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→Great Western Railway: 1872-1947: additional info and history
==Great Western Railway: 1872-1947==
Beginning in 1860, a number of schemes were proposed for a [[Wolverhampton#Proposed Railways between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth | railway connecting Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth]], to provide a direct route without the diversion south via Kidderminster. These included the proposal for a 'Light Railway', the Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth Light Railway, in 1897. However none of these railways were ever built. The GWR itself also proposed a similar connection in 1905, although this too was never completed. In 1878 the GWR added opened ‘The Loop’ linking Bewdley to Kidderminster, over which the present day Severn Valley Railway continues. ‘The Loop’ nearly didn’t happen; construction was authorised by an Act of Parliament in 1868 which also included the nearby Stourbridge Town branch (part of which is still in use today). The GWR then sought leave to abandon ‘The Loop’ and build a line linking Bewdley to Stourbridge via Wolverley, Cookley and Kinver instead. Only when Parliament rejected this proposal did ‘The Loop’ go ahead. A more detailed history of the Loop's construction is given [[Kidderminster Loop Line | here]].
Most Kidderminster to Bewdley trains left the Severn Valley Railway at the [[Tenbury Branch]] and took the [[Wyre Forest Line]] (dismantled in the 1960s and now a popular walking route) to Tenbury Wells and Woofferton. This traffic effectively crossed the Severn Valley Railway, rather than following it for any distance.
The Severn Valley line was used for both passenger and freight traffic. However it remained single track throughout its life, and as a consequence rarely saw significant use as a through connecting route apart from brief spells during the two World Wars when it was used to bypass the congested lines of the West Midlands. Indeed it is likely that most passengers only traveled on part of the line during their journey.
The line was rarely at the forefront of railway technology, although 1905 saw the use of brand new steam railcars between Bewdley, Kidderminster and Stourport. A year earlier the GWR also introduced a motor omnibus service between Bridgnorth and Wolverhampton.
The peak period of use of the line was between 1880 and 1920. After that time passenger and freight traffic began to decline, although this was mitigated within the section used by the present day SVR by the opening of the West Midlands Sugar Co (later British Sugar Corporation) factory at Foley Park, Kidderminster in 1925 and [[Alveley Colliery]] at [[Highley]] beginning coal delivery by rail in 1939.A number of halts such as [[Northwood Halt]], [[Jackfield Halt]] and [[Cound Halt]] were introduced in the 1930s in a bid to attract more local custom.
During the Second World War the line saw an increase in traffic, with service personnel travelling to military bases in the area and additional wartime freight. The line served as an alternative diversionary route, and a variety of non-GWR locomotives saw service.<ref name=Vanns2017>[[Bibliography#Books|Vanns (2017)]] p. 43.</ref> The Ministry of Food opened an emergency food storage depot near [[Stourport]] in 1941,<ref name=Vanns2017/> with a rail siding accessed by the [[List of signal boxes#List of historical Signal Boxes and Ground Frames|Brindley Street Ground Frame]]. Kidderminster and Stourport saw many ambulance trains, the US Army having a hospital at Stourport.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Turley (2005)]]pp. 87-95.</ref> The railway also served the [[Rifle Range Halt|US camp at Burlish Top]] and [[RAF Bridgnorth]] situated at nearby Stanmore.
