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41-668: The line was opened on 1 May 1850. This was soon to become part of the London and North Western Railway as far as Dudley station, which, in 1860, was opened as a joint venture with the OW&;WR itself later to become amalgamated into the Great Western Railway . This station was built ten years after the original connection, however, and trains on the South Staffordshire line ran from Walsall to Stourbridge fairly early on. Dudley provided

82-656: A family of high-speed 125 mph diesel-electric multiple units built in Belgium by Bombardier Transportation , for service on the railway network of the United Kingdom. Construction of the Voyager family took place between 2000 and 2005, consisting of three classes - the Class 220 Voyager (currently operated by CrossCountry ), the Class 221 Super Voyager (currently operated by Avanti West Coast , CrossCountry and Grand Central ) and

123-461: A small section of the present-day Cross City Line . It then branched off south of Lichfield City towards Walsall via Hammerwich, Brownhills, Pelsall and Rushall. It then continued towards Dudley via Wednesbury, Great Bridge and Dudley Port. Dudley served as the terminus although some services continued onto Stourbridge on the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway. This allowed passengers to change for

164-739: A useful change point for passengers from Walsall and Stourbridge to Wolverhampton , though this wasn't utilised to quite the effect the OW&WR had hoped, due to the similar connection at Dudley Port by the SSR with the Stour Valley Line – which today forms part of the West Midlands section of the West Coast Main Line . To the north of Dudley Port, a link to the Birmingham Snow Hill- Wolverhampton Low Level route

205-401: A week though is used for diversions. Despite the withdrawal of all passenger services and the complete closure of the line between Dudley and Bilston by 1968, the southern section of the line was still used by freight as a diversion line and to serve Dudley Freightliner Terminal. The terminal closed in the 1989 although the line remained in use until the section between Walsall and Harts Hill on

246-525: Is known as the West Coast Main Line . The LNWR's network also extended into Wales and Yorkshire . In 1923, it became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) railway, and, in 1948, the London Midland Region of British Railways . The company was formed on 16 July 1846 by the London and North Western Railway Act 1846 ( 9 & 10 Vict. c. cciv), which authorised the amalgamation of

287-572: The Chester and Holyhead Railway and became responsible for the lucrative Irish Mail trains via the North Wales Main Line to Holyhead . On 1 February 1859, the company launched the limited mail service, which was only allowed to take three passenger coaches, one each for Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth. The Postmaster General was always willing to allow a fourth coach, provided the increased weight did not cause time to be lost in running. The train

328-549: The Class 222 Meridian (currently operated by East Midlands Railway ). Bombardier Voyagers are used on various intercity services throughout Great Britain, including the longest direct rail service in the United Kingdom, which is a CrossCountry service from Aberdeen to Penzance that takes over 13 hours to complete. The Class 220 Voyager DEMUs were built to operate Cross Country intercity services. Virgin CrossCountry received 34 four-car sets in 2000/01. All passed with

369-427: The Class 810 by 2024-2025. In 2010 Bombardier proposed the conversion of several Voyager multiple units into hybrid electric and diesel vehicles capable of taking power from an overhead pantograph ( electro-diesels EDMUs ). The proposal was named Project Thor . In October 2010 it was speculated that 21 additional pantograph vehicles would be manufactured at Derby Litchurch Lane Works , and 21 sets converted, at

410-671: The Dearne Valley Railway ) and at the same time absorbed the North London Railway and the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company , both of which were previously controlled by the LNWR. With this, the LNWR achieved a route mileage (including joint lines, and lines leased or worked) of 2,707.88 miles (4,357.91 km). The company built a war memorial in the form of an obelisk outside Euston station to commemorate

451-631: The District Railway at Earl's Court and over the route to Richmond. With the Bakerloo Tube Line being extended over the Watford DC lines , the railway was electrified at 630 V DC fourth rail . The electricity was generated at the LNWR's power station in Stonebridge Park and a depot built at Croxley Green. The LNWR became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) railway when

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492-643: The Grand Junction Railway acquisition of the North Union Railway in 1846, the London and North Western Railway operated as far north as Preston. In 1859, the Lancaster and Preston Junction Railway amalgamated with the Lancaster and Carlisle Railway and this combined enterprise was leased to the London and North Western Railway, giving it a direct route from London to Carlisle. In 1858, they merged with

533-514: The Grand Junction Railway , London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway . This move was prompted, in part, by the Great Western Railway 's plans for a railway north from Oxford to Birmingham. The company initially had a network of approximately 350 miles (560 km), connecting London with Birmingham, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester. The headquarters were at Euston railway station . As traffic increased, it

574-516: The Great Northern Railway . The LNWR also operated a joint service with the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway from Fleetwood to Belfast and Derry . Southern Division: North Eastern Division: NE Division became part of N Division in 1857. Northern Division: Northern and Southern Divisions amalgamated from April 1862: Bombardier Voyager The Bombardier Voyager is

615-490: The Inter City network , such as the main lines from London to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Carlisle, collectively known in the modern era as the West Coast Main Line . These were electrified in the 1960s and 1970s, and further upgraded in the 1990s and 2000s, with trains now running at up to 125 mph. Other LNWR lines survive as part of commuter networks around major cities such as Birmingham and Manchester. In 2017 it

656-570: The 1890s, bringing the total to 15. The LNWR described itself as the Premier Line. This was justified, as it included the pioneering Liverpool and Manchester Railway of 1830 and the original LNWR main line linking London, Birmingham and Lancashire had been the first big railway in Britain, opened throughout in 1838. As the largest joint stock company in the United Kingdom, it collected a greater revenue than any other railway company of its era. With

697-622: The 3,719 of its employees who died in the First World War. After the Second World War, the names of the LMS's casualties were added to the LNWR's memorial. The LNWR were also involved in the mass manufacture of replacement legs in the mid 19th century and the early 20th century. This is due-to the routine demand for prostheses for disabled staff. Serious injuries that resulted in the loss of limbs were common at this time with over 4,963 casualties in

738-510: The CrossCountry franchise to Arriva CrossCountry in November 2007. The Class 221 Super Voyager DEMUs were built as a tilting version of the Class 220. Although visually similar, they were fitted with a tilting mechanism and heavier bogies. Virgin CrossCountry received 40 five-car and four four-car sets. All passed with the CrossCountry franchise to Arriva CrossCountry in November 2007. With

779-599: The LNWR owned the 26-mile (42 km) Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway , which connected to other lines of the Irish mainline network at Dundalk and Newry. The LNWR also had the Huddersfield Line connecting Liverpool and Manchester with Leeds , and secondary routes extending to Nottingham , Derby , Peterborough and South Wales . At its peak just before World War I , it ran a route mileage of more than 1,500 miles (2,400 km), and employed 111,000 people. In 1913,

820-556: The West Coast sets passed to Avanti West Coast , the new operator of the West Coast Partnership franchise. Avanti West Coast sent two of their Class 221 Super Voyagers off lease in 2022. In 2023 Grand Central leased the above two sets to operate services between London Kings Cross and Bradford , with the first of these two units entering service in later that year. The Class 222 Meridian DEMUs are broadly similar to

861-535: The border of Dudley and Brierley Hill closed in 1993. The section from Burton to Lichfield remains open to freight traffic and Voyager trains returning to a depot near Barton. The section from Lichfield to Brownhills remains in situ but mothballed. Beyond Angelsea Sidings, the section from Angelsea Sidings to Rushall is now a public greenway. Ryecroft Junction remains open for traffic on the Chase Line and Sutton Park Line . There has been multiple proposals to reopening

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902-401: The company achieved a total revenue of £17,219,060 (equivalent to £2,140,160,000 in 2023) with working expenses of £11,322,164 (equivalent to £1,407,230,000 in 2023). On 1 January 1922, one year before it amalgamated with other railways to create the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), the LNWR amalgamated with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (including its subsidiary

943-606: The northern section including: The line from Bescot to Harts Hills is mothballed and is planned to be converted from Potters Lane, Wednesbury to Brierley Hill via Dudley to become part of the Midland Metro . This would involve using sections of the former track. There is also plans to build a light rail test centre at Dudley and to test rolling stock of trams as far as Castle Hill using the Dudley Railway Tunnel . There would also be passive provisions to allow heavy rail to run

984-488: The original Voyager units, but feature a number of reliability improvements and different internal layout. The Class 222 was built in the light of experience gained with the 220 and 221 units; in particular, many more components were installed under the floor so as to increase space for passengers. Twenty-seven sets were built: Avanti West Coast's Class 221 units will be replaced by the Class 805 and Class 807 , while all Class 222 units are scheduled to be replaced by

1025-586: The other lines on the route at Lichfield, Walsall, Dudley and Stourbridge. The line also had sidings on certain parts of the route. Including at Angelsea Sidings , a branch to Wednesbury via Darlaston and sidings at Great Bridge and Dudley Freightliner Terminal . Just before Stourbridge, the OW&WR crossed (and continues to cross) the massive Stambermill Viaduct which is one of the local area's most significant landmarks . It also crossed Parkhead Viaduct just south of Dudley and for several hundred yards passed through Dudley Railway Tunnel . Another landmark on

1066-587: The railways of Great Britain were merged in the grouping of 1923. Ex-LNWR lines formed the core of the LMS's Western Division. Nationalisation followed in 1948, with the English and Welsh lines of the LMS becoming the London Midland Region of British Railways . Some former LNWR routes were subsequently closed, including the lines running east to west across the Midlands (e.g. Peterborough to Northampton and Cambridge to Oxford ), but others were developed as part of

1107-581: The removal of West Coast Main Line services from the CrossCountry franchise in December 2007, 16 were transferred to Virgin Trains West Coast for use on InterCity West Coast services. A further five moved from CrossCountry to Virgin Trains West Coast in December 2008. CrossCountry removed the tilting equipment from its Class 221s to improve reliability and lower cost of maintenance. On 8 December 2019, all of

1148-541: The route is a restored bridge over the M6 Toll at Brownhills which was built during the opening of the M6 Toll The line officially began at Wychnor Junction, north of Lichfield, and ran through what is now Lichfield Trent Valley. Trains then continued through to Lichfield City itself. From there, a plethora of stations along the route were served. The line continued through to Walsall and a low-level station at Dudley Port. This

1189-565: The section for freight and potential passenger services. The proposals for the line include: In March 2020, two bids were made to the Restoring Your Railway fund to get funds for a feasibility study into reinstating the section of the line between Lichfield Trent Valley and Burton-on-Trent and the line between Stourbridge Junction and Brierley Hill . This bid was unsuccessful. London and North Western Railway The London and North Western Railway ( LNWR , L&NWR )

1230-492: The section from Angelsea Sidings to Ryecroft Junction was closed to all traffic when the last train ran along the line 1984 and the track being lifted two years later. A stub from Angelsea Sidings to Lichfield City continued to see usage to serve an oil terminal at Newtown, Brownhills until 2001, when the stub was closed and mothballed by Network Rail. The section from Lichfield to Burton is still open for freight traffic and depot returning trains. The line sees one passenger service

1271-508: The standard livery. This finish has been described as "blackberry black". Major accidents on the LNWR include: Minor incidents include: The LNWR operated ships on Irish Sea crossings between Holyhead and Dublin , Howth , Kingstown or Greenore . At Greenore, the LNWR built and operated the Dundalk, Newry and Greenore Railway to link the port with the Belfast–Dublin line operated by

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1312-465: The use of the water trough designed by John Ramsbottom . It was introduced on a section of level track at Mochdre, between Llandudno Junction and Colwyn Bay. The company inherited several manufacturing facilities from the companies with which it merged, but these were consolidated and in 1862, locomotive construction and maintenance was done at the Crewe Locomotive Works , carriage building

1353-522: The year of 1910 on the LNWR alone, and over 25,000 injuries across the whole industry, manufacturing prostheses resulted in self-sufficiency for the company. From 1909 to 1922, the LNWR undertook a large-scale project to electrify the whole of its London inner-suburban network. The London and North Western Railway London inner-suburban network, encompassed the lines from London Broad Street to Richmond, London Euston to Watford, with branch lines such as Watford to Croxley Green . There were also links to

1394-576: Was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. In the late 19th century, the LNWR was the largest joint stock company in the world. Dubbed the "Premier Line", the LNWR's main line connected four of the largest cities in England; London , Birmingham , Manchester and Liverpool , and, through cooperation with their Scottish partners, the Caledonian Railway also connected Scotland's largest cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh . Today this route

1435-476: Was added sometime between the inauguration of the line and the opening of Great Bridge South railway station in 1866. All three of the above – Dudley Port, Great Bridge and Wednesbury – were completed in 1850, and the line was then opened accordingly. All other stations on the route – from Lichfield to Walsall – were in operation from 1849. The line began in Burton, it then continued to Lichfield Trent Valley running on

1476-417: Was also a Derby to Wolverhampton service that also ran on the line via the northern end at Walsall to Lichfield. When the section to Dudley closed to passengers in 1964, the section Burton continued to see a rapid decline in use from passengers. Resulting in the section to Burton closing to passengers in 1965. Freight used the northern section of the line after closure to passengers and continued to do so until

1517-467: Was announced that the new franchisee for the West Midlands and semi-fast West Coast services between London and North West England would utilise the brand London Northwestern Railway as an homage to the LNWR. The LNWR's main engineering works were at Crewe (locomotives), Wolverton (carriages) and Earlestown (wagons). Locomotives were usually painted green at first, but in 1873 black was adopted as

1558-499: Was done at Wolverton and wagon building was concentrated at Earlestown . At the core of the LNWR system was the main line network connecting London Euston with the major cities of Birmingham , Liverpool and Manchester , and (through co-operation with the Caledonian Railway ) Edinburgh and Glasgow . This route is today known as the West Coast Main Line . A ferry service also linked Holyhead to Greenore in County Louth, where

1599-460: Was greatly expanded with the opening in 1849 of the Great Hall, designed by Philip Charles Hardwick in classical style. It was 126 ft (38 m) long, 61 ft (19 m) wide and 64 ft (20 m) high and cost £150,000 (equivalent to £19,650,000 in 2023). The station stood on Drummond Street. Further expansion resulted in two additional platforms in the 1870s with four more in

1640-479: Was technically the terminus of the line but it was connected to the OW&WR's line which ran through Dudley itself from 1860. It went on to serve other stations at the south-western extremity of the Black Country at Stourbridge Junction. The towns and villages the line formerly served before joining the OW&W railway were: Services began at Burton and terminated at either Walsall, Dudley or Stourbridge. There

1681-411: Was timed to leave Euston at 20.30 and operated until the institution of a dedicated post train, wholly of Post Office vehicles, in 1885. On 1 October 1873 the first sleeping carriage ran between Euston and Glasgow, attached to the limited mail . It ran three nights a week in each direction. On 1 February 1874 a second carriage was provided and the service ran every night. In 1860, the company pioneered

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