Whittington Low Level railway station

Whittington Low Level railway station is a disused station and was one of two former railway stations in the village of Whittington, Shropshire, England.

Whittington Low Level
LocationWhittington, Shropshire
England
Coordinates52.8728°N 3.0098°W / 52.8728; -3.0098
Grid referenceSJ321310
Platforms2
Other information
StatusDisused
History
Original companyGreat Western Railway
Post-groupingGWR
Western Region of British Railways
Key dates
14 October 1848[1]Station opened as "Whittington"
1 July 1924Renamed "Whittington Low Level"
12 September 1960Closed to passengers
7 October 1963Closed completely [2]
Whittington Low Level crossing before automation

History

Whittington Low Level was a minor station on the GWR's Paddington to Birkenhead main line. Today this is part of the Shrewsbury to Chester Line. An automatic level crossing lies just to the north of the old station site.

In 1924 Whittington gained its "Low Level" suffix in order to distinguish it from Whittington High Level on the Oswestry to Whitchurch line of the Cambrian Railways.

Historical Services

Express trains did not call at Whittington Low Level, only local services, though some travelled long distances and most gave good connections to places such as Barmouth, London Paddington and Manchester Exchange.

In 1922 passenger services calling at Whittington Low Level were at their most intensive:

  • On Sundays two Down (northbound) trains called:
    • both called at most stations to Chester, with good onward connections to several northern cities.
    • they were balanced by two Up (southbound) services calling at many stations to Birmingham Snow Hill, taking nearly three hours.
  • On Mondays to Saturdays five Down trains called:
    • three stopping trains to Wrexham General, and
    • two stopping trains which continued beyond Wrexham to Chester.
    • there were only four Up workings, three to Shrewsbury and one going through to Birmingham Snow Hill.[3]

Local goods traffic remained significant until the expansion in road haulage from the 1950s. According to the Official Handbook of Stations the following classes of traffic were being handled at this station in 1956: G, P, F, H & C and there was a one-ton crane.[4]

Preceding station Historical railways Following station
Rednal and West Felton
Line open, station closed		   Great Western Railway
Shrewsbury to Chester Line		   Gobowen
Line and station open

References

Notes
  1. http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/w/whittington_low_level/index.shtml
  2. Clinker 1988.
  3. Bradshaw 1985, pp. 84-89.
  4. NoAuthor 1956.

Sources
  • Bradshaw, George (1985) [1922]. July 1922 Railway Guide. Newton Abbott: David & Charles.
  • Butt, R. V. J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations: details every public and private passenger station, halt, platform and stopping place, past and present (1st ed.). Sparkford: Patrick Stephens Ltd. ISBN 978-1-85260-508-7. OCLC 60251199.
  • Clinker, C.R. (1988) [1978]. Clinker's Register of Closed Passenger Stations and Goods Depots in England, Scotland and Wales 1830–1980 (2nd ed.). Bristol: Avon-Anglia Publications & Services. ISBN 978-0-905466-91-0. OCLC 655703233.

Further reading
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2010). Shrewsbury to Chester. Middleton Press. figs. 24-26. ISBN 9781906008703. OCLC 495274299.
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