Wolverhampton is a stop on the West Coast Main Line in the West Midlands between Sandwell & Dudley and Stafford as well as other local and intercity routes.
Avanti WC 390 047 and friend at Wolverhampton
Information
Type:
National Rail
(West Coast Main Line & Others)
Station code:
WVH
Opened:
1852
Platforms:
6
The station was opened in 1852 by the Birmingham, Wolverhampton & Stour Valley Railway. This was not the town's first station though, the first opened in 1837 (and closed in 1873). The new station was initially called Wolverhampton Queen Street. The Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway opened a station next door, but on lower ground, in 1856 as Wolverhampton Low Level, this station was served by the GWR and linked to the other station by a pedestrian tunnel [1]. In 1885 Wolverhampton Queen Street was renamed Wolverhampton High Level.
The station was rebuilt in the mid-1960s [2] to coincide with the electrification of the West Coast Main Line. The Low Level station was closed in 1972 which led to the High Level station being renamed to just Wolverhampton in 1973. The station was enlarged with three new platforms added to the station over the following decades [3]. The station was rebuilt again in the late 2010s, the new station building opening in 2021. The West Midland Metro is also being extended to a new terminus stop outside of the station.
The station is managed and served by West Midlands Railway, it is also served by Avanti West Coast, Cross Country and Transport for Wales.
The new station forecourt, the tram tracks can be seen in the foreground
Back in London Midland days, 360 251 and friend
Wolverhampton's signal box
Footbridge
WMR 196 110 stands at the station
[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Birmingham to Wolverhampton (Middleton Press, 2008) Fig. 106
[2] David Lawrence, British Rail Designed 1948-97 (Ian Allen, 2016) p. 83
[3] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury (Middleton Press, 2009) Fig. 9
