Great Malvern railway station

{{Infobox station

| name = Great Malvern

| symbol_location = gb

| symbol = rail

| image = GreatMalvern2024.jpg

| caption = The platforms pictured in March 2024

| borough = Great Malvern, Malvern Hills

| country = England

| grid_name = Grid reference

| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SO783457|25|SO783457}}

| manager = West Midlands Railway

| platforms = 2

| code = GMV

| classification = DfT category D

| mpassengers =

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{increase}} 0.537 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.126 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.325 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.368 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.401 million}}

| footnotes = Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

|mapframe=yes

|mapframe-zoom = 13

}}

File:Well dressing in Malvern.jpg every year. Naturally in 2010 the theme of the decorations was railways.]]

Great Malvern railway station is one of two stations serving the town of Malvern, Worcestershire, England (the other being Malvern Link station) on the Hereford to Worcester section of the Cotswold Line. It is situated downhill from the centre of Great Malvern and close to Barnards Green. The station retains most of its original Victorian station design by the architect Edmund Wallace Elmslie and is a Grade II listed building.{{NHLE|num=1082821|desc=Great Malvern Station|access-date=5 July 2016}}

History

Great Malvern station was opened by the Worcester and Hereford Railway in 1860 and the present buildings, by architect Edmund Wallace Elmslie, were completed in 1862. The Midland Railway and the London and North Western Railway collaborated on the construction cost; the solicitor, Samuel Carter, was also solicitor to both of these major companies.{{Cite journal|date=1851|title=Proposed Railway from Worcester to Hereford|journal=Railway Record|volume=8|pages=426–427}} It was later absorbed by the Great Western Railway.

Lady Emily Foley was a key sponsor of the building of Great Malvern station. She had a waiting room made for her exclusive use at Great Malvern Station, which is now ‘Lady Foley's Tea Room’.{{Cite web|url=http://www.malvernbeacon.com/index.php/home/lady-foley-of-malvern|title=Lady Emily Foley of Malvern|website=Malvern Beacon|access-date=5 July 2016}}

The station celebrated its 150th birthday on 23 May 2010 with the unveiling of a plaque and a special train.[http://www.malvernworcester150.co.uk/ Malvern Worcester 150th Anniversary] Official website[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/8699310.stm "Worcestershire railway stations mark 150 years" 23 May 2010] Retrieved 23 May 2010 An additional part of this celebration was the reinstatement of some of the highly decorated lighting columns around the cab road at the front of the station.

Architecture

The buildings are in local Malvern Rag stone and follow a French Gothic theme.{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}}

=Floral capitals to canopy columns=

File:Decorated capital, Great Malvern Station - geograph.org.uk - 968810.jpg

A particular feature of the station are the deep canopies which are supported by elaborate, cast-iron girders, which are in turn supported by columns with elaborate capitals. These capitals are decorated with high relief mouldings depicting different arrangements of flowers and foliage.[http://therailwaystationgallery.fotopic.net/c1012866.html The Railway Station Gallery]{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The sculptor William Forsyth was employed to work on the buildings and designed the metal capitals of the columns which support the canopies above both platforms of the station.

=''The Worm'' access to Imperial Hotel=

File:"The Worm" Great Malvern Station (geograph 4067365).jpg

At the end of Platform 2 is the entrance to the Worm, an enclosed passageway which leads under Avenue Road into the former Imperial Hotel (now Malvern St James). It formed a private pedestrian access and is believed to be the only structure of its kind in the country.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/8321716.Step_back_in_time_through_the_Worm/|title=Step back in time through the Worm|website=Worcester News|date=10 August 2010 }} Although in need of extensive restoration and generally not open to the public, the Worm is itself Grade II listed.{{NHLE|num=1427007|desc=Great Malvern Station covered pedestrian walkway|access-date=10 September 2016}}

Services

The station is served by two train operating companies: West Midlands Trains (who manage the station) and Great Western Railway. West Midlands Trains operate services to Birmingham New Street via Worcester and {{rws|Hereford}} every hour and also some services to Whitlocks End and Dorridge via the Snow Hill Lines. A handful of West Midlands Trains services start or terminate here each day, to/from Worcester & Birmingham.GB National Rail Timetable 2015-16, Table 71 (Network Rail)

Great Western Railway operate a roughly hourly service to London Paddington via the Cotswold Line and Oxford (some of which run to/from Hereford) and every two hours (except Sundays) to {{rws|Bristol Temple Meads}} via {{rws|Gloucester}}. Many Bristol services continue onwards to {{rws|Westbury}} & {{rws|Weymouth}}. Terminating services (including all from Bristol) generally run empty to Malvern Wells to reverse, then return to the station to take up their next scheduled working.

There was previously a branch line to Ashchurch via {{rws|Upton-on-Severn}} and Tewkesbury. Operated by the Midland Railway, it was closed in 1952.

Before May 2022, there was one through service to & from {{rws|Brighton}}. This service has since been withdrawn.GB National Rail Timetable 2015-16, Tables 123 & 126 (Network Rail)

{{rail line three routes |next=Malvern Link |previous=Colwall|route1=West Midlands Railway
Birmingham-Hereford |col1={{WMT colour}} |route2=Great Western Railway
Cotswold Line |col2={{FGW colour}}

|route3=Great Western Railway
Great Malvern - Bristol |col3={{FGW colour}}}}

{{rail line |next=Malvern Link |route=West Midlands Railway
Birmingham-Great Malvern |col={{WMT colour}} }}

{{rail line |next=Malvern Hanley Road
Line and station closed|route=Tewkesbury and Malvern Railway
Midland Railway |col={{MR colour}} }}

Facilities

There is a ticket office and an award-winning café which opened in 1984, named 'Lady Foley's Tea Room', after Lady Emily Foley, on the London-bound platform.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worcestershiretouristguides.com/Malvern/Lady_Foleys_Tea_Room_1859.asp|title=Lady Foley's Tea Room|website=Worcestershire Tourist Guide|access-date=5 July 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/GMV.aspx|title=Great Malvern (GMV)|website=National Rail Enquiries|access-date=5 July 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/7790527.station-tea-room-takes-the-biscuit-as-britains-best/|title=Station tea room takes the biscuit as Britain's best|date=8 September 2000|work=Worcester News|publisher=Newsquest Media Group Ltd|access-date=9 April 2022}}

Refurbishment

In 2022 Network Rail is spending £8 million on restoration of the platform canopies, sculptures, overhead glazing and ironwork. The work, which will not cause any disruption to services, is expected to be finished by early 2023. The Victorian station clock is now also working following an £8,000 restoration in 2021 after having been stuck for over three years.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-61041592|title=Great Malvern: Restoration work begins for Victorian station|date=8 April 2022|work=BBC News|publisher=BBC|access-date=9 April 2022}} The work included replacing all the glass in the station canopies.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Chloe |date=2022-04-13 |title=Great Malvern station's Victorian Platform canopies are undergoing renovation |url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/04/great-malvern-stations-victorian-platform-canopies-are-undergoing-renovation.html |access-date=2022-04-18 |website=RailAdvent |language=en-GB}}