Arley railway station

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Arley railway station is a station on the Severn Valley Railway heritage line in Worcestershire, situated just over the River Severn from the village of Upper Arley; a footbridge crosses the river to link the station to the village.

1 History
2 Preservation
3 Trivia
4 Further reading

[edit] History

The station was built along with the line in 1862. The first signal box was built in 1883, and the platform built to accommodate six coach trains. The local transport needs were met quite adequately, as the local roads and paths were, to say the least, primitive. Passenger trade was busiest with summer holiday visitors, and Arley was home to a small goods yard.

The Beeching Axe fell on Arley with force when Severn Valley passenger services ceased in September 1963. The passsing loop was taken out, sidings cut up and platforms removed, with only Alveley coal traffic surviving. In 1969 the line through Arley finally became disused.

[edit] Preservation

When the line was reopened by preservationists working up from Bridgnorth in 1974, work got underway to restore Arley to its former glory. The main railway building was in relatively good condition and was totally renovated. The platforms were rebuilt and track re-laid. The old signal box having been demolished, a replacement of non-GWR design one was reclaimed and brought in from Yorton, near Whitchurch, Shropshire, and connected to signalling equipment.

[edit] Trivia

Arley station has been used as a filming location for a number of films and TV programmes, such as the BBC sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching!.

Victoria Bridge, built by Sir John Fowler and completed in 1861, is the only place on the SVR where the railway crosses the River Severn. The bridge is just south of Arley station and when first completed was the largest of its kind in the world. Sequences of the film 39 Steps were filmed on the bridge.