494:
195:
464:
277:
403:
375:
79:
350:. In time the B&GR company was absorbed by the Midland Railway, and the LNWR guarantee remained as that company's obligation. On the opening of New Street station, an agreement was reached that the guarantee from the LNWR would be cancelled, and in return the Midland Railway was given access to New Street station. (It had been using Curzon Street station.)
365:
The Stour Valley Line became an important trunk route, but it also served numerous communities and industrial centres in its short length. As
Birmingham itself grew in importance, and as the residential districts and neighbouring towns grew in prosperity, the suburban traffic using New Street station
326:
The S&BR threatened a parliamentary bill to resolve the matter, and in
February 1852 the LNWR opened the Stour Valley Railway to its own goods trains, and to passenger trains on 1 July 1852. Still the LNWR found reasons to exclude the running of S&BR trains, and it was only on 4 February 1854
284:
The Stour Valley
Railway would need a connection at the Birmingham end; this was authorised separately after considerable debate over the preferred site; opinion at first was that there would only be one main station. The station selected was what became New Street station, although that name was not
55:
The line opened in 1852, and the line is now the main line between those places. Associated with its construction was the building of the major passenger station that was later named New Street station, and also lines in tunnel each side of the station, connecting to the existing routes. The station
454:
The original connection between the
Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway and the LNWR route at Wolverhampton had been closed in 1859, when the S&BR was given a better route over the GWR line. In 1966 it was reopened for the electrification, giving access for Shrewsbury trains to Wolverhampton High
443:
and as a diversionary route for through passenger services, and it too was electrified: Bescot – Bushbury – Stafford was opened to electric trains on 24 January 1966, and
Stechford - Bescot on 15 August 1966. A major modernisation of Birmingham New Street station was undertaken as part of the work.
442:
and certain branches. The main line itself came first, but electrification on the Rugby – Coventry – Birmingham – Wolverhampton – Stafford route followed. On 6 December 1966 the
Birmingham – Wolverhampton section was inaugurated. The Grand Junction route via Bescot had become important for freight,
305:
The LNWR embarked on a prolonged and underhand attack on the S&BR, which it saw as a competing line for
Lancashire and Cheshire traffic that the LNWR wished to have exclusively. It purposely delayed completing the line, in order to disadvantage the S&BR, which it now saw as a competitor for
120:
Birmingham was a major centre of industry and the workshops and manufactories of the district proliferated. The L&BR and the GJR had been planned as inter-city railways, and numerous locations that had gained in importance now demanded rail connection. The GJR route passed more than a mile from
382:
The approach to
Birmingham New Street station from the east became very congested, with the LNWR's own main line traffic, supplemented by that from the Aston lines, as well as the Midland Railway's use of the station. A scheme for widening the approaches was undertaken at the end of the nineteenth
322:
When judgment in
Chancery was found against the LNWR, it refused to open the line to the S&BR, stating that it would be unsafe, as certain safety undertakings had not been formalised by the S&BR. The latter company then announced its intention of running a train anyway, on 1 December 1851.
301:
So the Stour Valley Line was authorised, with the LNWR, the
Birmingham Canal and the S&BR having large holdings. However an act of Parliament of 1846 gave the LNWR control of the Birmingham Canal Navigation company's system, so that the LNWR at once became the majority shareholder of the Stour
155:
There were sixteen railways proposed in the immediate area in the 1846 session, and there was much controversy over which of them should be authorised. There was a strong body of opinion that only one line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton was justified. As well as the Stour Valley Railway, two
484:
Electrification in the 1960s meant concentration of all through passenger traffic on the Stour Valley route; most freight continued to use the Grand Junction Railway route via Bescot. There is a heavy passenger service on the Stour Valley line; twelve passenger trains are indicated in the Network
318:
The Stour Valley line was practically complete in 1851, but the LNWR made no attempt to finalise the work or prepare it for opening. In response to an application to Parliament by the S&BR, the LNWR announced that the Stour Valley Railway was ready for opening by 1 December 1852, but the LNWR
471:
The 1960s modernisation of Birmingham New Street station was considered by many to be unsatisfactory; the platform areas were dark and cold, and access to the platforms was congested. In 2006 Network Rail a regeneration scheme was announced, and work started in 2010. The shopping area above the
446:
In the 1960s a number of branch lines had been closed as road-based passenger transport, and private car ownership, increased. It was considered useful to have an intermediate passenger railhead without entering the centres of Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and Oldbury station was selected for
338:
On 14 November 1854 the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Railway opened for traffic. This was a rival scheme in GWR hands, and the S&BR, now amalgamated with the GWR, transferred its trains to the friendly line, which used the GWR stations in both Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
171:
During the parliamentary process the S&BR was induced to omit the section of its line south of Wolverhampton, taking instead a one-quarter share in the Stour Valley Railway; the LNWR had a quarter, as did the Birmingham Canal; private investors collectively took the other quarter.
313:
became the bitter enemy of both of the smaller systems, and strove to crush them by every means in its power. The story is sordid and remarkable, and it seems almost incredible that a great public institution should have descended to such paltry devices to injure or destroy its
323:
However the running powers held by the S&BR were for the Stour Valley line, which did not include entry to New Street station, which was part of a separate construction, and the LNWR physically obstructed the running of the train.
319:
refused the S&BR access, on the grounds that the S&BR had announced its intention to amalgamate with the GWR. It had not actually done so, merely announced the intention, but this gave the LNWR the opportunity to prevaricate.
112:
The London and Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway were not always harmonious allies, and the L&BR courted alternative means of connecting with the industries of Lancashire. However, on 1 January 1846 they, and the
148:, which had already attracted much industry to adjacent areas. This meant avoiding the Grand Junction Railway's sweep through Aston, and instead cutting through the high ground in central Birmingham. There was to be a
394:
The Midland Railway had their own part of New Street station from 8 February 1885, and the entire station was made joint between the LNWR and the Midland Railway from 1 April 1897.
109:
opened to Curzon Street station from the south on 9 April 1838, completing its line to London on 24 June 1838. Through communication between London and Lancashire was achieved.
286:
476:. It was completed in 2015. The new concourse is three times larger than the former, and is enclosed by a large atrium, allowing natural light throughout the station.
438:
In the 1960s a major scheme of modernisation was undertaken on British Railways. Part of the scheme was the electrification at 25 kV overhead, 50 Hz, of the
358:
The allegiance of the two lines between Birmingham and Wolverhampton was entirely polarised, the Stour Valley Line being in the LNWR group and the BW&DR being a
335:
The station was opened on 1 June 1854. The Midland Railway had been using Curzon Street and that company transferred its trains to the new station on 1 July 1854.
87:
1000:
129:
In the 1846 session of Parliament, the Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway was promoted. Its concept had originally included a branch towards
995:
977:
306:
traffic for the north west. The S&BR had opened its line as far as Wolverhampton on 12 November 1849, but was unable to get access to Birmingham.
497:
Goods yard (now Soho Soho TMD), with Winson Green Junction (nearest camera) and Soho Soap Works Junction (top left), from a photograph taken by the
212:
An Act for making a Railway from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, and to the Grand Junction Railway in the Parish of Bushbury, with a Branch to Dudley.
121:
Wolverhampton, although there was a Wolverhampton station. So it was that the LNWR projected a direct line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.
575:; opened 1 May 1850; renamed Dudley Port Low Level after opening of GWR line; closed 6 July 1964; converging spur from SSR line 1854 – 1964;
293:
c. ccclix), which included nearly a mile of route from near Curzon Street, as well as the new station. The authorised capital was ÂŁ35,000.
157:
663:
Birmingham; temporary platform at western end for Stour Valley trains opened 1 July 1852; full station opened 1 June 1854; later renamed
161:
426:(the LMS), which from 1923 operated the Stour Valley Line and New Street station. In 1948 the railways were nationalised, following the
94:
opened to a temporary station at Vauxhall on 4 July 1837, approaching by curving round the north and north-west of the city by way of
599:
617:
532:
217:
67:
20:
660:; opened July 1854; renamed Edgbaston soon after opening; renamed Monument Lane 1874; relocated 1886; closed 17 November 1958;
517:; opened 1 July 1852; sometimes called Mill Street; later called High Level; still open; divergence of line to Walsall 1872 -;
1005:
778:
271:
485:
Rail journey planner from Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton in the hour from 11:00 to 11:59 on a weekday in June 2019.
19:
This article is about the history of the Birmingham to Wolverhampton line in the West Midlands. For the services today, see
964:
934:
811:
586:
448:
423:
140:
The route was to run between a new central station at Birmingham, and Wolverhampton, joining the Grand Junction Railway at
246:
Finally, despite the earlier presumption that only one connecting line was needed, both the Stour Valley Railway and the
978:
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/our-history/iconic-infrastructure/the-history-of-birmingham-new-street-station/
90:; it opened in 1838, although it was not given that name until 1852; at first it was simply the Birmingham station. The
347:
165:
114:
578:
526:
199:
60:
302:
Valley Railway. A further act of Parliament of 1847 permitted the LNWR to lease the (unbuilt) Stour Valley Line.
144:, north of Wolverhampton. The line was to start in central Birmingham and run broadly north-west, following the
603:
422:, into one or other of four new large companies. The LNWR and the Midland Railway were constituents of the new
657:
520:
513:
342:
The Birmingham station was known at first by the title Navigation Street Station. Some years before this the
309:
Perkins wrote in 1952, referring to the Shrewsbury and Birmingham and the Shrewsbury and Chester companies:
645:
455:
Level station, and electric train access to the important carriage sidings at Oxley, on the S&BR line.
572:
134:
250:
Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway (Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Lines) Act 1846
182:
Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway (Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Lines) Act 1846
493:
63:, which used dubious methods to harm competitor railways that were to be dependent on its completion.
593:
473:
137:
in the title remained. In fact the company was colloquially referred to as the Stour Valley Railway.
699:
The planning had been done by the L&BR in the previous year, before formal creation of the LNWR.
506:
539:
565:
91:
359:
207:
624:
439:
24:
8:
501:
in August 1948, The line to Perry Barr branches off to the right at Soho East Junction.
276:
156:
other lines between Birmingham and Wolverhampton were proposed in the same session: the
427:
463:
418:
Most of the main line railway companies of Great Britain were "grouped" following the
960:
930:
807:
774:
419:
407:
402:
498:
343:
290:
255:
222:
721:
A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain: volume 7: the West Midlands
989:
509:; station on Grand Junction Railway; opened 2 August 1852; closed 1 May 1912;
383:
century, duplicating the tunnel section and diverting the Midland lines from
145:
41:
723:, David & Charles Publishers, Newton Abbot, 1973, 0 7110 6093 0, page 30
832:
The Railways of Wolverhampton: I: The Stour Valley and the Shrewsbury Lines
259:
235:
976:
Network Rail, New Street has seen significant changes in its history, at
569:; opened 1 July 1852; renamed Tipton Owen Street 1953 – 1968; still open;
411:
130:
555:; diverging line to Wednesbury, South Staffordshire Railway 1863 – 1981;
914:
Railway Passenger Stations in England, Scotland and Wales: A Chronology
388:
374:
37:
451:, and opened on 14 May 1994. Selected main line trains called there.
152:
branch, though this was not built in the form originally authorised.
78:
141:
916:, the Railway and Canal Historical Society, Richmond, Surrey, 2002
70:, an important and very heavily used part of the railway network.
458:
472:
station was extended and upgraded, and re-opened with the title
410:
canal, crossing the BCN Old Main Line canal and then under the
149:
95:
285:
used at first. It too was authorised on 3 August 1846, by the
627:; opened May 1853; relocated 1884 – 1887; closed 23 May 1949;
384:
99:
746:
An Historical Geography of the Railways of the British Isles
160:, taking a more northerly route, and joining the (proposed)
117:, amalgamated to form the London and North Western Railway.
16:
Railway line between Birmingham and Wolverhampton in England
287:
London and Birmingham Railway (New Street Station) Act 1846
66:
The line was electrified in 1966 and now forms part of the
346:
and the LNWR had both given guarantees of dividend to the
36:
is the present-day name given to the railway line between
296:
59:
Before completion, the Company became controlled by the
584:
Oldbury and Bromford Lane; opened 1 July 1852; renamed
86:
Birmingham's first main railway passenger terminal was
391:(via Camp Hill). This work was completed in May 1896.
433:
330:
771:
Directory of the Railway Companies of Great Britain
648:; opened 1 November 1876; closed 16 September 1957;
642:
Soho TMD: accessed between the above two junctions.
872:
870:
46:Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway
851:
849:
804:The London & North Western Railway: A History
756:
754:
378:New Street station in the late nineteenth century
362:line. Both had been formally leased or absorbed.
133:; this was now omitted, but the reference to the
987:
957:Forgotten Railways: volume 10: the West Midlands
773:, Matador Publishers, Kibworth Beauchamp, 2017,
654:; convergence of line from Harborne 1874 – 1963;
523:; opened 1 December 1863; closed 1 January 1917;
867:
806:, Atlantic Transport Publishers, Penryn, 1996,
858:
846:
751:
612:; convergence of line from Stourbridge 1867 -;
561:; converging line from Wednesbury 1883 – 1980;
459:New Street station in the twenty-first century
406:The Stour Valley Line running parallel to the
369:
48:in 1836; the title was often shortened to the
726:
713:
1001:Rail transport in the West Midlands (county)
959:, David St John Thomas, Newton Abbot, 1985,
690:Birmingham did not become a city until 1889.
581:; opened 1 May 1853; closed 1 February 1960;
158:Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Railway
996:Railway lines in the West Midlands (region)
949:
740:
738:
535:; opened 1 July 1852; closed 10 March 1902;
162:Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
940:
929:, Ian Allan Publishing, Shepperton, 1988,
919:
826:
824:
822:
820:
596:; opened 1 July 1852; closed 15 June 1964;
529:; opened 1 July 1852; closed 15 June 1964;
467:Concourse at Birmingham New Street in 2019
895:
893:
891:
430:and British Railways were the new owner.
124:
798:
796:
784:
735:
492:
462:
401:
373:
275:
77:
837:
817:
615:Smethwick; opened 1 July 1852; renamed
44:, in England. It was authorised as the
988:
888:
879:
763:
639:; convergence of Soho connecting line;
23:. For the railway in East Anglia, see
906:
903:, in the Railway Magazine, April 1900
793:
633:; divergence of Soho connecting line;
297:Construction of the Stour Valley Line
280:Birmingham New Street station in 1854
272:Birmingham New Street railway station
265:
673:; convergence of Curzon Street line.
424:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
970:
602:; opened September 1995 (replacing
543:; opened 10 March 1902; still open;
13:
479:
14:
1017:
748:, Cassell, London, 1959, page 115
434:Electrification and modernisation
348:Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
331:Opening of the Birmingham station
166:Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway
115:Manchester and Birmingham Railway
864:Christiansen, pages 80, 82 to 84
834:, in Railway Magazine, July 1952
488:
353:
200:Parliament of the United Kingdom
193:
61:London and North Western Railway
901:New Street Station, Birmingham
876:Christiansen, pages 104 to 106
693:
684:
68:Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
21:Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line
1:
927:The Age of the Electric Train
706:
447:development. It was retitled
397:
107:London and Birmingham Railway
1006:Railway lines opened in 1852
855:Christiansen, pages 41 to 43
7:
370:New Street Station widening
10:
1022:
781:, page 35, pages 48 and 49
547:Spur diverged to OW&WR
269:
175:United Kingdom legislation
73:
18:
327:that this usage started.
234:
229:
216:
206:
192:
187:
180:
677:
164:at Priestfield; and the
600:Smethwick Galton Bridge
366:expanded considerably.
258:c. cccxxviii) received
760:Christiansen, page 103
618:Smethwick Rolfe Street
533:Deepfields and Coseley
502:
468:
415:
379:
316:
281:
125:Promoted in Parliament
92:Grand Junction Railway
83:
732:Christiansen, page 37
665:Birmingham New Street
637:Winson Green Junction
606:on Stourbridge line);
587:Sandwell & Dudley
496:
466:
405:
377:
360:Great Western Railway
311:
279:
88:Curzon Street station
82:The Stour Valley line
81:
671:Proof House Junction
440:West Coast Main Line
262:, on 3 August 1846.
56:was opened in 1854.
50:Stour Valley Railway
25:Stour Valley Railway
631:Soap Works Junction
553:Bloomfield Junction
449:Sandwell and Dudley
955:Rex Christiansen,
719:Rex Christiansen,
503:
469:
428:Transport Act 1947
416:
380:
282:
266:New Street station
84:
946:Gillham, page 170
744:Ernest F Carter,
652:Harborne Junction
621:1963; still open;
590:1984; still open;
420:Railways Act 1921
408:BCN New Main Line
244:
243:
188:Act of Parliament
34:Stour Valley Line
1013:
980:
974:
968:
953:
947:
944:
938:
923:
917:
910:
904:
897:
886:
883:
877:
874:
865:
862:
856:
853:
844:
841:
835:
828:
815:
800:
791:
790:Carter, page 116
788:
782:
769:Donald J Grant,
767:
761:
758:
749:
742:
733:
730:
724:
717:
700:
697:
691:
688:
527:Ettingshall Road
291:9 & 10 Vict.
256:9 & 10 Vict.
252:
251:
223:9 & 10 Vict.
197:
196:
183:
178:
177:
146:Birmingham Canal
1021:
1020:
1016:
1015:
1014:
1012:
1011:
1010:
986:
985:
984:
983:
975:
971:
954:
950:
945:
941:
924:
920:
912:Michael Quick,
911:
907:
898:
889:
884:
880:
875:
868:
863:
859:
854:
847:
842:
838:
829:
818:
801:
794:
789:
785:
779:978 1785893 537
768:
764:
759:
752:
743:
736:
731:
727:
718:
714:
709:
704:
703:
698:
694:
689:
685:
680:
610:Galton Junction
559:Tipton Junction
491:
482:
480:The present day
461:
436:
400:
372:
356:
344:Midland Railway
333:
299:
274:
268:
249:
248:
202:
194:
181:
176:
127:
76:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1019:
1009:
1008:
1003:
998:
982:
981:
969:
948:
939:
918:
905:
887:
878:
866:
857:
845:
843:Grant, page 35
836:
816:
792:
783:
762:
750:
734:
725:
711:
710:
708:
705:
702:
701:
692:
682:
681:
679:
676:
675:
674:
668:
661:
655:
649:
643:
640:
634:
628:
622:
613:
607:
604:Smethwick West
597:
591:
582:
576:
570:
562:
556:
550:
549:; 1853 – 1983;
544:
536:
530:
524:
518:
510:
490:
487:
481:
478:
460:
457:
435:
432:
414:near Smethwick
399:
396:
371:
368:
355:
352:
332:
329:
298:
295:
270:Main article:
267:
264:
242:
241:
238:
232:
231:
227:
226:
220:
214:
213:
210:
204:
203:
198:
190:
189:
185:
184:
174:
126:
123:
75:
72:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1018:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
993:
991:
979:
973:
966:
965:0 946537 01 1
962:
958:
952:
943:
936:
935:0 7110 1392 6
932:
928:
925:J C Gillham,
922:
915:
909:
902:
896:
894:
892:
885:Reed, page 63
882:
873:
871:
861:
852:
850:
840:
833:
830:T R Perkins,
827:
825:
823:
821:
813:
812:0 906899 66 4
809:
805:
799:
797:
787:
780:
776:
772:
766:
757:
755:
747:
741:
739:
729:
722:
716:
712:
696:
687:
683:
672:
669:
667:; still open;
666:
662:
659:
658:Monument Lane
656:
653:
650:
647:
644:
641:
638:
635:
632:
629:
626:
623:
620:
619:
614:
611:
608:
605:
601:
598:
595:
592:
589:
588:
583:
580:
577:
574:
571:
568:
567:
563:
560:
557:
554:
551:
548:
545:
542:
541:
537:
534:
531:
528:
525:
522:
521:Monmore Green
519:
516:
515:
514:Wolverhampton
511:
508:
505:
504:
500:
495:
489:Location list
486:
477:
475:
474:Grand Central
465:
456:
452:
450:
444:
441:
431:
429:
425:
421:
413:
409:
404:
395:
392:
390:
386:
376:
367:
363:
361:
354:After opening
351:
349:
345:
340:
336:
328:
324:
320:
315:
310:
307:
303:
294:
292:
288:
278:
273:
263:
261:
257:
253:
240:3 August 1846
239:
237:
233:
228:
224:
221:
219:
215:
211:
209:
205:
201:
191:
186:
179:
173:
169:
167:
163:
159:
153:
151:
147:
143:
138:
136:
132:
122:
118:
116:
110:
108:
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
80:
71:
69:
64:
62:
57:
53:
51:
47:
43:
42:Wolverhampton
39:
35:
30:
26:
22:
972:
956:
951:
942:
926:
921:
913:
908:
900:
899:S M Philip,
881:
860:
839:
831:
803:
786:
770:
765:
745:
728:
720:
715:
695:
686:
670:
664:
651:
646:Winson Green
636:
630:
616:
609:
585:
564:
558:
552:
546:
538:
512:
483:
470:
453:
445:
437:
417:
393:
381:
364:
357:
341:
337:
334:
325:
321:
317:
314:competitors.
312:
308:
304:
300:
283:
260:royal assent
247:
245:
236:Royal assent
225:c. cccxxviii
170:
154:
139:
128:
119:
111:
106:
104:
85:
65:
58:
54:
49:
45:
33:
31:
29:
573:Dudley Port
412:M5 motorway
131:Stourbridge
990:Categories
937:, page 169
802:M C Reed,
707:References
398:After 1923
389:Gloucester
208:Long title
38:Birmingham
967:, page 40
814:, page 43
594:Spon Lane
507:Bushbury
218:Citation
142:Bushbury
540:Coseley
74:Origins
963:
933:
810:
777:
579:Albion
566:Tipton
150:Dudley
96:Bescot
678:Notes
385:Derby
230:Dates
135:Stour
100:Aston
961:ISBN
931:ISBN
808:ISBN
775:ISBN
625:Soho
387:and
105:The
98:and
40:and
32:The
499:RAF
992::
890:^
869:^
848:^
819:^
795:^
753:^
737:^
168:.
102:.
52:.
289:(
254:(
27:.
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