Jackfield Halt railway station explained

Jackfield Halt
Status:Disused
Borough:Jackfield, Telford and Wrekin
Country:England
Coordinates:52.6221°N -2.4604°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:1
Original:Great Western Railway
Postgroup:Great Western Railway
Events:Station opened
Years1:1 March 1954
Events1:Station resited
Events2:Station closed

Jackfield Halt was an unstaffed request stop on the Severn Valley line in Shropshire, England. Originally opened at Jackfield, west of Maw and Company's private sidings in 1934, it comprised a simple wooden platform and shelter.[1]

In 1952 the area suffered a severe landslide, during which the line and halt moved around 25 feet towards the river. The halt was relocated by around ¼ mile to a new position east of these sidings, reopening on 1 March 1954.[2]

The planned closure of the northern end of the Severn Valley Line including Jackfield Halt pre-dated the Beeching report. The re-located halt was demolished shortly after closure and no remains are now visible. The trackbed in the area forms part of National Cycle Route 45, named the Mercian Way.

In late 2013 Telford and Wrekin Council confirmed that government funding had been granted to carry out a land stabilisation scheme in the locality of the former halt. The main works for this were completed in October 2016.[3]

Jackfield Sidings were situated ½ mile closer to Ironbridge.[4] A set of level crossing gates in the centre of these sidings is still in situ, together with three short lengths of track side by side just forward of the crossing gates. What appears to be a platform at that location formed part of these sidings but was not associated with either of the passenger halts.[5]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Vanns, Michael A.. Severn Valley Railway, A View from the Past. 2013. Shrewdale Publishing. Shrewsbury. 46 . 978-0-9575898-0-3.
  2. Book: Stretton, John. The Severn Valley Railway Volume 2, A Past and Present Companion. 2010. Past & Present Publishing. Kettering. 978-1-85895-264-2.
  3. Web site: Jackfield stabilisation project . 4 February 2021 . Telford & Wrekin Council . Telford & Wrekin Council . 22 March 2021.
  4. Book: Nabarro, Sir Gerald. Severn Valley Steam. 1971. Routledge & Kegan Paul. London. 39. 0-7100-7064-0.
  5. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Plaque_on_Jackfield_Sidings_-_geograph.org.uk_-_268579.jpg Plaque on Jackfield Sidings crossing