Barnt Green Station

LMS Route: Evesham to Birmingham

Barnt Green Station was first opened on 1 May 1844 some four years after the Birmingham to Gloucester Railway opened. According to Long and Awdy's book on the line, 'it was the gift of land by Robert Clive MP that led to the erection of a second class station comprising a station house, platforms, signal posts, stables and a large entrance gate.

Bob Essery speculates in his book on the Aschurch to Barnt Green route that rural aspect of the station and the consequential sparse population led to the Directors of the company seeing little value in the station. This he believes was the reason the original station had staggered platforms and why the footbridge was not erected until 1895. The Redditch branch was opened 19th September 1859 and required only a single line platform at Barnt Green.

The name of the station on opening was originally 'Barnt Green' but then changed on 1st June 1857 to 'Barnt Green for Redditch'. It was then changed to 'Barnt Green for Bromsgrove' at some date prior to 1st January 1863 but then reverted to 'Barnt Green on 1st July 1868.

Although the Redditch branch opened for passenger services in 1859, it was another ten years before the signalbox on the main line controlling the junction opened in 1869. The junction was for the first ten years protected by signals worked by 'watchmen, switchmen and others appointed by the Midland Railway with the cost borne by the Redditch Railway'. The single line signalbox controlling access to and from Redditch opened in 1883 and was replaced on 9th December 1894 when the first 350 yards of track was doubled.

Select an image below to view the larger version with accompanying text:

Ref: mrbg146 - RS Carpenter Looking towards Birmingham prior to the alterations to the station caused by the quadrupling of the line north of Barnt Green

Ref: mrbg146a - RS Carpenter Close up showing the pre-quadrupling junction with the Redditch branch beyond the end of the Birmingham to Bristol route's down platform

Ref: mrbg622 - J Braithwaite An early twentieth century view of the station looking across the down Gloucester platform and across to the down Redditch platform

Ref: mrbg614 - Anon An Edwardian view of the station taken from the Bristol to Birmingham's up platform looking south as a southbound train departs

Ref: mrbg614a - Anon Close up showing the junction between the up Redditch branch platform and the Gloucester down platform

Ref: mrbg615 - RJ Essery Looking along the Redditch branch's up platform towards the Birmingham to Gloucester mainline

Ref: mrbg615a - RJ Essery Close up showing the lower quadrant home starter mounted on the up Redditch platform

Ref: mrbg615b - RJ Essery Close up showing the Redditch down platform waiting room which was built after 1894 when the Redditch branch was doubled

Ref: mrbg618a - RJ Essery Close up showing a Bristol bound express train passes opposite the signal box hauled by two Johnson single locomotives

Ref: mrbg618 - RJ Essery This Edwardian view of the original up platform shows the track layout to the north of the junction

Ref: mrbg617 - J Moss View of the remodelled junction between the Redditch branch and the former Gloucester & Birmingham Railway mainline

Ref: mrbg617a - J Moss Close up showing the new goods yard's facilities after the quadrupling of the mainline

Ref: mrbg619 - J Moss Looking towards Birmingham with the fast lines in the middle and the two slow or goods lines on either side

Ref: mrbg619a - J Moss Close up view showing the junction layout and sidings in the goods yard

Ref: mrbg621 - J Moss Looking towards Redditch from the passenger footbridge which shows the sharp curvature of the line

Ref: mrbg623 - RS Carpenter View looking towards Redditch showing the line curving and on a falling gradient from Barnt Green

Ref: mrbg624 - R Shenton The driver of Ivatt Mogul No 43049 is about to collect the tablet by thrusting his hand through the centre of the hoop

Ref: mrbg626 - D Powell View of the 1894 Barnt Green Single Line signal box which was sited on the same side as the up platform

Ref: mrbg616 - HC Casserley LMS Fowler Class 3P 2-6-2T No 16 is running bunker first on a Redditch to Birmingham New Street train

Ref: mrbg625 - P Shoesmith BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No 80063 arrives at the station on an Ashchurch to Birmingham New Street local passenger train

Ref: mrbg145 - PB Whitehouse An unidentified ex-MR 0-6-0 4F passes through the junction on the down fast at the head of a Birmingham to Gloucester freight

Ref: mrbg143 - WL Good LMS Deeley 0-6-2T 'Flatiron' No 2038 on a Redditch to Birmingham New St local passenger train

Ref: mrbg144 - Anon LMS Fowler 0-6-0 4F No 4436 leaves Barnt Green in the cutting as it heads south towards Blackwell in 1928