Buildwas

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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.

Buildwas Junction layout, Ordnance Survey 1903.

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).

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

See also

The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership
Pre-1965 Map

References

The Severn Valley Railway, John Marshall
Severn Valley Railway, A View from the Past, MA Vanns

  1. Vanns (2013) p. 31.
  2. Nabarro (1971) p. 56.