Foley Park Halt

From SVR Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
Next stations pre-closure
Towards Kidderminster Towards Shrewsbury
Kidderminster Bewdley
via Rifle Range Halt (to 1920)

Foley Park Halt

The platform at Foley Park Halt
Foley Park Halt seen from the Stourport Road Bridge

Foley Park Halt was situated on the loop line between Kidderminster and Bewdley. It opened in January 1905 and remained in use until the end of passenger services in January 1970.

The Halt was located next to Stourport Road Bridge; originally on the south side of the line but later moved to the north side when Foley Park sidings were opened in 1925. The extract from Ordnance Survey Map SO87 below, surveyed 1938 - 1949, published 1951, shows the later location.

From its opening in 1898, the Kidderminster and Stourport Electric Tramway competed for the GWRGreat Western Railway's passenger traffic, especially as it provided a direct connection between Kidderminster and Stourport while the journey by rail required a change at Bewdley or Hartlebury. By 1901 authorisation had been given to extend the tramway from Kidderminster to Bewdley which would have further increased this competition. These were among the factors that led the GWRGreat Western Railway to introduce a steam railmotor service on 5 January 1905 in a bid to improve local services. The GWRGreat Western Railway opened Foley Park Halt, next to the Stourport Road Bridge, at the same time the railmotor service began.[1][2].

The halt was initially served by a steam railmotor service which began the same day, lasting until 1918.

A letter from the GWRGreat Western Railway to the Board of Trade, dated 24 December 1904, requests the Board to provisionally sanction the work being carried out on the new "stopping place for rail motor cars".

On 29 April 1905, Major I. W. Pringle inspected the "calling place for motor car service" at Foley Park and the similar platform at Rifle Range Halt and recommended the Board of Trade to approve their use.[3]

It was in later years named Foley Park (without the 'Halt'), photographed as such with a BRBritish Rail or British Railways modern 'Rail Alphabet' running in board in May 1969. It closed on 6 January 1970 when passenger services ceased between Bewdley and Kidderminster. Little or no trace of the halt is visible today.

Historic maps of Foley Park Halt

  • 1905 GWRGreat Western Railway schematic plan of Foley Park Halt in its original location.
  • Original GWRGreat Western Railway plan updated with later revisions in red, showing the halt to the north of the line and new sidings to the south.

Photographs

See also

List of stations

References

  1. Marshall p. 143.
  2. Voice (2017) p. 7.
  3. Documents held at Shropshire Archives
  • "British Sugar Corporation Ltd, Foley Park, Kidderminster". Railways in Worcestershire article. Link. Accessed 09/01/2015.
  • "Severn Valley Railway". Railways in Worcestershire article. Link. Accessed 09/01/2015.