Unsuccessful proposals for railways in the Severn Valley
Skeleton article incorporating information from the SVR-Online Forum "Early history of the SVR on the British Newspaper Archive" thread.
Contents
Background
The Oxford Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway which would form the southern connection of the Severn Valley Railway was authorised in 1845 and opened throughout in 1853. The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway which would form the northern connection was authorised in 1846 and also opened throughout in 1853.[1] The Severn Valley Railway Company (19th Century) was authorised to build the SVR in 1853 and completed its construction in 1862.
Proposals prior to the construction of the SVR
Between 1835 and 1853, a number of railways proposed, with varying degrees of credibility, to build a line crossing, following or terminating in the Severn Valley somewhere between Stourport and Ironbridge. Many of these proposals originated in the 'Railway Mania' which peaked in the mid-1840s.
Proposals included the following:
- Grand Connection Railway
- Birmingham, Dudley and Wolverhampton Railway
- Worcester and Cardiff Junction Railway
- Hereford, Leominster, Ludlow and Birmingham Railway
- Hereford and Kidderminster Railway
- Worcester, Shrewsbury and Crewe Union Railway
- Welsh Midland Railway
- Kidderminster and Welsh Midland Junction Railway
- Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway
- Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company
- Shropshire Mineral Railway
- Oxford and Worcester Extension and Chester Junction Railway
- Cambrian and Grand Junction Railway
- Direct London and Holyhead Railway
- Dudley, Madeley, Broseley and Ironbridge Railway
- Shropshire Union Railway (Worcester to Crewe)
- Wellington and Severn Junction Railway
Proposals after the opening of the SVR in 1862
After 1862, the following railways were proposed to form a junction with the SVR
- Stourbridge Railway, Valley of the Stour Extension
- West Staffordshire Railway