Smethwick Rolfe Street railway station

{{Infobox station

| name = Smethwick Rolfe Street

| symbol_location = gb

| symbol = rail

| image = Smethwick Rolfe Street Station 2.jpg

| borough = Smethwick, Sandwell

| country = England

| coordinates = {{coord|52.496|-1.971|type:railwaystation_region:GB_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}

| grid_name = Grid reference

| grid_position = {{gbmapscaled|SP021887|25|SP021887}}

| manager = West Midlands Railway

| platforms = 2

| code = SMR

| zone = 2

| classification = DfT category E

| transit_authority = Transport for West Midlands

| opened = 1852

| original = Birmingham, Wolverhampton & Stour Valley Railway

| mpassengers =

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{increase}} 0.638 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.143 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{increase}} 0.292 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.402 million}}

{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.393 million}}

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

|mapframe=yes

|mapframe-zoom = 13

}}

Smethwick Rolfe Street is one of two railway stations serving the town of Smethwick, West Midlands, England. It is situated on the Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line 3¼ miles (5 km) north west of Birmingham New Street. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by West Midlands Railway. The other station serving Smethwick is {{rws|Smethwick Galton Bridge}}, which is the next stop up the line.

History

The station was opened in July 1852{{Cite book|title=Railways of the West Midlands a chronology 1808-1954|last=Clinker|first=C|publisher=Stephenson Locomotive Society|year=1958|location=London|pages=21, 46}} by the Birmingham, Wolverhampton, & Stour Valley Railway Company (later absorbed by London and North Western Railway) as part of the Stour Valley Line from Birmingham to Wolverhampton. It was rebuilt in its present form in 1890 when two level crossings in the centre of Smethwick were abolished. Drawings of the rebuilt station can be found on the [http://nr.mediastorehouse.com/smethwick-rolfe-street-station/photo/162168.html Smethwick Rolfe Street Station gallery] page of the Network Rail Corporate Archive.

In 1985, pupils from Parkside Junior School created a mural for Platform 1 under the direction of artist Jeremy Waygood as part of the Birmingham to Wolverhampton Corridor Initiative.{{Cite news|title=Young artists improve view|date=25 Jul 1985|work=Smethwick Telephone}}

In June 2017, this mural was removed and replaced by one created by students from Sandwell College under the direction of artist Steve Field. In addition, an exhibition room was created by another set of students from the college to display the history of the station and of the murals.{{Cite web|url=https://www.londonmidland.com/about-us/latest-news#/pressreleases/sandwell-college-students-celebrate-local-culture-at-smethwick-rolfe-street-station-2025519|title=Latest news|website=www.londonmidland.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-07-28|archive-date=31 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531045154/https://www.londonmidland.com/about-us/latest-news#/pressreleases/sandwell-college-students-celebrate-local-culture-at-smethwick-rolfe-street-station-2025519|url-status=live}} In October 2017 this work was recognised in the ACoRP Community Rail Awards with a 1st place for Involving Diverse Groups and a 3rd place for Community Art Schemes - Permanent.{{Cite web|url=https://acorp.uk.com/eventsawards/cra17/|title=Community Rail Awards 2017 {{!}} ACoRP|website=acorp.uk.com|language=en-GB|access-date=2017-10-15|archive-date=16 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016065947/https://acorp.uk.com/eventsawards/cra17/|url-status=live}}

Work began in January 2022 to install lifts to allow step-free access to the station. The project is expected to be completed by July.{{Cite web|last=White|first=Chloe|date=2022-01-04|title=West Midlands railway station to benefit from step-free access|url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/01/west-midlands-railway-station-to-benefit-from-step-free-access.html|url-status=live|access-date=2022-01-07|website=RailAdvent|language=en-GB|archive-date=7 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107224525/https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/01/west-midlands-railway-station-to-benefit-from-step-free-access.html}}

Services

The station is served by two trains per hour in each direction Mondays to Saturdays, by the local service between {{rws|Wolverhampton}}, {{rws|Birmingham New Street}} and {{rws|Walsall}} via {{rws|Aston}}.

On Sundays, the service runs hourly.{{Cite web|title=Train Timetables and Schedules {{!}} Smethwick Rolfe Street|url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/travel-information/journey-planning/timetables?station=Smethwick%20Rolfe%20Street&crs=SMR|website=West Midlands Railway}}{{cite web|url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4318/download?inline|title=Train times {{!}} 10 December until 1 June 2024 {{!}} Rugeley to Birmingham New Street via Walsall|website=West Midlands Railway}}{{cite web|url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4319/download?inline|title=Train times {{!}} 10 December 2023 until 1 June 2024 {{!}} Wolverhampton to Birmingham via Smethwick|website=West Midlands Railway}} These are operated by {{brc|350}} and {{brc|730}} EMUs.

Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway and Transport for Wales Rail trains run through the station but do not stop. London Northwestern Railway does call at the nearby station of Smethwick Galton Bridge en route to Liverpool Lime Street.{{cite web|url=https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/media/2450/download?inline|title=Timetable {{!}} Birmingham to Liverpool {{!}} 21 May 2023 to 9 December 2023|website=London Northwestern Railway|date=21 May 2023|archive-date=14 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514192735/https://www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk/media/2450/download?inline|url-status=live}}

File:Smethwick Rolfe Street Station.jpg

{{rail line|previous=Birmingham New Street|next=Smethwick Galton Bridge |route=West Midlands Railway
Walsall/Birmingham - Wolverhampton |col={{WMT colour}} }}

{{Rail line|previous=Soho
Line open, station closed |next={{stnlnk|Smethwick West}}
Line open, station closed |route=London and North Western Railway & Great Western Railway |col={{LNWR colour}} }}

References

External links

[http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/smethwick_rolfe_street.php Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Smethwick Rolfe Street station]

Category:Railway stations in Sandwell

Category:DfT Category E stations

Category:Former London and North Western Railway stations

Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1852

Category:Railway stations served by West Midlands Trains

Category:Smethwick

Category:1852 establishments in England