Buildwas

A Westbound train on the Severn Valley line, with another in the Much Wenlock branch platform behind (Sellick Collection)

An aerial view of Buildwas station and Ironbridge A Power Station in January 1948. The photo is looking north, and the lines from Shrewsbury and Much Wenlock are at the left, and from Bridgnorth and Coalbrookdale on the right. Image from Britain from Above

Next stations pre-closure
Towards Hartlebury and Kidderminster	Towards Shrewsbury
Ironbridge (1½ miles)	Cressage (4 miles)

Buildwas station was situated 28½ miles from Hartlebury and 12¼ miles from Shrewsbury. It was an interchange station in open countryside with no passenger access other than by rail, and was built on two levels. The station building was of a similar design to that at Bewdley.

Approaching the station from the south, the single track Severn Valley Line was joined from the right by the double track line from Coalbrookdale, which crossed the river via the Albert Edward Bridge. In the short distance between the bridge and the station, the Much Wenlock line (the Much Wenlock and Severn Junction Railway before incorporation into the GWRGreat Western Railway) began to branch off to the left and climb, the single platform for this branch being on a higher level than the two platforms for the Severn Valley Line (at opening on 1 February 1862, Buildwas was the first station at which trains leaving and approaching Shrewsbury could cross).

GWR staff records for 1922 show the station had a staff of 12.

A new power station came into use in 1932, requiring extensive additional sidings and a new signal box to handle the coal traffic. The station also handled limestone traffic from the quarries on Wenlock Edge.

West of Buildwas the Severn Valley line left the Severn Valley gorge and entered the flatter flood plain area leading towards Shrewsbury.

In the early 1960s a second power station, Ironbridge B, was in course of construction. The station closed along with the Severn Valley Line in 1963, and was demolished in 1964 to make way for a new coal handling plant for the power station.

Station name

The station was named Buildwas in timetables, and also appeared as such in the 1963 notice of closure. However the station running in board showed the name as “Buildwas Junction”;^[1] this version was also shown on Ordnance Survey maps as above.

Traffic statistics

GWR Traffic statistics for Buildwas, selected years prior to 1939^[2]
	Passenger Traffic			Freight Traffic
Year	Tickets issued	Parcels despatched	Revenue (£)	Tons received & despatched	Revenue (£)	Total revenue (£)
1903	9,693	1,258	598	3,831	700	1,298
1913	9,601	2,445	582	3,980	600	1,182
1923	7,098	1,023	432	3,838	755	1,187
1933	5,983	1,029	489	49,309	4,105	4,594
1938	7,720	1,465	561	324,330	23,092	24,555

Traffic at Buildwas originated from the Wellington and Much Wenlock lines as well as the Severn Valley Branch. The opening of the coal-fired Ironbridge Power Station in 1932 brought about a significant increase in freight traffic.

Gallery

A busy scene at Buildwas. Two Severn Valley trains sit in the platforms on the right, whilst a service from Much Wenlock passes a goods train in June 1961 (Sellick Collection)
A Westbound Severn Valley service waits in the station in June 1961 (Sellick Collection)
A goods train waits to depart for Much Wenlock in June 1961 (Sellick Collection)
Buildwas station and Ironbridge "A" power station
Buildwas station building in 1962. The signalbox is visible at the far left of the frame. (PG Hindley)