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→Proposed Railways between Wolverhampton and Bridgnorth
Although Bridgnorth found itself on a railway line linking Worcester and Shrewsbury, the town is perhaps more naturally allied to Wolverhampton, around 13 miles to the east. A number of proposals were made for railways connecting the two towns, especially during the ‘railway mania’ of the mid-19th century. However the relative position of Wolverhampton’s two stations to the north east of the town centre and Bridgnorth to the south west of it meant most schemes involved approaching Wolverhampton via a junction with one of the existing lines to the south or west, in a similar manner to the Severn Valley Railway at Shrewsbury. Some schemes proposed connections to the Severn Valley Railway north of Bridgnorth, others to the south of it.
Of the various schemes for railways linking the two towns, a total of nine bills were prepared for submission to Parliament. However most were either withdrawn by their sponsors or rejected by Parliament, with only two receiving Royal Assent, neither of which came to fruition. The earliest proposal to be advertised, the Wolverhampton & Bridgenorth (sic) Railway in 1860, was never put to Parliament. The two schemes approved by Parliament were<Ref>[[Bibliography#Books | Marshall (1989)]], Chapter 7</ref>:
*The Bridgnorth, Wolverhampton & Staffordshire Railway (June 1866). This would have left the S&BR near Oxley Viaduct, proceeding via Wombourne and Halfpenny Green to cross the Severn near Oldbury before joining the Severn Valley Railway just south of Bridgnorth. Curiously, the GWR had opposed its construction, seeing it as an attempt by the LNWR to reach Wales. Although this was overruled, the powers lapsed when funds could not be raised.
