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On 1 August 1863, the WMR was amalgamated with the Great Western Railway (GWR) which assumed responsibility for its operations.
In 1877 the GWR invited tenders for new waiting rooms and platform extensions.<ref>[https://postlmg.cc/v41FFzhN Railway News, 27 January 1877 via British Newspaper Archive] (Retrieved 14 December 2021)</ref>
The GWR opened the [[Kidderminster Loop Line|loop line to Bewdley]] on 1 June 1878, giving direct access to Kidderminster from [[Bewdley]] and stations further up the Severn Valley Branch and Wyre Forest Line. In anticipation of the additional traffic this would bring, new buildings were added to the Up (southbound) platform during 1877-78, including a general waiting room, a ladies waiting room, luggage and porters rooms. A footbridge was also installed to connect the two platforms.<ref name="KDAHS"/>
By 1900 there had been an upsurge in excursion traffic to places like Blackpool and the Welsh coast resorts. In that year, in order to cater for longer trains, the northbound platform was extended beyond the Comberton Road bridge to create the "Excursion Platform" as it became known, with an additional access ramp from Comberton Road.<ref name="KDAHS"></ref> The extension required the re-siting of the [[Kidderminster Station signal box (c.1882-1973)| Kidderminster Station signal box]] which was demolished and rebuilt a few feet nearer the running line to improve visibility for the signalman.
1908 and 1910 saw authorisation for the rearrangement of sidings and additional accommodation of 93 wagon capacity, and improved livestock accommodation respectively.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, June 1908 and August 1910</ref> Following complaints from the Chamber of Commerce in 1913 of delays in collecting goods from then station due to a shortage of yard space, it was reported in 1914 that they were satisfied with the improvements being made in siding accommodation.<ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000644/19131217/218/0008 Birmingham Mail - Wednesday 17 December 1913 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref><ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000671/19140116/063/0003 Evening Despatch - Friday 16 January 1914 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref> Further sidings were constructed in 1921.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1922</ref> Around 1912 the 'closed station' arrangement was extended to Kidderminster and visitors required a 'platform ticket' at one penny each to enter.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, December 1912</ref> In 1917 the Comberton Road bridge was widened and the southbound platform extended under bridge.<ref name="KDAHS"></ref>. The contract had been let in 1913 to H Elliott and Company, Ealing.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, October 1913</ref>
[[SVR staff in 1922#Severn Valley Railway (Kidderminster to Bridgnorth)|GWR staff records for 1922]] show the station had a staff of 57. This did not include those working in the goods depot, the locomotive shed (footplate men, fitters etc.) and Permanent Way department.
In 1923 it was reported that plans had been approved to increase siding accommodation at a cost of £10000.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, September 1923.</ref><ref>[https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000250/19231228/438/0033 Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 28 December 1923 on the British Newspaper Archive]</ref>
In 1924 it was announced that "Improved facilities for dealing with goods traffic are being provided"<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1924.</ref>, also described as "extensive sidings schemes".<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1925</ref> From February 1925 a 2 ton electric mobile crane made by Ransom and Rapield Ltd of Ipswich was installed, initially on trial, fitted with an internal combustion engine with small electric accumulators.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, May 1925</ref>
In 1926 "Additional holding sidings and 20-ton cart weighbridge...were brought into use".<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1927</ref>
In 1927 "improvements to goods accommodation are being effected at Kidderminster".<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, January 1927</ref>
From 1929 a [[Country Lorry Service and Cartage Service|Country Lorry Service]] was introduced.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, June 1929</ref>
As late as 1935, 28 shunting horses remained in use.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, December 1935</ref>
In 1937 it was announced that "The sidings at Kidderminster are to be remodelled and new goods loop lines are to be added to facilitate the working of trains between there and Worcester."<ref>[http://meccano.magazines.free.fr/html/1937/3701/37010016.htm Meccano Magazine, January 1937 on Meccano magazine online web site]</ref>
In 1938 "Garage accommodation is to be provided at Kidderminster to facilitate the repair of road motor vehicles for the District."<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine, May 1938</ref>
By the 1940s, nearly 300 railwaymen were employed at Kidderminster in various capacities including the passenger station, goods depot and goods yard, locomotive shed, traffic department, P-way and S&T.<ref>[[Bibliography#Books|Turley (2005)]] p. 17.</ref>
A new footbridge in the mainline station was opened in 2009. In 2018 work began on a major upgrade which included reconfiguration of the existing road and forecourt area as well as demolition and replacement of the 1974 station building.<ref>SVR NBI 5 September 2018</ref> The new station building was opened on 7 June 2020<ref>[https://www.railwaygazette.com/uk/kidderminster-station-building-opens/56721.article Railway Gazette]</ref>.
{| class="wikitable
|+ Early Station Masters at Kidderminster prior to 1948 (incomplete)
|-
!Name!!Born !! data-sort-type="date" | From !! data-sort-type="date" | To !! Comments
|-
|John Mayers|| || data-sort-value="1/1/1875" | 1875 || Around 1895 || Formerly Station Master at Stourport.<ref>GWR Magazine June 1906</ref> Also listed in 1879 as an [[Businesses located at SVR stations#Insurance_agents|insurance agent]].<ref>[http://specialcollections.le.ac.uk/digital/collection/p16445coll4/id/112368 Littlebury's Directory & Gazetteer of Worcester & District, 1879]</ref>
|-
|HG Simpkins|| || || 1943 || Retired in 1943.<ref>GWR Magazine May 1943</ref>
|-
|FP Tredwell|| || || || Made a retirement presentation in 1947.<ref>GWR Magazine July 1947</ref>
|-
|}
===Goods yard===
The goods yard consisted of the 'Top Yard' between Comberton Road and the [[Kidderminster Footbridge]] (the area now mainly occupied by the SVR station) and the 'Bottom Yard' beyond the Footbridge, now mainly occupied by the SVR’s [[Diesel Depot]] and [[Kidderminster Carriage Shed]].<ref name=Turley>[[Bibliography#Books|Turley (2005)]] p. 13.</ref>
The yard handled general goods traffic from the Severn Valley and Tenbury branches and elsewhere. By the mid-20th century the main local industries served were Carpets (jute from Dundee arriving, finished products leaving) and Sugar (beet, cane, limestone and coal arriving, refined sugar and molasses leaving). In 1939 16,000 tons of beet were sourced almost entirely from GWR territory: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Somerset, Devon and Cornwall; imported cane came via Cardiff docks.<ref>SVR Magazine, December 1939 pp. 484-5</ref> The yard was extremely busy, with shunting taking place continuously from 6.00am on Monday to 2.00pm on Sunday.<ref name=Turley/> The 1946 Service Timetable included the following details:
<div style="background:#fcfcfc; width:50%; border-style:solid; border-width:2px; border-color:#895920; margin:20px 10px; padding:5px;">
===Locomotive shed===
:''Main article: [[Kidderminster Shed]]''
Kidderminster had a small single-road locomotive shed which was situated close to the main line station, on the east side of the running lines opposite the main goods shed. The original shed, which was built by the OWW, dated from the opening of the station in 1852. It was of wooden construction and was closed at the north end. The 1885 map below suggests it was accessed from the south end via a turntable. It was rebuilt during 1899 as a through shed, accessed by a set of points with a head shunt as shown in the 1902 and 1924 maps.<ref>[http://www.miac.org.uk/worcestersheds.html Railways in Worcestershire, Locomotive Sheds] (retrieved 11 July 2020)</ref> Around 1923 the pit was extended by 95 feet.<ref>Great Western Railway Magazine December 1923</ref>
In February 1932 the small shed was closed and replaced by a new larger depot built on the south side of the line between [[Hoo Road Bridge]] and [[Worcester Road Bridge]].<ref name=Lyons>[[Bibliography#Other References|Lyons (1972)]] p. 180.</ref> The 1938 map suggests the small shed and associated point work had been removed by that time.
==Historic maps of Kidderminster Station==
* 1885 OS map showing the station and goods yard and two sidings extending to the south.* 1902 OS map showing the expanded goods yard with sidings extending in to gravel and sand pits.* 1924 OS map showing the extended Excursion Platform to the north and several more sidings.* 1938 OS map showing further expansion of the goods yard and sand pit.* 1905 GWR schematic plan of Kidderminster giving siding capacities and other details.
<gallerymode=packed heights=150px style="text-align:left">
File:Kidderminster1885map.jpg | 1885
File:Kidderminster1902map.jpg | 1902
File:Kidderminster1924map.jpg | 1924
File:Kidderminster1938map.jpg | 1938
File:Kidderminster Plan 1905.png | 1905
</gallery>
<gallery>
File: Kidderminster_Pre_Preservation.jpg|Kiderminster station circa 1880
File:Kidderminster Crane 1925.jpg | Petrol-electric crane at Kidderminster in 1925.
File:Kidderminster-Station-1959-11-29.jpg|Kidderminster station, 1959 ([[Sellick Collection]])
File:Kidderminster station, with auto-train to Bewdley geograph-2571495-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg|Ex-GWR Pannier 6424 arrives with an auto train from Bewdley in 1963 (Geograph)
File:Kidderminster (Network Rail) Station - geograph.org.uk - 118927.jpg|The 1974 Network Rail Kidderminster Station (Geograph)
</gallery>
==See also==
*[[The Severn Valley Railway under GWR/BR ownership]]
*[[Mainline Operators Servicing Kidderminster]]
*[[Businesses located at SVR stations]]
==References==
