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The Wellington to Craven Arms Railway was a railway line that ran from Wellington to Craven Arms in Shropshire, England. It was built by three companies during the period spanning 1857 to 1867 and between Ketley Junction at Wellington to Marsh Farm Junction (3 miles (4.8 km)) north of Craven Arms, the length of the railway was 28 miles (45 km).
Contents
History
The three companies that comprised the railway were: -
The first part of the railway to open was the branch from Madeley Junction to Lightmoor Junction (which ironically is the section that was retained for freight working up until 2015) in November 1854. The railway companies progressed well with openings from Wellington to Horsehay in 1859, Much Wenlock to Buildwas in 1862, Lightmoor to Buildwas in 1863 and Much Wenlock to Craven Arms in 1867. The last section took longer due to local protests about the route which resulted in a diversion from the planned formation and the addition of a tunnel at Presthorpe.
Junctions
It had junctions Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway at Wellington, with the Severn Valley Railway at Buildwas Junction and joined the Welsh Marches Line at Marsh Farm Junction a few miles north of Craven Arms which opened fully in 1867.
Successors
Between 1853 and 1896, the constituent companies had been amalgamated with the Great Western Railway and subsequently the Western Region of British Railways.
Present day
Part of the route has been saved and is to be found operating as the Telford Steam Railway. A section of the route between Madeley Junction (on the Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line) and Ironbridge was kept open post-Beeching closures to serve the power station. The power station closed in November 2015 and the line is still extant but unused.
The section of trackbed from Ketley to Lawley is now part of the Ironbridge way, a long distance footpath from Leegomery to Ironbridge.