Highley railway station
Encyclopedia
Highley railway station is a station on the Severn Valley Railway
heritage line in Shropshire
, near the west bank of the River Severn
and just under a mile south-east of the village of Highley
. Highley is the only staffed single-platform station on the line. Other stops with one platform are unstaffed halts.
closures.
Highley station was important as the transport hub of a colliery
district, with four nearby coal
mines linked to the Severn Valley line by standard and narrow gauge lines, cable inclines and aerial ropeway
s . There were extensive sidings
along the line, and wagon repair works at Kinlet, half-a-mile south.
The station was inconveniently far from Highley so the arrival of a bus service seriously affected use of the station.
The signal box
opposite the platform remained in use until 1969 when Alveley colliery closed and freight traffic ceased. The station site was disused until preservation.
.
Between April 1974 and mid-May 1974, Highley was the southern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway.
The single platform and the signal box interlocking
prevent two trains carrying passengers from passing here; although it is possible to pass one passenger train and that of another type i.e. light engine(s), engineer's train etc.
was restored for passenger use and the first public train was on Friday 21 March 2008.
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
heritage line in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, near the west bank of the River Severn
River Severn
The River Severn is the longest river in Great Britain, at about , but the second longest on the British Isles, behind the River Shannon. It rises at an altitude of on Plynlimon, Ceredigion near Llanidloes, Powys, in the Cambrian Mountains of mid Wales...
and just under a mile south-east of the village of Highley
Highley
Highley is a large village in Shropshire, England, on the west bank of the River Severn and on the B4555 road. Highley has a population of approximately 3,100, but is beset by transport problems due to the lack of a road bridge, resulting in a high unemployment rate.-History:Highley began as a...
. Highley is the only staffed single-platform station on the line. Other stops with one platform are unstaffed halts.
History
Highley station opened to the public on 1 February 1862 and closed on 8 September 1963, before the Beeching axeBeeching 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...
closures.
Highley station was important as the transport hub of a colliery
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
district, with four nearby coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
mines linked to the Severn Valley line by standard and narrow gauge lines, cable inclines and aerial ropeway
Ropeway
A ropeway is a form of naval lifting device used to transport light stores and equipment across rivers or ravines. It comprises a jackstay, slung between two sheers or gyns, one at either end, from which is suspended a block and tackle, that is free to travel along the rope and hauled back and...
s . There were extensive sidings
Rail siding
A siding, in rail terminology, is a low-speed track section distinct from a running line or through route such as a main line or branch line or spur. It may connect to through track or to other sidings at either end...
along the line, and wagon repair works at Kinlet, half-a-mile south.
The station was inconveniently far from Highley so the arrival of a bus service seriously affected use of the station.
The signal box
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
opposite the platform remained in use until 1969 when Alveley colliery closed and freight traffic ceased. The station site was disused until preservation.
Preservation
Little demolition took place at Highley after closure, the station buildings and the signal box remained intact, however the footbridge was dismantled in the early 1970s for safety reasons. In 2009 Severn Valley Railway erected a new footbridge to ease congestion on the station after the opening of the Engine HouseEngine House
Engine House is an historic fire station in Auburn, Maine, USA at the corner of Court and Spring Streets, built in 1879 and added to the National Historic Register in 1978....
.
Between April 1974 and mid-May 1974, Highley was the southern terminus of the Severn Valley Railway.
The single platform and the signal box interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
prevent two trains carrying passengers from passing here; although it is possible to pass one passenger train and that of another type i.e. light engine(s), engineer's train etc.
The Engine House
The SVR has built a visitor centre, known as the Engine House, a little south of the station.Railway infrastructure damage June 2007
After torrential overnight rain on June 19, 2007 areas of the railway near Highley collapsed in landslides. Highley Up Starter signal and the embankment it stood on were washed away. After repair the line between Northwood Halt and BridgnorthBridgnorth railway station
Bridgnorth railway station is a station on the Severn Valley Railway heritage line, serving the Shropshire town of Bridgnorth, England. It is currently the northern terminus of the SVR, home to the main engine shed and a large gift shop amongst other facilities.-History:Bridgnorth station was not...
was restored for passenger use and the first public train was on Friday 21 March 2008.