LMS Route: The Stratford upon Avon & Midland Junction
Railway - 'The Shakespeare Route'
The Stratford upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway (SMJ)
whilst promoting itself as the 'The Shakespeare Route' was perhaps better
described as the 'Slow, Miserable and Jolty' reflecting its careworn and 'make
do' approach to survival. The history of the railway is not just of one company
but four being an initial amalgam of two small companies which added two
further small extensions in its pursuit for survival.
In fact the SMJ did not come into existence until 1st
January 1909 and only lasted fourteen years before being absorbed into one of
the big four, the London Midland Scottish Railway on 1st January 1923. The two
pre-SMJ companies that traversed Warwickshire were the East & West Railway
(E&W) company that ran between Stratford upon Avon and Towcester and the
Evesham, Redditch & Stratford upon Avon Railway Junction Railway
(ER&SJ) which was built as an attempt to generate through traffic as an
alternative to the GWR route.
The first section of the E&W to open was the Fenny
Compton to Kineton section on 1st June 1871 followed by the Kineton to
Stratford upon Avon section on 1st July 1873. The ER&SJ route from
Stratford upon Avon to Broom on the Midland Railway's Evesham to Redditch route
opened on 2nd June 1879. In all instances the line opened to both goods and
passenger traffic on the same day although passenger services were suspended on
the Fenny Compton to Kineton section between 31st July 1877 to 22nd March
1885.
For a more detailed understanding of the lines complex
history the viewer is advised to read the late Arthur Jordan's book "The
Stratford upon Avon and Midland Junction Railway" published by OPC. In addition
a very hand little book crammed full of railway facts and figures is JM Dunn's
"The Stratford upon Avon & Midland Junction Railway" published by The
Oakwood Press. The captions to many of the images on this route are heavily
dependent upon both books, particularly Arthur Jordan's as such we wish to
recognise Arthur Jordan as being the principal author of the text.
Select a station or subheading to view associated images.
Numbers in [brackets] specify the number of photos on each page.
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