quadrant and upper-quadrant semaphore signals, with a few colour lights too. Crewe Junctionhttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/CreweJunction.htm#Box, on the north end of the station, accommodates around 120 levers and is of the same design as Severn Bridge Junction.
The other Shrewsbury signal boxes are at Abbey Foregate http://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/AbbeyForegate.htm (to a GWR design), controlling the eastern corner of the triangle, Sutton Bridge Junctionhttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/SuttonBridge.htm#Box where the Aberystwyth line diverges from the Hereford line, Crewe Bankhttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/CreweBank.htm#Box (was to have been closedhttp://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\Network%20Code\Network%20Change\Completed%20Proposals\Western\NCG12007WEST409V1%20Crewe%20Bank%20-%20Closure%20of%20Signal%20Box&pageid=2889&root= on 4/4/2009, but still hanging on) just beyond the station towards Crewe, and Harlescott Crossinghttp://www.roscalen.com/signals/Shrewsbury/HarlescottCrossing.htm, slightly further on towards Crewe.
In Autumn 2010 changes were made to allow Cambrian and Welsh Marches line trains to depart in a southerly direction from Platform 3 — an upper quadrant signal replaced the previous shunting disc and a facing point lock was added to the points. Though the track layout could already accommodate this, until the lock was added only non-passenger movements southbound from Platform 3 could be made.
Station usage
According to the Office of Rail RegulationOffice of Rail Regulation
The Office of Rail Regulation is a statutory board which is the combined economic and safety regulatory authority for Great Britain's railway network. It was established on 5 July 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, replacing the Rail Regulator...
statistics for the 2009/10 financial year, the total number of entries and exits at the station was 1,630,474 (based on tickets sold at Shrewsbury, and tickets sold to Shrewsbury); with 163,854 passengers interchanging between services.
Future development
It has been proposed that Shrewsbury should have a Parkway railway station built on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury LineWolverhampton 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...
, east of the town in the Preston Boats/Emstrey
Emstrey
Emstrey is a dispersed hamlet on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, in the English county of Shropshire. The hamlet is located south-east of the town, on the B4380 road to Atcham....
area, adjacent to the A5 road. This new station would be co-located with a fourth bus-based Park & Ride site for the town to simultaneously serve shoppers and commuters heading both to and from Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
and the West Midlands
West Midlands conurbation
The West Midlands conurbation is the name given to the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the large towns of Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge, Halesowen in the English West Midlands....
conurbation. Reasons cited for this project include the poor provision of car parking at Shrewsbury's current only railway station and the lack of a park and ride site to serve visitors to the town from the east, who presently need to use Meole Brace
Meole Brace
Meole Brace is a suburb of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.The Rea Brook flows through the area, a tributary of the River Severn. The brook was in the past known as the "Meole Brook". The name Meole Brace comes from the old Saxon manor house, which no longer stands, owned by the Brace family...
in the south or Harlescott
Harlescott
Harlescott is a suburb of the town of Shrewsbury, county town of Shropshire. It is one of the most industrial parts of the town, and is the 5th most deprived ward in non-metropolitan Shropshire Neighbouring suburbs include Sundorne to the east and Ditherington to the south...
in the north of the town. Another proposed station is at Harlescott in the north of the town — a recent masterplan drawn up for the area includes the potential provision of a halt near to Harlescott Crossing.
As well as the poor provision of car parking previously mentioned, the town's geographic location in a tight meander of the River Severn, combined with the one-way systems for motor traffic in the town (particularly the need to go under the low and congested Cross Street arch bridge), make the station difficult and time-consuming to reach by car from many parts of the town. Indeed from many locations in southern Shrewsbury, eg Shrewsbury Business Park
Shrewsbury Business Park
The Shrewsbury Business Park is a commercial development on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire . Construction commenced in late 2001 on the , £25 million site, and is still ongoing. Almost of business premises have been delivered, largely attributed to Phase One of the scheme...
, Shrewsbury College
Shrewsbury College
Shrewsbury College may refer to one of two educational institutions in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.*Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology, now commonly abbreviates itself to 'Shrewsbury College', located on the edge of the town to the east...
on London Road and the Sutton Farm area, it often actually takes less time to drive to Telford Central railway station
Telford Central railway station
Telford Central railway station serves the new town of Telford, England. It is situated close to the town centre, the main commercial district of the town...
, along the fast A5 and M54
M54 motorway
The M54 is a 23 mile east-west motorway in the English counties of Shropshire and Staffordshire. It is also referred to as the Telford Motorway, after the road's primary westbound destination, the new town of Telford...
, than to Shrewsbury station.
External links
- Signalling around Shrewsbury station
- Shrewsbury station on navigable 1946 O.S. map
- Railways of ShropshireRailways of ShropshireThe English county of Shropshire has a fairly large railway network, with 19 National Rail stations on various national lines, as well as a small number of heritage and freight lines, including the famous heritage Severn Valley Railway running along its eastern border with Worcestershire.The...
Grade II listing entry