Olton (OLT)

Olton is a stop on the Chiltern Main Line in the West Midlands situated between Acocks Green and Solihull. 

WMR 172 101 (at the time still in Chiltern livery) departs Olton

Information
Type:	National Rail (Snow Hill Lines & Chiltern Main Line)
Station code:	OLT
Opened:	1869
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1869 on their Oxford-Birmingham line. Olton was originally a basic station with a couple of platforms but was expanded to four platforms (two island platforms) in 1933 [1] as the line from Birmingham was quadrupled as far as Lapworth. However, only one of those island platforms is now in use.

The platforms are on an embankment with the booking office at street level below the platforms. On the platforms are some basic facilities including a waiting room. Most services to Olton are operated by West Midlands Railway, who manage the station, with some Chiltern Railway services stopping in peak times.

Station entrance

In London Midland days a Class 172 arrives

Steps down to ground level, a lift is also available

Chiltern 168 328 passes through the station

View down the platform

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Banbury to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2004) Fig. 80

Hooton (HOO)

Hooton is a stop on the Merseyrail Wirral Line between Eastham Rake and either Little Sutton or Capenhurst. The Wirral line splits into branches for Chester and Ellesmere Port at Hooton.

Merseyrail 507 002 at Hooton

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Wirral Line)
Station code:	HOO
Opened:	1840
Platforms:	4

The station was opened by the Chester & Birkenhead Railway in 1840, later becoming part of the Birkenhead Railway, a joint endeavour between Great Western and London North Western Railways. A line to West Kirby was later opened (this branch was later closed though Merseyrail trains can still reach West Kirby by another route), at it's height Hooton had seven platforms. The station was once on the main line between London Paddington and Birkenhead Woodside though by the 1970s the line was in decline with only services between Rock Ferry and Chester or Helsby. 

The line through Hooton was electrified in 1985 [1] as part of Merseyrail and through services from Hooton to Liverpool began. Further electrification in the early 1990s saw Merseyrail extend to Chester and Ellesmere Port. The station retains four platforms though only the two through platforms are in regular use, the other two are bay platforms which are usually used for stock stabling though can be used for terminating trains. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge.

A through line train arrives, a stabled Merseyrail train stands on the bay platform (right)

View down the platform

Steps up to the footbridge

508 103 on the bay, the main station building is behind

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Chester to Birkenhead (Middleton Press, 2012) Fig. 36

Banbury (BAN)

Banbury is a stop on the Chiltern Main Line in Oxfordshire between Leamington Spa and Kings Sutton.

Chiltern 168 111 departs the station

Information
Type:	National Rail (Chiltern Main Line)
Station code:	BAN
Opened:	1850
Platforms:	4

Banbury station was opened as Banbury Bridge Station by the Great Western Railway in 1850 though was not Banbury's first station. The first was the now closed Banbury Merton Street which opened a few months earlier.

The station was renamed Banbury General [1] in 1938 and kept this name until the 1970s when it was changed to just Banbury following the closure of Merton Street to passengers.


The station was due to be rebuilt in the 1940s but was delayed due to the Second World War, in the end the rebuild did not happen until the late 1950s, but not before the original overall roof had to be removed for safety reasons [2]. The station was finally rebuilt between 1956 and 1958 and much of this rebuild has remained unchanged ever since. Access between the ticket hall and platforms is via an overbridge which also includes a cafe and other facilities.

As well as being a major stop on the Chiltern Main Line Banbury is also the terminus of the Cherwell Valley Line between Banbury and Oxford which is operated by Great Western Railway. There was also once a line to Buckingham however this was closed in the 1960s.

The station has seen dramatic growth in passenger numbers over the last few years. Banbury received track layout alterations and resignalling in 2016. A new MPD which is operated by Chiltern Railways has also been built next to the station.

GWR 165 127 stands at the station

A Cross Country service arrives

The platforms consist of two islands

View down the platform

Chiltern 68 013 arrives with a Birmingham bound express

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Princes Risborough to Banbury (Middleton Press, 2002) Fig. 99
[2] Ibid. Fig. 103

South Hampstead (SOH)

South Hampstead is a stop on the London Overground Watford DC Line in North London between Kilburn High Road and London Euston. 

London Overground 710 258 departs for London Euston

Information
Type:	Transport for London (London Overground Watford DC Line)
Station code:	SOH
Opened:	1879
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the London North Western Railway in 1879 as Loudon Road, it was renamed South Hampstead in 1922. The station had four platforms at one stage but platforms only remain on the Watford DC Line of the London Overground nowadays. The original LNWR station building was demolished during the electrification of the adjacent West Coast Main Line in the 1960s.

The station has a staffed ticket office (though only open in the morning) and platform shelters. Access between the platforms and street level is via a footbridge. The station is within walking distance of Swiss Cottage on the London Underground Jubilee Line.

Station entrance

Footbridge

A 710 prepares to depart

Chesterfield (CHD)

Chesterfield is a stop on the Midland Main Line in Derbyshire between Derby and Sheffield as well as a stop on the Leeds-Nottingham Line.

EMR 222 005 arrives with a London St Pancras bound service

Information
Type:	National Rail (Midland Main Line)
Station code:	CHD
Opened:	1840
Platforms:	3

The first Chesterfield station was opened by the North Midland Railway in 1840 on their line from Derby to Leeds. This station was replaced a new station to the South in 1870 by the Midland Railway. Two other stations were built in Chesterfield in the late 1800s including one by the Great Central Railway but these were closed in the 1950s and 1960s. The station was known as Chesterfield Midland until 1950, it was then changed until Chesterfield St Mary's until the following year [1], the station is nowadays just known as Chesterfield.

The station was demolished and rebuilt in 1963 though the current station mostly dates from a further rebuilt in 1996 [2]. The station has extensive goods facilites including a number of private owner sidings but all have now gone.

Chesterfield has three platforms, platform 3 on one of the two slow goods lines is bidirectional and is mainly used in peak hours. The other platforms have fine canopies. Chesterfield is served by East Midlands Railway, Cross Country and Northern. Access between the platforms is via a subway.

A Cross Country service departs

View down the platform

Platform buildings and canopies

Northern 195 021 arrives

EMR 158 813 departs North

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Ilkeston to Chesterfield (Middleton Press, 2019) Fig. 114

[2] Ibid. 120

Wellington (WLN)

Wellington is a stop on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line in Shropshire between Oakengates and Shrewsbury. 

Two WMR trains stand at Wellington

Information
Type:	National Rail (Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury Line)
Station code:	WLN
Opened:	1849
Platforms:	3

The station was opened in 1849 at the junction of the Shrewsbury & Birmingham Railway and the Shropshire Union Railway. The station became jointly owned by the Great Western Railway and London North Western Railway in 1854 with through trains to Birmingham Snow Hill. The station became an important interchange with a number of other lines opened including to Market Drayton and Stafford. After the Beeching cuts only one route remained and after the closure of Snow Hill, services to Birmingham went to Birmingham New Street instead.

In the early BR period the station was called Wellington (Salop) [1]. In the 1960s Wellington became part of the new town of Telford. Wellington station was renamed Wellington - Telford West until after the opening of Telford Central in the 1980s. The station was once larger than it is now but just has three platforms now, one is a bay platform that is seldom used. The station is managed by West Midlands Railway who run most of the services at the station though there are also a limited number of Transport for Wales and Avanti West Coast services calling at the station.

Access between the platforms is via a footbridge. The station has a staffed ticket office. The station retains many features from it's rebuilding in 1880.

A Transport for Wales service arrives

Overhead view of the bay

Station view from the road bridge

Under the footbridge

Down the platform

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury (Middleton Press, 2009) Map. XXVIII

Garswood (GSW)

Garswood is a stop on the Liverpool to Wigan Line on Merseyside between St Helens Central and Bryn.

A Northern 319 stands at Garswood

Information
Type:	National Rail (Liverpool-Wigan Line)
Station code:	GSW
Opened:	1869
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1869 by the Liverpool Union Railway on their route from Liverpool to Blackburn. Later it was operated by the London & North Western Railway, the London Midland Scottish and finally British Railways.

The station is located on the boundary of the Merseytravel and Transport for Greater Manchester areas. The line is electrified and Northern have operated electric multiple units on the route since since 2015. The station has a staffed ticket office. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge.

Station sign

Main station building

Archway (ZAR)

Archway is a stop on the London Underground Northern Line's High Barnet Branch between Highgate and Tufnell Park.

Northern Line 51686 departs North

Information
Type:	Transport for London (London Underground Northern Line High Barnet Branch)
Station code:	ZAR
Opened:	1907
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1907 by the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway as Highgate, then the terminus of the line [1]. The station was renamed Archway (Highgate) in 1939 though also used Highgate (Archway) for a few years before the name became just Archway (after the nearby Archway Tavern pub) in 1947. The line was also extended Northwards in 1939 with a new station called Highgate opening in 1941.

The station was built with lifts and stairs for access between surface and platform levels but escalators were installed in 1930. The original Charles Holden designed station building was replaced in the 1970s. As the station was original a terminus it had a cross-over just to the South of the platforms. One of the original storage sidings to the North of the station was retained for reversing purposes. The crossover was removed in 1967 though the reversing siding still exists though is seldom used.

Ready to depart

And it's gone!

Up the stairs

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 99

Highley

Highley is a stop on the Severn Valley Railway in Shropshire between Arley and Country Park Halt.

31 466 arrives at Highley with a Kidderminster Town bound service

Information
Type:	Preserved Railway (Severn Valley Railway)
Opened:	1862 (Closed 1963)
Re-Opened:	1974
Platforms:	1

The station was opened in 1862 next to the river Severn and was an important hub for colliery traffic with four coal mines being nearby. The station is about a mile from the village of Highley however, and passenger traffic was low and became unsustainable in competition with motor buses. The station was closed to passenger traffic in 1963 although coal traffic continued until 1969 when the final mine was closed.

The station was re-opened as part of the Severn Valley Railway in 1974. The station has only a single platform but has a number of storage sidings for engineering stock. Much of the station was untouched after closure apart from the footbridge which was demolished, however the SVR built a new footbridge to accompany the opening of the Engine House. The station's cattle dock survives, though is used for humans these days not cattle, for guards van rides during galas ands open days!

Station view from the footbridge

Two trains stand at Highley

Highley signal box

The cattle dock can be seen on the right, the Engine House in the background

The Engine House

The Engine House is a visitor centre and museum for the SVR's reserve fleet of locomotives and certain special items of rolling stock. The facility opened in 2008 and includes locomotives now out of service. A royal coach and a Post Office sorting coach are also on display.

Inside the Engine House