Walsall railway station
Encyclopedia
Walsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall
, West Midlands
, England
and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by London Midland
, who run all of its train services. The main entrance is situated inside the Saddlers Shopping Centre
.
), and north to Cannock
and Rugeley
.
The station has three platforms:
Platforms 2 and 3 have been recently refurbished, with a new waiting room added and enigmatic "poetry" on the walls of the stairs to the platforms. The mainline platforms are not electrified, but platform 3 (and the through line next to it) are electrified to 25kV AC Overhead power. This electrification ends for both tracks at the northern end of the platforms.
An S&B self-service ticket machine was placed on Platform 1 but was no longer in place in April 2011; however, a similar machine remains in the station booking hall which is at street level above platform 3.
via Wednesfield
and Willenhall Stafford Street
closed in 1925. As part of the Beeching axe
, the line to Lichfield
and the South Staffordshire Line
to Stourbridge
via Dudley
closed in 1964. The lines to Wolverhampton
via Willenhall Bilston Street
, Rugeley
via Cannock
and Sutton Coldfield
closed a year later. This left only one line running to the station from Birmingham New Street and the station's importance to the town was reduced even further when this service was reduced to just one train per hour in the late 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, vast improvements were made to the quality of services from Walsall. In 1989 passenger services were reintroduced on the previously freight only line to Hednesford
24 years after they were withdrawn. The number of trains to Birmingham was gradually increased from one to four trains per hour and the Hednesford service was extended to Rugeley in 1997. Passenger services to Wolverhampton were reintroduced in 1998, but this service was short lived and the frequent hourly service was withdrawn again in 2008 due to low passenger numbers. However one train per day goes straight to Wolverhampton from Walsall, in the evening.
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated 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 run all of its train services. The main entrance is situated inside the Saddlers Shopping Centre
Saddlers Centre
The Saddlers Centre is a shopping centre located in Walsall, West Midlands, United Kingdom.The shopping centre takes its name from the towns saddle manufacturing heritage and is also known as the nickname for the towns football team Walsall FC....
.
Overview
Services from the station go to Birmingham New Street 17 km (10¾ miles) south on the Walsall Line, (operated on behalf of CentroWest Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
), and north to Cannock
Cannock railway station
Cannock railway station serves the town of Cannock in Staffordshire, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Midland.-History:...
and Rugeley
Rugeley Town railway station
Rugeley Town railway station serves the town of Rugeley in Staffordshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-History:...
.
The station has three platforms:
- Platform 1: operating northbound services to Rugeley;
- Platform 2: operating southbound, semi-fast services from Rugeley to Birmingham New Street;
- Platform 3: (a terminus platform) operating local services to Birmingham New Street.
Platforms 2 and 3 have been recently refurbished, with a new waiting room added and enigmatic "poetry" on the walls of the stairs to the platforms. The mainline platforms are not electrified, but platform 3 (and the through line next to it) are electrified to 25kV AC Overhead power. This electrification ends for both tracks at the northern end of the platforms.
An S&B self-service ticket machine was placed on Platform 1 but was no longer in place in April 2011; however, a similar machine remains in the station booking hall which is at street level above platform 3.
Services
Monday to Saturday daytimes four trains per hour run south from Walsall to Birmingham New Street (two fast and two stopping) with most of the stopping services continuing past Birmingham to form the Birmingham to Wolverhampton stopping service. Two trains per hour run north from Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley although one train per hour runs fast between Walsall and Cannock. On Sundays and Monday to Saturday evenings there are two trains per hour to Birmingham (one fast and one stopping) and one train per hour to Rugeley Trent Valley.History
The network of lines spanning out from Walsall was once more extensive than it is now. The line to WolverhamptonWolverhampton and Walsall Railway
The Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway was incorporated in 1865 in order to connect the city of Wolverhampton, England with nearby towns such as Walsall, Willenhall and Wednesfield.-The route:...
via Wednesfield
Wednesfield railway station
Wednesfield railway station was a station built by the Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway in 1872, and was operated by the Midland Railway from 1876 onwards. It served the Wednesfield area of Wolverhampton, and was located near to Neachells Lane....
and Willenhall Stafford Street
Willenhall Stafford Street railway station
Willenhall Stafford Street railway station was a station built by the Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway in 1872, and was operated by the Midland Railway from 1876 onwards. It served the town of Willenhall, and was located to the north of the town centre...
closed in 1925. As part 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...
, the line to Lichfield
Lichfield Trent Valley railway station
Lichfield Trent Valley is a split-level railway station on the outskirts of the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. It is one of two stations in Lichfield, the other being in the city-centre.-History:...
and the South Staffordshire Line
South Staffordshire Line
The South Staffordshire Line was a railway line that connected Lichfield in Staffordshire, England with Dudley, formerly in Worcestershire. However, it joined the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway's line just north of Dudley Station, where it, in essence, continued to Stourbridge, in...
to Stourbridge
Stourbridge Junction railway station
Stourbridge Junction railway station is a railway station on the Birmingham, Worcester and Kidderminster Line in West Midlands, England. Stourbridge Town Branch Line runs from the station to Stourbridge town centre...
via Dudley
Dudley railway station
Dudley Railway Station was a passenger railway station located at Dudley, England, built where the Oxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line and the South Staffordshire Line diverged to Wolverhampton and Walsall and Lichfield respectively.-History:...
closed in 1964. The lines to Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton railway station
Wolverhampton railway station in Wolverhampton, West Midlands is on the West Coast Main Line. It is served by London Midland, CrossCountry, Virgin Trains and Arriva Trains Wales.-History:...
via Willenhall Bilston Street
Willenhall Bilston Street railway station
Willenhall Bilston Street railway station was a station built on the Grand Junction Railway in 1837. It served the town of Willenhall, and was located just to the south of the town centre. It was one of two railway stations in the town - the other being Willenhall Stafford Street.The station closed...
, Rugeley
Rugeley Trent Valley railway station
Rugeley Trent Valley is a railway station located on the outskirts of Rugeley in Staffordshire, England. It is one of two stations in Rugeley, the other being Rugeley Town...
via Cannock
Cannock railway station
Cannock railway station serves the town of Cannock in Staffordshire, England. The station and all trains serving it are operated by London Midland.-History:...
and Sutton Coldfield
Sutton Coldfield railway station
Sutton Coldfield railway station is the main railway station for the town of Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 7½ miles north east of Birmingham New Street....
closed a year later. This left only one line running to the station from Birmingham New Street and the station's importance to the town was reduced even further when this service was reduced to just one train per hour in the late 1970s. In the 1980s and 1990s, vast improvements were made to the quality of services from Walsall. In 1989 passenger services were reintroduced on the previously freight only line to Hednesford
Hednesford railway station
Hednesford railway station serves the town of Hednesford in Staffordshire, England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-History:...
24 years after they were withdrawn. The number of trains to Birmingham was gradually increased from one to four trains per hour and the Hednesford service was extended to Rugeley in 1997. Passenger services to Wolverhampton were reintroduced in 1998, but this service was short lived and the frequent hourly service was withdrawn again in 2008 due to low passenger numbers. However one train per day goes straight to Wolverhampton from Walsall, in the evening.