Redditch (Worcestershire)
Redditch station was some fifteen and half miles from New
Street station and nearly five miles from Barnt Green where the branch
connected with the Birmingham to Bristol mainline. The first passenger station
was a terminus and opened on 19th September 1859 and was located at Clive Road.
It was made redundant when the line was extended south to Evesham on 4th May
1868 and a new station was built a little to the south of the original.
This station lasted until 7th February 1972 when it too was
replaced Redditch having become a terminus once again although its traffic was
only for passenger services. In Bob Essery's book 'An Illustrated History of
the Ashchurch to Barnt Green Line - The Evesham Route' he maintains that his
research shows the line from Alvechurch to Redditch was originally a single
line with just a junction for the new gas works.
The station, when opened as a terminus of the branch from
Barnt Green, catered initially for passenger traffic but very soon for goods
traffic too. The opening of the line to Evesham saw an expansion in the goods
facilities complete with goods shed at a location known as Pound Meadow. Bob
Essery notes that the yard handled a variety of traffic not just domestic and
industrial coal which was the greatest tonnage handled. Inward traffic included
Peruvian guano (bird droppings) and animal feed plus flour, coffee beans,
cheese and salted butter. Trains bringing in raw materials required for
Redditch's industry was matched by trains taking the finished goods to market.
The depot was remodelled by the LMS including sidings for mineral traffic at
Clive Road before the Second World War to cater for the increase in
traffic.
The original signalbox which had opened prior
to 1875 was closed in 1885 whilst the engine shed was opened shortly after the
Evesham extension was opened, circa 1872. The gas works became rail connected
at sometime before 1877 with the Redditch Gas Works Siding signalbox also
coming in to service. A new signalbox was opened on 8th November 1925 when the
old box closed. The replacement signalbox was built 120 yards further south and
was renamed Redditch North on 17th January 1926 and then named Redditch when
the Evesham route was closed on 29th January 1967.
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