Great Bridge North railway station
{{Short description|Former railway station in the West Midlands, England}}
{{distinguish|text=the nearby Great Bridge South railway station}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Great Bridge North
| status = Disused
| image = File:Gt. Bridge St. N. 2005.jpg
| caption = The former station site, 2005
| borough = Great Bridge, Sandwell
| country = England
| coordinates = {{coord|52.5331|-2.0356|type:railwaystation_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name = Grid reference
| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SO976927|25|SO976927}}
| platforms = 2 (3)
| original = South Staffordshire Railway
| pregroup = London and North Western Railway
| postgroup = London, Midland and Scottish Railway
| years1 = 1850
| events1 = Opened as Great Bridge{{cite web| url=http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/great_bridge_north.php |title=Great Bridge North station |work=Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands |access-date=31 March 2017| first=Andrew |last=Doherty}}
| years2 = 1950
| events2 = Renamed Great Bridge North'
| years3 = 1964
| events3 = Closed to passengers
| years4 = 1972
| events4 = Closed outright
}}
Great Bridge North railway station was a stop on the South Staffordshire Line that served the suburb of Great Bridge, in the town of Tipton, West Midlands, England.
History
The station was built in 1850 and was initially served by the South Staffordshire Railway. The South Staffordshire Railway was later absorbed by the London and North Western Railway, which amalgamated with several other railways in 1923 to create the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. The station shared the name Great Bridge with its Great Western Railway counterpart built in 1866; North was appended to the name of the station just after nationalisation.
Passenger usage declined in the early 1880s and the line became mainly freight in 1887. It remained open for goods traffic as the district became highly industrialised in the heyday of the Black Country's industrial past. Local industry declined after World War II, as road transport became more common.
British Rail closed the station to passengers through the Beeching Axe in 1964, but it continued as a freight station for local factories until 1972. Goods trains continued to pass through the site of the station until 1993.
{{Disused Rail Start}}
{{rail line|previous=Wednesbury Town|next=Dudley Port|route=South Staffordshire Railway
Later LNWR, then LMS, finally BR
South Staffs Line (1850-1964)|col=330033}}
{{rail line|previous=Walsall
or
Terminus|next=Dudley Freightliner Terminal |route=BR, then Freightliner
South Staffs Line (inc. Dudley-Stourbridge Junction to 1962) (1852-1964)|col=41A317}}
{{s-end}}
The site today
By 1993, no sign of the station or the goods yard remained. The site is now derelict and mostly fenced off.
Midland Metro
{{Midland-Metro-Line-Two|collapse=yes}}
In March 2011, a plan was submitted by Dudley Council to Network Rail to reopen the South Staffordshire Line, with passenger and freight trains between Stourbridge and Walsall.{{cite web |url=http://www.stourbridgenews.co.uk/news/8927004.Stourbridge_to_Walsall_train_tram_plan_is_on_the_right_lines/ |title=Stourbridge to Walsall train-tram plan is on the right lines |work=Stourbridge News |date=23 March 2011 |access-date=31 March 2017}}
Developments in 2017 raised hopes that passenger rail services would be restored over the entire line from Stourbridge Junction to Wednesbury, albeit in two sections. Between Brierley Hill and Wednesbury, work started to clear vegetation to prepare the route for a Metro line to be constructed, subject to a grant from the Government.{{cite web |url=https://stourbridgelineusergroup.info/walsall-line.html |title=Walsall line |work=Stourbridge Line User Group |access-date=22 March 2025}}
In March 2019, the West Midlands Combined Authority gave the final go-ahead for the cash to finance the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill rail link.{{cite web |url=https://www.dudley.gov.uk/business/regeneration/midland-metro-extension/ |title=Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Midland Metro extension |work=Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council |access-date=22 March 2025}}
As at March 2025, the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension is expected to be delivered in two phases. The first phase to Dudley town centre is expected to open for passenger services in autumn 2025. Construction for the second phase to Merry Hill, in Brierley Hill, is expected to ramp-up concurrently, with finishing works for phase one in 2025.{{cite web |url=https://metroalliance.co.uk/projects/wednesbury-to-brierley-hill-extension/ |title=Wednesbury To Brierley Hill Metro Extension |work=Midland Metro Alliance |access-date=22 March 2025}}
Gallery
File:Great Bridge St. N. signal box 2001.JPG|The site of the signal box, 2001.
File:Gt. Bridge St. N. 2003 road crossing's end.jpg|Great Bridge North station site, looking down from the crossing and past the signal box, 2003
File:Gt. Bridge St. N. 2003.jpg|The former station site, 2003
File:Gt. Bridge St. N. 2003 road crossing.jpg|The road crossing by the signal box, 2003.
File:Great Bridge North station 2003..jpg|The station site, walking down from the crossing and past the signal box, towards the modern warehouse in 2003. The canal bridge is fenced off and collapsing.
File:Great Bridge station 2011.jpg |The former siding and platform entrance, 2011
See also
References
=Citations=
{{reflist}}
=Sources=
- {{cite web |url=http://chasewaterstuff.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/some-south-staffordshire-railway-byways/ |title=Some South Staffordshire Railway Byways – The Darlaston Branch |website=John D's First Railway & Canal Blog |date=25 August 2010}}
{{West Midlands railway stations|disused}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Bridge North Railway Station}}
Category:Disused railway stations in Sandwell
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1850
Category:Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1964