Nuneaton Abbey Street Station

LMS Route: Nuneaton to Birmingham New Street

The original Midland Railway station in Nuneaton was opened for passenger services via Whitacre on 1st November 1864 and goods services on 1st December 1964. With the opening of the Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Committee line to Moira and Coalville the MR's second station in Nuneaton was opened on 1st September 1873. The new station was situated 150 yards further to the East of the original station. The station's main passenger building was located on the down (Birmingham) line and accommodated the station master's office, booking office and booking hall, parcels office, a general and a ladies waiting room with the latter having toilets en-suite whereas the gentlemen urinals were accessed off the platform. Until 2nd June 1924 it was known as Nuneaton Midland when, following the creation of the London Midland Scottish Railway (LMS), it was renamed Nuneaton Abbey Street in order to distinguish it from the London & North Western Railway's (LNWR) station situated on the Trent Valley line. When first built in 1864, the Midland Railway's line between Whitacre Junction and Leicester did not connect with the LNWR line and it crossed by bridge above the West Coast Main Line. The spur connecting the LNWR's West Coast Main Line to Abbey Junction, was opened on 19th July 1880.

The up platform's passenger facilities were limited to a general waiting room within a brick built building with a single large opening on the rail side instead of a door. The 1914 map available below shows two short sidings off the down line running behind the platform with landings to each. In addition, a turntable is also shown near to the two sidings. Goods facilities were to be found on the other side of the Midland Road, the road which crossed the railway by the station. The 1914 plan shows there were two goods shed both located on the down side, each accessed by a single siding. The signal box was located within part of the 'V' formed by the line to Ashby and the LNWR and the MR's own line to Leicester. Adjacent to the MR's line to Leicester were a number of sidings. On the up side there were six looped sidings used to exchange and marshal traffic. Much of this traffic was generated by the quarries and to a lesser extent the mines within the area. On the down side were two long sidings both of which finished with buffer blocks at one end. The passenger facilities were withdrawn on 4th March 1968 when the LNWR station assumed responsibilities for traffic to Birmingham and Leicester.

Ref: mrna47 Anon A late Victorian view of Nuneaton Abbey Street Station showing the large station name board

Ref: mrna44 Lens of Sutton An external view of the former Midland Railway station at Abbey Street Nuneaton in 1951

Ref: mrna49 Lens of Sutton Looking along the up platform from the Birmingham end of Abbey Street station during the 1930s

Ref: mrna49b Lens of Sutton Close up showing the Midland Railway signal gantry to be carrying lower quadrant semaphores

Ref: mrna49b Lens of Sutton Close up of the Birmingham end of Abbey Street station's down platform showing the short cattle dock siding

Ref: mrna48 Lens of Sutton View of the station looking towards Abbey Street Junction signal box with the line to Leicester on its right

Ref: mrna48a Lens of Sutton Close up looking through the bridge carrying the Midland Road over the railway to join Tuttle Hill which lies to the left

Ref: mrna48b Lens of Sutton Close up of Abbey Street station's main passenger building and the stairs used to access the road bridge

Ref: mrna45 Mowatt Collection Looking East to Leicester as a Type 4 diesel locomotive stands adjacent to the goods shed in the 1960s

Ref: mrna45a Mowatt Collection Close up showing how passengers were expected to cross the railway lines from one platform to another

Ref: mrna46 Coventry Evening Telegraph This photograph was taken in 1957 to celebrate the station's manicured lawn and landscaped gardens

Ref: mrna46b Coventry Evening Telegraph Close up showing the single storey brick built waiting room located on Abbey Street's up platform

Ref: mrna1095 BO Hilton Looking in the direction of Birmingham as a three-car Craven DMU set arrives from New Street station

Ref: mrna1095a BO Hilton Close up showing Abbey Street's main passenger building located on the Birmingham platform

Ref: mrna1095b BO Hilton Close up showing the three-car Craven DMU set being used on the Birmingham to Leicester services

Ref: mrna1087 B Bill Abbey Junction Signal Box with the line to Leicester in the foreground and the line to the Trent Valley Line behind

Ref: mrna1671 Aerofilms An aerial view of the junctions between the MR's lines to Leicester and Ashby and the Trent Valley Line

Ref: mrna1671a Aerofilms Close up showing the MR's facilities at Nuneaton with Abbey Street station seen to the left of the A47

Ref: mrna1671b Aerofilms Close up showing Abbey Junction Signal Box and the lines to Ashby, the Trent Valley Line and Leicester

Ref: mrna1671c Aerofilms Close up showing the bridges carrying the MR's lines to Ashby and Leicester over the West Coast Main Line

Ref: mrna1098 Nuneaton Weekly Tribune Shaun Jasper, Relief Signal man, is seen working during one of the last shifts prior to its closure in February 1992

Ref: mrna401 P Lee Collection One of Abbey Street station's two goods sheds is seen standing behind soldiers of the 1st Dorset Regiment

Ref: mrna46a Coventry Evening Telegraph Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48336 passes through Abbey Street station on a freight service bound for Washwood Sidings

Ref: mrna43 HC Casserley Ex-MR 2F 0-6-0 No 2996 is seen approaching Nuneaton on an empty mineral working on 4th April 1941

Ref: mrna1096 JF Clay An unidentified ex-LMS 0-6-0 locomotive pilots an unknown ex-LNWR 0-8-0 locomotive through Abbey Street

Ref: mrna1090 M Mensing Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48053 heads a long rake of steel bodied mineral wagons on a Leicester bound service

Ref: mrna1088 MS Lane Ex-LMS 8F 2-8-0 No 48713 runs light engine tender first over the A444 on its way to pick up its train in Abbey Street sidings in early 1966

Ref: mrna1099 ricksrailpics View of ex-LMS 4F 0-6-0 No 43953 arriving at Abbey Street station with an RCTS special on 16th October 1965

Ref: mrna1097 KCH Fairey Ex-LMS 4F 0-6-0 No 43953 stands at the up platform at the head of the RCTS 'Midland Locomotive Requiem' railtour

Ref: mrna1089 M Mensing A three-car Birmingham RC&W DMU set forms the 15:15pm Birmingham to Nottingham via Leicester service

Ref: mrna1093 M Mensing Diesel D331 is seen leaving the West Coast Main Line at the head of a diverted Euston to Birmingham service

Ref: mrna1094 M Mensing Diesel D228 Ivernia has just passed Abbey Junction as it joins the Trent Valley Line on Sunday 12th September 1965

Ref: mrna1092 Ordnance Survey A 1914 OS map showing Abbey Street station, Abbey Junction and the Birmingham to Leicester line

Ref: mrna1092a Ordnance Survey Close up showing Abbey Station and Abbey Junction and the lines to Ashby and the West Coast Main Line