Harts Hill railway station
Encyclopedia
Harts Hill railway station was a station on the Oxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line. It was opened in 1895 by a GWR
keen to invest in what was perceived to be the lucrative passenger area of the Black Country
, and it was intended to serve the communities between Brierley Hill and Dudley. It closed, like many passenger stations, in 1916 due to the First World War, but was consequently never re-opened when the passengers failed to materialise. Two railways/routes served the station - originally the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
and the South Staffordshire Railway
, which later became the Great Western Railway
and London, Midland and Scottish Railway
(through amalgamation of the London and North Western Railway
) respectively.
There are no remaining signs of the station, as it closed some 90 years ago and the road from which it was accessed has long since been widened to create a dual carriageway.
The site of Harts Hill station is now the current terminus of the South Staffordshire Line
, as the northbound line towards Walsall
was closed in March 1993.
It is due to re-open to goods trains during the 2010s
, along with a Midland Metro
extension which will divert from the line at this point and run through Merry Hill Shopping Centre
before terminating in Brierley Hill
town centre.
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
keen to invest in what was perceived to be the lucrative passenger area of the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
, and it was intended to serve the communities between Brierley Hill and Dudley. It closed, like many passenger stations, in 1916 due to the First World War, but was consequently never re-opened when the passengers failed to materialise. Two railways/routes served the station - originally the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway
The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to construct a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley, and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury...
and the South Staffordshire Railway
South Staffordshire Railway
The South Staffordshire Railway was the railway company responsible for building several lines in and around the area of Staffordshire, England.The Chief Engineer was John Robinson McClean...
, which later became the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
and London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...
(through amalgamation of the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
) respectively.
There are no remaining signs of the station, as it closed some 90 years ago and the road from which it was accessed has long since been widened to create a dual carriageway.
The site of Harts Hill station is now the current terminus of the South Staffordshire Line
South Staffordshire Line
The South Staffordshire Line was a railway line that connected Lichfield in Staffordshire, England with Dudley, formerly in Worcestershire. However, it joined the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway's line just north of Dudley Station, where it, in essence, continued to Stourbridge, in...
, as the northbound line towards Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
was closed in March 1993.
It is due to re-open to goods trains during the 2010s
2010s
The 2010s, pronounced "twenty-tens" or "two thousand tens", is the current decade which began on January 1, 2010 and will end on December 31, 2019...
, along with a Midland Metro
Midland Metro
The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under...
extension which will divert from the line at this point and run through Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Merry Hill Shopping Centre
Westfield Merry Hill is a shopping centre in Brierley Hill near Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was developed between 1985 and 1990, with several expansion and renovation projects taking place since. The original developers and owners were Richardson Developments but the Centre has had a number...
before terminating in Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill
Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is one of the larger Black Country towns with a population of 9,631 and is heavily industrialised, best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although the industry has declined...
town centre.