Coalport West railway station

The GWR Coalport railway station, active 1862–1963, was originally built as a single through platform railway station on the Severn Valley Line serving the village of Coalport in Shropshire, England. By January 1896 an additional platform had been added, thus permitting up and down trains to pass along, with a third platform face behind the up platform to form an east-facing bay. By this time, the goods sidings to the east of the station had been expanded.[1]

Coalport West
Coalport West station site in 2018
Location
Place	Coalport
Area	Shropshire
Coordinates	52.6151°N 2.4423°W / 52.6151; -2.4423
Grid reference	SJ701019
Operations
Original company	Severn Valley Railway
Pre-grouping	Great Western Railway
Post-grouping	Great Western Railway
Platforms	3
History
1 February 1862 (1862-02-01)	Opened as Coalport
?	Renamed Coalport West
9 September 1963 (1963-09-09)	Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z

"The Directory of Railway Stations" refers to the GWR station being renamed "Coalport West" by British Railways.[2] However use of the name "Coalport" continued in Engineer's Line References,[3] BR Working Timetables,[4] and on the platform running in boards.[5] The 1963 BR notice of closure of the line also referred to the station only as Coalport.[6]

The station closed on 9 September 1963 as part of the planned closure of the northern end of the Severn Valley Line which pre-dated the Beeching report.

Present day

The station lies on a dismantled section of the Severn Valley Line north of Bridgnorth and has been sold into private hands as a dwelling. The building is very similar in style to Arley on the Severn Valley Railway and retains many of its original architectural features having been extended in a sympathetic manner. Although the bay platform has been filled in, the platform edging bricks remain. The space between the two main platform faces has been only partially filled and the station thus retains much of its former character.

Two converted British Railways Mark 1 carriages (W25778[7] and W26014[8]) stand on a short length of track between the platforms and are used as holiday accommodation.

A length of the railway formation which runs parallel to the platforms continues to Bridgnorth and is now part of the National Cycle Network 45, running from Salisbury, Wiltshire to Chester, Cheshire .

The former site of the LNWR Coalport East railway station lies almost directly on the opposite side of the River Severn.

In June 2017, the station was offered for sale, at an asking price of £950,000.[9]

References

1. Marshall, John (1989). The Severn Valley Railway. Newton Abbot: David St John Thomas. p. 108. ISBN 0-946537-45-3.
2. Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
3. railwaycodes.org.uk
4. BR Working Timetable
5. Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2007). Country Railway Routes, Kidderminster to Shrewsbury. Midhurst: Middleton Press. ISBN 978-1-906008-10-9.
6. BR notice of closure of the line
7. "BR 25778 Mk 1 Corridor Second built 1961". Vintage Carriages Trust. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
8. "BR 26014 Mk 1 Corridor Second built 1962". Vintage Carriages Trust. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
9. Madden, Sophie. "It's full steam ahead to sell unique Telford hotel - with pictures". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 11 November 2017.

Further reading

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2014). Stafford to Wellington. West Sussex: Middleton Press. figs. 106-117. ISBN 9781908174598. OCLC 897871462.

Preceding station		Disused railways		Following station
Jackfield Halt Line and station closed		Great Western Railway Severn Valley Railway		Linley Halt Line and station closed