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'''Eardington''', sometimes referred to as "Eardington Halt", is 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 led by under Station Master Steve Downs looks after and maintains this wayside gem.
==Eardington in preservation==
During the period of [[Sir Gerald Nabarro]]'s chairmanship it was closed in connection with plans were made for the possible rebuilding of Eardington as the northern terminus on the line. As well as installing a run-round loop (see below), detailed plans were also prepared for the station to be enlarged and a car park provided, although this was not publicised at the time.<ref name=Marshall180>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 180.</ref>
For the 1977 only two round trips were advertised to call on request on Mondays to Saturdays, except Bank Holidays. The following year only one round trip was advertised to call on request, on Saturdays only. No calls were advertised during 1979 and 1980, but in 1981 and 1982 seasons all trains were again timetabled to call on request. No calls advertised from 1983 season onwards.<ref name=Marshall103>[[Bibliography#Books|Marshall (1989)]] p. 103.</ref> It was removed from regular use thereafter, variously ascribed to the platform edge becoming dangerous or due to the steep gradient, short platform, and low passenger numbers.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eardington_Halt_railway_station Wikipedia]</ref> Part of the cutting behind station collapsed January 1991.<ref>SVR News 100 pp.18 and 36, SVR News 101 p.31<ref> Restoration by a "small group of Bridgnorth C&W volunteers" started in 1989<ref>SVR News 100 p.35, SVR News 127 p.45</ref> By summer 1990, Steve Downs was "unofficial stationmaster".<ref>SVR News 100, p.31</ref> It was later gradually cosmetically restored by the Friends and occasionally opened to visitors on gala dayscertain special events, albeit with trains not stopping, from the [[Step Back to the 1940s|War Weekend]] of 25/26 June 1994 onwards.<ref>SVR News 111 p. 36</ref>
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===
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. It greatly improved the appearance of the station and progressed its potential use on future gala events.
It had long been the Friends' ambition to stop local trains at Eardington during Galas.
On 17 April 2015, the [[The 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust|82045 Steam Locomotive Trust]] ran a special fundraising train, [[The 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. The Fund ran a second 'Eardington Flyer' on 22 April 2016. === From 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 many 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==
==Points of Interest==
===Locomotive watering facility===
At opening in 1970, the timetable allowed a 5 minute stop southbound at Eardington for locomotive watering; passengers frequently took the opportunity to photograph the locomotive or buy pop and sweets which were sold at the station. Once watering facilities were installed at Bridgnorth, this was reduced to one minute, effectively ending this practice.
Unused for some years and heavily perforated, it was removed on 22 April 2021 using the [[Cowans Sheldon 30-ton steam crane]].
== References ==
*[http://www.railchronology.free-online.co.uk/EARDINGTON%20summary.htm Rail Chronology, Eardington station] (Retrieved 20 September 2023). Richard Maund and Allan Brackenbury's research, an earlier version of which appeared in Railway & Canal Historical Society Railway Chronology Group Co-ordinating Newsletter no. 49, January 2007.
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