Oxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line

The Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway was a company authorised on 4 August 1845 to build a railway line from the Oxford and Rugby Railway at Wolvercot Junction to Worcester, Stourbridge, Dudley and Wolverhampton, with a branch to the Grand Junction Railway at Bushbury. This became known as the Oxford – Worcester – Wolverhampton Line.

The line was opened in stages between 1852 and 1853, and had connections to the Great Western Railway (GWR) at both ends. In 1860 the OWW amalgamated with the Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway and the Worcester and Hereford Railway to become the West Midland Railway, which in turn was amalgamated into the GWR in 1863.

The track exists today as far as Dudley, with used track existing as far as the site of the old Harts Hill railway station near Dudley. North of Dudley, the trackbed has long since been replaced, and the Wolverhampton terminus at the Low Level station – has, as of January 2007, been almost totally demolished apart from its Grade II listed building to make way for redevelopment.

Other branches included lines to Kingswinford and Tipton Basin. The Bill stated that the track was to be mixed gauge from Abbotswood near Worcester northwards. It also stated that if the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton failed to complete the line, the Great Western Railway should either lease the line, or purchase the company and complete the line itself. The Bill also stated that Wolverhampton Low Level railway station was to be built and run jointly with two other companies: the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway and the Birmingham, Wolverhampton & Dudley Railway.

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Wikipedia