Place Cosford Station code COS DfT category F2 Number of platforms 2 | Grid reference SJ797052 Managed by London Midland 2011/12 61,378 | |
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Address Wolverhampton WV7 3EY, United Kingdom Similar Albrighton railway station, Oakengates railway station, Telford Central railway st, Bilbrook railway station, Shifnal railway station | ||
Cosford railway station is a two platform station on the former Great Western Railway's London (Paddington) to Birkenhead via Birmingham (Snow Hill) line. The station buildings at platform level are a little unusual compared with other stations on the line in that they are constructed entirely of timber. Nearby is DCAE Cosford which is also home of a branch of the Royal Air Force Museum.
Contents
The station is served by London Midland, who manage the station, and Arriva Trains Wales. Between 2008 and 2011 it was also served by the direct London operator, Wrexham and Shropshire.
History
The line between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton was opened as a through route in November 1849. Cosford station was opened much later than other stations on the line when the decision was taken to site an RAF base there just before the start of the Second World War. Originally the station was known as Cosford Aerodrome Halt, but due to wartime security concerns, this was shortened to just Cosford in 1940. Trains originally ran to Wolverhampton Low Level and the GWR main line to Birmingham Snow Hill eastbound, but were diverted to Wolverhampton High Level and the ex-LNWR Stour Valley line to Birmingham New Street in 1967.
2011-12 reconstruction
The station was closed to passengers from 29 October 2011 until 30 April 2012. Costing £2.1 million, Network Rail replaced the 1937 station buildings, as well as the platforms (which were constructed from century-old wood railway sleepers) and the stairs leading up to them. Its re-opening was delayed by 5 weeks. The redevelopment has been criticised for a lack of disabled access.
Signal box
The most recent Cosford signal box stood a little to the west of the station. As well as forming a block post this signal box controlled entrance and exit to up and down refuge loops and the previous rail connection into the adjacent RAF site from the up refuge loop. It has been abolished as a result of the 2006 resignalling scheme with control passing to Madeley Junction. Much of the redundant signalling equipment has been distributed to various heritage railways, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is believed to have received the majority. This structure is thought to have been the last signal box constructed by the Great Western Railway in Shropshire. Much of the contents and structure of this 1939 constructed signalbox has been salvaged for reuse on another heritage railway. The remaining brickwork was demolished in the small hours of Sunday 21 October 2007. Remarkably, the signalman's portacabin style privy remains in-situ as of late August 2008. The advent of longer trains destined for Ironbridge Power Station has resulted in much reduced used of the refuge loops as they are too short to accommodate the length of today's coal trains.
Services
There is a basic hourly off-peak service in each direction (Mon-Sat), westbound to Shrewsbury and eastbound to Wolverhampton & Birmingham New Street run by London Midland. Additional trains call at peak periods. Arriva Trains Wales run a single late night service each way (Mon-Sat) and also provide a two-hourly Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury service each way on Sundays (some trains run through to Chester and Birmingham International), as no London Midland services run that day.