page updated
22 March 2016

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 Leigh Court. Feel free to scroll around and change the scale.

Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway

Date	Event	Source
6^th November 1859	Notice of application by the Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway to incorporate a company and make a railway from Bransford to Leominster. View Notice	London Gazette, 23^rd November, pages 4525-4527.
1^st August 1861	Royal assent given to Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster Railway Act 1861 authorising the making of the railway and entering into a contract with the West Midland Railway for the working of the railway. View Act Note: Gale gives date as 11th August.	Act of Parliament.
13^th February 1862	West Midland Railway Board resolved to subscribe £5,000 to the Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway. The shares to be in the names of N Fenton, N Lewis and J S Pakington who would thus represent the Company as Directors of the Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway.	TNA Rail 734/1.
	Royal assent given to Worcester, Bromyard and Leominster Railway Act 1864
by August 1864	Construction of Bransford Road to Yearsett section commenced.	IRS.
28^th June 1866	Royal assent given to Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway Act 1866 authorising extension of time to complete purchases of land, also issue of preference shares. View Act	Act of Parliament.
30^th July 1874	Royal assent given to Leominster & Bromyard Railway Act 1874 authorising incorporation of a company and construction of a railway from Leominster to Bromyard. View Act	Act of Parliament.
2^nd May 1874	Bromyard Junction to Knightwick opened. Worked and maintained by the Great Western Railway.	Gale.
22^nd July 1878	Royal assent given to Great Western Railway Act 1878 authorising the Great Western Railway to subscribe towards the Capital and Debenture Debt of the Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway. View Act	Act of Parliament.
22^nd August 1881	Royal assent given to Great Western Railway Act 1881 authorising the Great Western Railway to subscribe towards the Capital and Debenture Debt of the Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway. View Act	Act of Parliament.

Great Western Railway

Date	Event	Source
1^st July 1888	Leominster & Bromyard and Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railways vested in Great Western Railway.	Act of Parliament.
13^th August 1888	Royal assent given to Great Western Railway Act 1888 authorising purchase of Leominster & Bromyard Railway and Worcester, Bromyard & Leominster Railway by the Great Western Railway and requiring the line to be completed to Leominster. View Act	Act of Parliament.
5^th August 1891	Royal assent given to Great Western Railway Act 1891 revived powers to complete the railway. View Act	Act of Parliament.
6^th July 1895	Royal assent given to Great Western Railway (Additional Powers) Act 1897 authorising changes at Steen's Bridge. View Act	Act of Parliament.
6^th August 1897	Royal assent given to Great Western Railway (Additional Powers) Act 1897 authorising in retrospect constuction of part of the line that went beyond the authorised limits of deviation within the parises of Bredenbury and Avenbury. View Act	Act of Parliament.
5^th August 1914	Government took control of Great Western Railway and Midland Railway (from midnight 4^th-5^th August) using powers contained in the Regulation of Forces Act 1871.	Warren.
16^th August 1921	Government control of Great Western Railway and Midland Railway relinquished from midnight 15^th-16^th August.	Warren.
19^th 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.
September 1929	Instructions for Signalling Trains during Fog or Falling Snow states that Leigh Court distant signals are not fogsignalled.	GWR Booklet.
24^th 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.
1^st September 1939	Ministerial order 1197 brought railways under Government control. (Note – this remained in force until 31st December 1947).	Warren.
1944	John Lisseman appointed Porter at Leigh Court.	Malvern Voices (2).
6^th 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
1^st January 1948	Great Western Railway became British Railways Western Region.	Warren.
7^th September 1964	Bromyard Branch closed.	Cooke.