19 historic photos of Shropshire train stations and railway lines, including lost services that are no longer in use
From bustling hubs to forgotten platforms, these 19 historic photographs reveal the stories of stations lost to the Beeching cuts, those saved by heritage railways, and the few still serving passengers in Shropshire today.
Railways once formed the lifeblood of Shropshire, connecting bustling market towns, rural villages and busy industries across the county to the rest of the UK.
While some, like Shrewsbury and Wellington, survive and thrive today, others have long since closed their doors - lost to changing transport priorities and the sweeping Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
Through old photographs and postcards in our archives, we take a journey through Shropshire’s stations past and present – exploring those that remain in use, those preserved by heritage railways, and those that exist now only in history.
Baschurch Station
Baschurch Station sat on the former Great Western Railway main line from London to Liverpool and closed to the public on September 12, 1960, as part of the Beeching cuts.
There's an ongoing campaign to reopen the station, which would reportedly cost between £3m and £8m.
Oswestry Station
Oswestry's railway station closed to passengers in November 1966, and to freight five years later.
Today, the Grade II listed station building belongs to Shropshire Council and is still used seasonally by the Cambrian Heritage Railway.
Newport Station
Newport's railway station sat on the Stafford to Shrewsbury Line which ran via Wellington.
Passenger service was withdrawn in 1964, and the line was closed completely in 1967 - with demolition and the track lifted soon after.
Broome Station
Our first still-active one on the list, this little railway station opened as 'Broom and Aston' in 1961.
Today it's on the Heart of Wales Line, running from Craven Arms to Llanelli in southwest Wales.
Ironbridge and Broseley railway station
Ironbridge and Broseley railway station was a stop on the Severn Valley Railway, and opened in 1862.
The station was closed in 1963 - with plans for its closure predating Beeching's cuts.
Shrewsbury Abbey railway station
It's hard to imagine the stunning Shrewsbury Abbey surrounded by the noise and dirt of a railway station.
It was closed and reopened several times over it's almost 100 year lifespan, eventually being used by the War Department during the Second World War.
Official closure came in 1960, with the station goods yard occupied until the late 80s. Today, it's most Abbey Foregate car park - with the original station building and platform restored in 2005.
Shrewsbury Station
Shrewsbury Station was built in 1848, formerly known as Shrewsbury General.
The Grade II-listed main station building was designed by architect Thomas Mainwaring Penson of Oswestry, who also designed Baschurch, Church Stretton, Gobowen and Ruabon railway stations.
Gobowen Station
The grand station building at Gobowen was built between 1846 and 1848 by the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway in a notable Florentine (or Italianate) style.
Although a very small village, Gobowen was the junction station for the much larger regional town of Oswestry some three miles away. When rail services to Oswestry ceased in November 1966, Gobowen was retained as the railhead for the surrounding area
Horsehay and Dawley Station
Thanks to the efforts of the Telford Steam Railway - Horsehay and Dawley station was only closed for around 14 years after it closed in 1962.
Prior to its closure, the station was on the former Wellington and Severn Junction railway, which ran between Wellington and Craven Arms.
Today, the station is the working base of the heritage railway, welcoming thousands of visitors each year.
Wellington Station
Built at the junction of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway with the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company's line from Stafford via Newport, Wellington railway station opened to the public in 1849.
At its peak, the station had six platforms in operation, but today the station only has two through platforms and one bay platform.
Ditton Priors Station
Ditton Priors railway station was only open for 30 years - between 1908 and 1938.
It was originally part of the Cleobury Mortimer and Ditton Priors Light Railway, which ran between Cleobury and Ditton Priors via Stottesdon and Burwarton.
Tern Hill Station
Tern Hill railway station opened in 1867, closing almost 100 years later in 1963.
It was originally part of the Wellington and Drayton Railway line that served rural residents in villages and hamlets such as Hodnet, Ellerdine and Crudgington.
Telford Central
Until the 1980s, Telford New Town was only served by Wellington and Oakengates railway stations (although a 'halt station' at Hadley existed until 1985).
But in May 1986, Telford Central opened, equipped with full-length platforms to accommodate inter-city trains.
The £700,000 price tag was jointly funded by British Rail, the Telford Development Corporation and Shropshire County Council.
