Newport railway station (Shropshire) explained

Newport (Shropshire)
Status:Disused
Borough:Newport, Telford and Wrekin
Country:England
Coordinates:52.7621°N -2.3709°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:2
Original:Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
Pregroup:London and North Western Railway
Postgroup:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London Midland Region of British Railways
Years:1849
Events:Opened
Years1:7 Sept 1964
Events1:closed for passengers
Years2:1967
Events2:Closed completely

Newport (Shropshire) station was a railway station serving Newport in Shropshire. that was situated on the Stafford to Shrewsbury Line via Wellington.

History

In 1847 the London and North Western Railway leased the line between Stafford and Wellington from the Shropshire Union Canal and Railway Company, however the line was not finished until 1849. Newport was an important station along the stretch between Wellington and Stafford as it had a large cattle market and was one of the largest towns in the area.

In 1922 the line was absorbed by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, with the passenger service withdrawn in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Axe[1] and the line closed completely in 1967. The track was lifted soon afterwards.

It has been reported by the Shropshire Star https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/nostalgia/2017/10/07/on-track-with-memories-of-churchills-hush-hush-overnight-stay/ that Winston Churchill spent a night in the sidings at Newport in 1942

Restoration

Due to Newport's proximity to the new town of Telford and the cities of Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent, Newport is seen as a potential commuter town, but the absence of a station is a loss to the town.[2] However, ever since the reinstatement of the line as far as Telford International Freight Park at Donnington, the reopening of Newport's station is seen "definitely be feasible",[3] this would mean that freight that is currently routed through Wolverhampton to reach Scotland and the north, could benefit from a line through Newport to the West Coast Main Line at, thereby freeing up capacity from Telford to the West Midlands conurbation.

The line is in the top 36 'Lines that should reopen' listing published by the Campaign for Better Transport.[4]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Book: Cryer. Geoff. Shropshire Railways. 2014. Crowood Press. Marlborough. 978 1 84797 691 8. 76. 4; British Railways 1948-1994.
  2. Web site: Newport Town Plan. Newport-Shropshire TC. Newport Town Council. 26 May 2016. 33. PDF.
  3. News: Call to reopen railway line. Shropshire Star. June 17, 2009.
  4. Web site: Lines that should reopen - Top 36 . Campaign for Better Transport . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090802205544/http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/campaigns/public_transport/rail/lines_that_should_reopen/top_36 . August 2, 2009 .