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London North Western
Railway:
Midland
Railway:
Stratford
Midland Junction Railway
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Alcester Station
Alcester station was situated between Coughton and Wixford
and opened for goods traffic on 16th June 1866 and to passenger traffic two
months later on 17th September. Initially it was the terminus for the line from
Evesham as the extension to Redditch did not open until 4th May 1868. Later the
station became a block post on the MR line and a terminus to the Bearley branch
line operated by the GWR. When first opened the station had just one platform
and single line through the station but very quickly received an up platform on
the newly built passing loop. The signalling at the station was revised several
times as the original signal box situated just to the south of the station was
moved to be on the southern portion of the down platform. The signal box built
to accommodate the junction with the GWR branch was replaced on 24th April when
the signal box on the down platform also closed both being replaced by the new
signal box to the north of the goods yard. The LMS replacing both to reduce
both maintenance and labour costs, the latter being required twenty-four hours
per day. The station was provided with two sets of services, one operated by
the GWR the other by the MR. The former providing access to the Birmingham to
London line via Bearley and Hatton, the latter providing access to the
southwest and a more direct line to Birmingham.
In Bob Essery's book An Illustrated History of the
Ashchurch to Barnt Green Line - The Evesham Route, Bob uses the MR 1909
timetable to demonstrate that the GWR did not time their trains to coincide
with any MR connections. Clearly the GWR wished their passengers to use their
route to the southwest via Stratford upon Avon and Cheltenham. Goods traffic
was principally agricultural with the large cattle market offering business for
both railway companies. Coal formed a major part of inward traffic with several
local merchants and the Alcester Co-operative Society vying for trade. The GWR
services were casualties during the two World Wars, the first time seeing the
line uplifted to provide materials for the front on 1st January 1917 with the
line reinstated on 29 July 1923. The second closure occurred on 25th September
1939 when passenger traffic was ceased and whilst goods traffic did not
officially cease until 1st March 1951, Bob Essery believes that goods traffic
most likely ceased with passenger traffic. The GWR junction was taken out of
use on 31st May 1953. The MR line from Redditch to Ashchurch was closed to both
passenger and goods services in installments ending on 6th July 1964 with
Alcester closing officially on 17th September 1963 although the last train ran
on 1 October 1962 being replaced by a bus service.
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