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'''Eardington''', sometimes referred to as "Eardington Halt", is a disused station, situated on [[Eardington Bank]] and located mid-way between [[Bridgnorth]] and [[Hampton Loade]] at milepost 147¾. Although the station does not currently feature in daily operations a dedicated 'Friends of Eardington Station' team lead led by Steve Downs looks after and maintains this wayside gem.
==Eardington in preservation==
The station later re-opened in March 1981, but last appeared in the timetable as a request stop in 1982,<ref name=Marshall103>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 103.</ref> after which it was removed from regular use due to the steep gradient, short platform, and low passenger numbers<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eardington_Halt_railway_station Wikipedia]</ref>.
It has since been was later cosmetically restored by the Friends and is occasionally opened to visitors on gala days, albeit with trains not stopping. On 2-3 June 2018 it staged "'''Eardington 150'''" to mark its 150th birthday. The station was open to the public on both days with various special attractions (trains did not stop). The event coincided with the SVR's Goods Gala.<ref>[https://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/attractions/2018/06/04/restored-shropshire-railway-station-celebrates-150-years---with-video-and-pictures/ SVR's PR on Shropshire Live website 4 June 2018] (Retrieved 24 June 2018)</ref>
===The platform===
The southern end of the platform was cut back after it collapsed. The Friends held a fundraising appeal in 2014 to replace the missing part;<ref>SVRA Working Members Newsletter November 2014</ref> it was reported on 27 October 2016 that sufficient funds had been raised to purchase the required replacement GWR bricks.<ref>[https://twitter.com/Eardingtonstn/status/791730973977219072 Eardington Station Twitter Feed], retrieved 1 November 2016</ref>
A project commenced during the January 2018 winter shutdown involving the partial rebuilding of the platform face.<ref>[https://svrtrust.org.uk/downloads/Platform%202018%20web%20version-1.pdf 'Platform' magazine, 2018 Issue 4, p.5]</ref> Some 8000 engineering bricks recovered from the London – Bristol mainline and donated by Kier Construction have been used. These have been cleaned up by the Friends of Eardington Station over a period of time and provide a genuine connection to the GWR. The rebuild was undertaken by JSR Construction who are based less than a mile away from the station, thus keeping the work local.<ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/eardington-station SVRLive 'Eardington Station' 13 January 2018]</ref><ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/winter-works-2018 'SVRLive Winter Works 2018' 16 January 2018]</ref> Work was completed on 31 January 2019, giving the station a full length working platform of 300' - roughly 5 coaches - for the first time since 1984. The £41,000 project was aided by donations from the [[Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust Ltd| Charitable Trust]] and [[Severn Valley Railway Company Limited| the Guarantee Company]] of £6,500 each, with the remainder being raised by the Friends. The project was completed on time and on budget. <ref>[https://www.svrlive.com/eardington-station SVR Live February 2019]</ref><ref>[https://www.shropshirestar.com/entertainment/bridgnorth-entertainment/2019/03/01/volunteers-on-severn-valley-railway-proud-to-unveil-new-platform/ Smith, R., 'Severn Valley Railway volunteers proud to unveil new platform', Shropshire Star, 1 March 2019] (Retrieved 3 March 2019)</ref> The rebuilt platform, which incidentally is longer than those at [[Highley]], Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth’s platform 2, can be seen in the main photograph taken during the 2018 Goods Gala, improves . It greatly improved the appearance of the station and allows consideration to progressed its possible potential use on future gala events . ==Restored for passenger use==It had long been the Friends' ambition to stop local trains at some point in the futureEardington during Galas.
=== The Eardington Explorer ===
On 17 April 2015, the [[The 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust|82045 Steam Locomotive Trust]] ran a special fundraising train, the [[The Eardington Explorer|Eardington Explorer]]<ref name=SVROnlineForum>[https://forum.svr-online.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3298 SVR Online Forum]</ref>. This ran between Bridgnorth and Hampton Loade, calling specially at Eardington. This was the first time that a stop had been timetabled at Eardington for several years. The Fund ran a second 'Eardington Explorer' on 22 April 2016.
=== 2023 Gala ===By 2023 ORR had given the SVR permission in principle to stop trains there during Galas. The Railway put in place the paperwork and procedures to enable this, as it had not been operational for over 40 years, for the [[Autumn Steam Gala]]<ref>[https://news.railbusinessdaily.com/vulcan-joins-svr-gala-line-up-and-eardington-welcomes-first-arrivals-in-41-years/ Longhorn, Danny, ' 'Vulcan' joins SVR Gala line-up, and Eardington welcomes first arrivals in 41 years', Rail Business Daily, 21 July 2023] (Retrieved 25 July 2023)</ref>. ==Proposed reopening===
In November 2018, FCFM Group, the owners of nearby Astbury Hall, submitted plans to Shropshire Council for development of the hall and grounds as a 'holiday venue'. The Design Statement states "The applicant has agreed to assist in financing of the reopening of Eardington Station and to take a direct link between Astbury Estate and the Severn Valley Railway."<ref>[https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/bridgnorth/2018/12/05/50m-plans-revealed-for-world-class-holiday-venue/ Article on the proposed reopening in the Shropshire Star]</ref><ref>[https://pa.shropshire.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=PHHELNTDHH500 Planning application for Astbury Hall on Shropshire Council web site]</ref> This would see around 300 high quality log cabins at the site adjacent to Eardington Station. FCFM submitted to the SVR an outline proposal for investment such that trains could call regularly providing a link to the new development. The parties agreed to explore how public access could be provided from the estate to the station and what could be achieved while ensuring the character and feel of the station are not undermined.<ref>SVR announcement 7 December 2018</ref>
