Dudley Port railway station

Dudley Port railway station serves the Dudley Port and Great Bridge areas of Tipton, West Midlands, England, Situated on the Stour Valley Line, the station is operated by West Midlands Railway.

Dudley Port
Location	Dudley Port, Tipton, Sandwell England
Coordinates	52.525°N 2.049°W
Grid reference	SO967918
Managed by	West Midlands Railway
Transit authority	Transport for West Midlands
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	DDP
Fare zone	4
Classification	DfT category E
History
Original company	Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 July 1852	Station opened as Dudley Port (High Level)
c. 1964	Renamed Dudley Port
Passengers
2015/16	0.458 million
2016/17	0.473 million
2017/18	0.491 million
2018/19	0.544 million
2019/20	0.525 million
Notes
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Upper Level station

History

The station opened in 1852. The line had passenger usage until about the early 1880s, when it began to slump at several stations, leading to the line becoming a largely freight only operation in 1887. It would remain open for goods traffic, which was considerable at this time, as the district had become highly industrialised in the then heyday of the Black Country's industrial past.

As the local industry declined and road transport became more common, the station entered a post-World War II decline.

Despite the name, and being located just 1.6 miles (2.6 km) north-east of the town centre of Dudley (which has not had its own railway station since 1964), Dudley Port station is not actually situated within the boundaries of the Borough of Dudley, but rather in the adjacent Sandwell borough. The name Dudley Port emerged during the 19th century, due to the extensive number of warehouses and wharves emerging around the Birmingham Canal to serve industries in Dudley. The area initially became known as Dudley's Port, before the title Dudley Port was adopted.[1]

Dudley Port Station was originally known as Dudley Port High Level Station, as a Low Level Station was situated on the South Staffordshire line from Dudley to Walsall, which passes beneath.

High Level was dropped from the station's name when the Low Level station closed in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Axe.

The upper level was revamped in the mid 1980s and officially re-opened by West Midlands County councillor Gordon Morgan in 1989.

Today's usage

Plaque commemorating the rebuilding of Dudley Port station's upper level in 1989

Services

Dudley Port is served by West Midlands Railway services between Walsall and Wolverhampton, under a franchise agreement with the Department for Transport.

During Monday–Saturday daytime, there is a train every half hour, which calls at all stations between Wolverhampton and Walsall via Birmingham New Street. On Sundays, there is typically one train per hour between Birmingham and Wolverhampton only.[2]

Three main West Midlands Railway express services call at this station - the first is a morning peak service from Stafford to New Street, the second evening peak service from Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury and the third is the final service from Birmingham New Street to Crewe.

Low Level station

Dudley Port (Low Level)
A picture of Dudley port station's lower level in 2001. The diagonal brick structure on the right is a former stairway.
Location	Tipton, Sandwell England
Coordinates	52.501°N 1.981°W
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	South Staffordshire Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 April 1850	Opened as Dudley Port railway station
1964	Closed

History

There was a Low Level Station on the former South Staffordshire Line that had opened in 1850, which provided a rail connection from Dudley Port to Dudley railway station. The line had reasonable passenger usage until about the early 1880s, when it began to slump at several stations, leading to the line becoming a largely freight only operation in 1887. It would remain open for goods traffic, which was considerable at this time, as the district had become highly industrialised in the then heyday of the Black Country's industrial past. It closed in June 1964 as passenger services were phased out along the line due to the Beeching Axe and the blue brick station building was demolished three years later, although the railway remained open to goods trains until 1993.

The South Staffordshire Line through Dudley Port Low Level.

Just to the north of Dudley Port Low Level was the junction for the connecting line to the GWR Snow Hill Line via Great Bridge. To the south was the junction for the short connecting line to the Stour Valley Line.

Midland Metro

Phase Two of the Midland Metro will see the line reopening between Walsall, Dudley Port railway station, Dudley railway station and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre for trams on one track and for freight on the other. The closed section of the South Staffordshire Line through Dudley is expected to re-open during the 2020s,[3] as a Midland Metro tramway. The Lower Level station would re-open as a Midland Metro tram stop.

Reopening

The Midland Metro is set to be extended from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill, with goods trains running alongside it, with the former South Staffordshire Line being reopened for this use by 2023. A new Midland Metro stop is set to be open on the site of the former Dudley Port Low Level Station.

West Midlands Metro Line 2
Wednesbury-to-Brierley-Hill-extension
Line One at Wednesbury Tame Valley Canal Golds Hill (provisional) Walsall Canal Great Bridge Horseley Road Dudley Port Birmingham New Main Line canal (under aqueduct) Sedgley Road East Birmingham Old Main Line canal Birmingham New Road Tipton Road Dudley Castle Dudley Town Centre Flood Street New Road (provisional) Cinder Bank Parkhead Viaduct over Dudley Canal Pedmore Road Canal Street Waterfront Merry Hill Brierley Hill

References

1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. GB eNRT May 2016 Edition, Table 68
3. https://metroalliance.co.uk/projects/wednesbury-to-brierley-hill-extension/

External links

• Train times and station information for Dudley Port railway station from National Rail
• Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Dudley Port station
• Some South Staffordshire Railway Byways – The Darlaston Branch
• A History of Wednesbury
• Dudley Port Low Level Station