page updated
2 April 2017
These pages are inspired by the Friends of Malvern Railways, a special interest group of Malvern Civic Society.
The various locations can be viewed on a current OS Map. The map centres on Malvern Wells. Feel free to scroll around and change the scale.
Tewksbury & Malvern Railway
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9th November 1859 | Notice of application by the Tewksbury, Upton-upon-Severn & Malvern Junction Railway to incorporate a company and make a railway from Ashchurch to a junction with the Worcester & Hereford Railway just south of Mill Lane. Also a branch to a point near Priory Road, Malvern.
Also to enter into working agreements with the Worcester & Hereford Railway and / or the Midland Railway. Note: the notice was printed twice in the same issue. View Notice 1 View Notice 2 |
London Gazette, 22nd November, pages 4165-4167 & 4212-4215. |
| 25th May 1860 | Royal assent given to Tewksbury & Malvern Railway Act 1860 authorising construction of the line and for it to be leased and worked by the Midland Railway. Authorised access to Great Malvern station. Authorised running powers for Midland Railway to Malvern Link station. Authorised running of excursion traffic to Malvern Link station, but not to Great Malvern station. Authorised contingent running powers for Worcester and Hereford Railway to Tewksbury and Ashchurch if Midland Railway refused to provide through bookings and facilities. |
Warren. Gough. |
| 7th June 1861 | Royal assent given to Midland Railway (New Lines) Act 1861 which confirms an agreement between the Midland Railway and the West Midland Railway in respect of traffic between Evesham and Malvern. View Act |
Act of Parliament. |
| 19th September 1861 | West Midland Railway Board agreed to work the Tewksbury & Malvern Railway from the junction at Malvern to Malvern Wells station for 60% of the gross receipts. | TNA Rail 734/1. |
| 17th October 1861 | Malvern Wells to Malvern Junction inspected by Colonel Yolland. Two over and two under bridges. Indicators required for facing points and siding points by Malvern Junction to be weighted so as to lie for the siding as trap points. Repeating signal and clock required at the station and various other taks to be done. Line will be worked by West Midland Railway for the present using the 'one engine in steam' system. Opening for goods traffic authorised but opening for passengers to be deferred until undertaking recived that the remedial works required were completed. View Inspection Report |
TNA MT6/24/26. |
| 26th June 1862 | West Midland Railway Board confirmed they would work the Tewksbury & Malvern Railway from the junction at Malvern to Malvern Wells station for 60% of the gross receipts. | TNA Rail 734/1. |
| 30th June 1862 | Royal assent given to Tewksbury & Malvern Railway Act 1862 authorising extension of time and deviations. View Act Need to look at deposited plans. |
Act of Parliament. |
| 1st July 1862 | Malvern & Tewksbury Junction to Malvern Wells (MR) opened. Malvern Wells station (MR) opened. Line worked on Time Interval system. |
IRS. Quick. Gough. |
| 1862? | New Inn in Wells Road renamed Railway Inn to mark arrival of railway from Tewksbury. | Smith2. |
| 16th August 1863 | Malvern Wells to Tewksbury inspected by Captain Rich. Permission to open refused due to multiple issues. Tewksbury & Malvern Railway responded on 20th August. View Inspection Report View Response letter. |
TNA MT6/28/25. TNA MT6/28/29. |
| 13th February 1864 | Malvern Wells to Tewksbury inspected by Captain Rich. Permission to open refused due to issues at Tewksbury Junction. View Inspection Report. |
TNA MT6/30/26. |
| 16th April 1864 | Malvern Wells to Tewksbury inspected by Captain Rich. Permission to open still refused due to issues at Tewksbury Junction. View Inspection Report. |
TNA MT6/30/26. |
| 7th May 1864 | Board of Trade formally give permission for Malvern Wells to Tewksbury to open. | TNA MT6/30/26. |
| 16th May 1864 | Malvern Wells to Tewksbury opened for passenger traffic. Midland Railway trains ran from Great Malvern (down bay). |
IRS, Gough. Clark. |
| 5th July 1865 | Royal assent given to Midland Railway (New Lines & Additional Powers) Act 1865 including authorising construction of Malvern Sidings. View Act. Note: the distances quoted place the zero milepost for the line to Ashchurch at Malvern & Tewksbury Junction. |
Act of Parliament. |
| 1st September 1870 | Malvern Wells to Tewksbury opened for goods traffic. | IRS, Gough. |
| by 1st November 1875 | Malvern signal box (MR) opened. | SRS MR Register. |
| 11th August 1876 | Act received Royal Assent. Authorised Tewksbury and Malvern Railway to be purchased by Midland Railway. |
Warren. Gough. |
Midland Railway
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1st January 1877 | Tewksbury & Malvern Railway vested in Midland Railway. | Warren. |
| 14th February 1877 | New Connections between main line and sidings at Malvern Junction inspected by Col Rich and passed fit for use. View Report View Plan |
TNA MT6/175/6. |
| 27th November 1883 | Malvern signal box replaced by MR type 2a cabin utilising lever frame from previous box. | SRS MR Register. |
| 24th July 1888 | Royal assent given to Midland Railway Act 1888 including authorising purchase of (additional?) land by Malvern Sidings. View Act |
Act of Parliament. |
| 8thAugust 1890 | Block Telegraph working replaced time interval working on Midland Railway line. Note: Gough is inconsistent as one entry says 8th August, the other (on same page) 8th July. |
Gough. |
| by 1904 | Malvern Junction Sidings renamed Malvern Sidings. | Gough. |
| 21st February 1905 | Malvern Sidings signal box replaced. Old lever frame moved into new box. | SRS MR Register, Gough. |
| c 1907 | Midland Railway carries out a company wide change to mile post mileages. Zero mile post moved to Ashchurch Junction with mileages incrementing to Malvern. | Gough. |
| May 1909 | Derailment of Midland Railway locomotive which crashed through the shed at Malvern Siding. View Malvern Gazette Report published on 8th May 2009. |
Malvern Gazette (8/5/2009). |
| 5th August 1914 | Government took control of Great Western Railway and Midland Railway (from midnight 4th-5th August) using powers contained in the Regulation of Forces Act 1871. | Warren. |
| 16th August 1921 | Government control of Great Western Railway and Midland Railway relinquished from midnight 15th-16th August. | Warren. |
| 19th August 1921 | Royal assent given to Railways Act 1921 which ordered the grouping of principle railway companies into four Groups. View Act |
Act of Parliament. |
London Midland & Scottish Railway
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 30th December 1922 | Midland Railway vested in London Midland & Scottish Railway (LMSR). | Warren. |
| 1st January 1923 | London Midland & Scottish Railway commenced trading. | Warren. |
| 14th September 1931 | Malvern engine shed (MR) closed. | Gough. |
| 24th August 1939 | Royal assent given to Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 which authorised under regulation 69 Government taking control of railways subject to ministerial order. | Warren. |
| 1st September 1939 | Ministerial order 1197 brought railways under Government control. (Note – this remained in force until 31st December 1947). |
Warren. |
| 15th May 1945 | Malvern signal box replaced by LMS type 11c cabin. | SRS MR Register, Gough. |
| 1946 | Malvern Sidings renamed Malvern New Midland Sidings. | Gough. |
| 6th August 1947 | Royal assent given to Transport Act 1947 which authorised creation of the British Transport Commission and nationalisation of the railways. View Act |
Act of Parliament. |
British Railways
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1st January 1948 | London Midland & Scottish Railway in England and Wales became British Railways London Midland Region. | Warren. |
| 2nd April 1950 | Line transferred from London Midland Region to Western Region as part of the “penetrating lines” boundary changes. | |
| 2nd March 1951 | Malvern Wells station (MR) renamed Malvern Hanley Road. | Quick, Gough. |
| 1st December 1952 | Malvern & Tewksbury Junction to Malvern New Sidings closed to passenger traffic. Malvern New Midland Sidings to Upton upon Severn closed completely. Malvern Hanley Road station closed. Malvern Wells signal box (MR) closed. |
Gough. Quick. SRS MR Register. |
| 1953 | Signal Box Opening Hours: Malvern Sidings: 1000-1130 Monday-Saturday. Malvern Wells Station: Closed. Upton-on-Severn: 0730-0815, 1145-1440, 1710-1810 Monday to Friday, 0730-0815, 1115-1345, 1710-1810 Saturday. |
M1 week 2 |
| September 1953 | Malvern New Midland Sidings to Upton upon Severn track lifted. | Gough. |
| 1954 | Malvern Wells (MR) Engine shed closed. | Cooke. |
| 20th October 1954 | Malvern Sidings signal box closed. Temporary arrangements for access to coal sidings. |
SRS MR Register. Gough. Signal W1025. |
| 14th November 1954 | Rump of line to Tewksbury and Malvern Sidings accessed by extension of Malvern Wells Down Loop towards Worcester and former up line from Tewksbury connected into it. | Cooke, Signal W1025. |
| 26 July 1958 | Line speed Ashchurch to Upton 40mph, over curve between 1¾ and 2mp between Tewksbury & Ripple 15mph, between Tweksbury and Upton on dead road 15mph. Staff Token sections: Ashchurch - Tewksbury; Tewksbury - Ripple; Ripple to Upton-upon-Severn. Line is Down from Ashchurch to Upton-upon-Severn. |
M1 notice week 41. |
| June 1959 | Turning area made in Malvern Wells Goods Yard for buses serving the Three Counties Show Ground. | Davis. |
| October 1959 | Single line between Tewksbury and Ripple diverted to a new alignment between 4m40c and 5m10c. | ME1 week 43. |
| 30th November 1959 | Hanley Road closed by Malvern Wells station until 19th February 1960 for removal of over bridge. | Davis. |
| 8th November 1962 | Derailment in Malvern Link Sidings affecting main line. | Dray. |
| 1st May 1968 | Malvern New Midland Sidings closed. Malvern Wells Down Loop extension closed. |
Cooke, Gough. |