Dudley Port railway station

Dudley Port (Higher Level)
Location
Place	Tipton
Local authority	Sandwell
Coordinates	52°31′30″N 2°02′56″W / 52.525°N 2.049°WCoordinates: 52°31′30″N 2°02′56″W / 52.525°N 2.049°W
Grid reference	SO967918
Operations
Station code	DDP
Managed by	London Midland
Number of platforms	2
DfT category	E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2010/11	0.280 million
2011/12	0.383 million
2012/13	0.367 million
2013/14	0.419 million
2014/15	0.421 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	Transport for West Midlands
Zone	4
History
Original company	Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
1 July 1852	Station opened as Dudley Port (High Level)
c. 1964	Renamed Dudley Port
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Dudley Port (Higher Level) from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Dudley Port railway station is located in the Tipton area of the borough of Sandwell, near the boundary with the town of Dudley, in the West Midlands, England. It lies on the Stour Valley Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland. Services operated by Virgin Trains, CrossCountry and Arriva Trains Wales regularly pass the station but do not stop there.

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 London Midland's 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 London Midland 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 via Tipton, and the third is the final service from Birmingham New Street to Crewe.

Low Level station

Dudley Port (Low Level)
A picture or Dudley port station's lower level in 2001. The diagonal brick structure on the right is a former stairway.
Location
Place	Tipton
Area	Sandwell
Coordinates	52°30′04″N 1°58′52″W / 52.501°N 1.981°W
Operations
Original company	South Staffordshire Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Platforms	2
History
1 April 1850	Opened as Dudley Port railway station
1964	Closed
Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom
Closed railway stations in Britain A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–Z
UK Railways portal

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 alone 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 awaiting to be reopened.

Today's usage

It is an overgrown and fenced-off pile of rubble, with a scrap dealership on one forecourt and a small office on the other.

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 2010s,^[3] as a combined Midland Metro tramway and a heavy rail line for goods trains. The Lower Level station would re-open as a Midland Metro tram stop, sharing its track with goods trains.^[4]

Reopening

In October 2015, it was announced that due to high transport funding for the West Midlands, the Stourbridge to Walsall line could re-open as a Network Rail operated line served by West Midlands franchise services and the delivery date was 2018-2020. This means that Dudley Port Low Level would re-open on the line. The preceding station will be Dudley Town railway station and the succeeding will be either Great Barr railway station or Wednesbury Town railway station.

Midland Metro Line Two Proposed Merry Hill Extension
Legend
Joins existing Line One at Wednesbury Tame Valley Canal Golds Hill Walsall Canal Great Bridge Horseley Road Dudley Port Birmingham New Main Line Canal (under aqueduct) Sedgley Road Birmingham Old Main Line Canal Birmingham New Road Tipton Road Dudley Town Centre for Dudley Bus station Flood Street New Road Cinderbank Parkhead Viaduct over Dudley Canal Pedmore Road Canal Street Waterfront Merry Hill Brierley Hill Brettell Lane Stourbridge

References

2. GB eNRT May 2016 Edition, Table 68
3. http://www.centro.org.uk/Metro/Nov%2003/W-B%20Timetable.asp
4. http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-transport-news/2010/11/25/plans-for-1-1-bn-west-midlands-metro-system-unveiled-65233-27711546/

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