Tiny train station prepares for 'busiest ever time'

A heritage railway's smallest station is to see an "unprecedented" number of trains call in next weekend.

Severn Valley Railway (SVR) said for most of the year passenger trains pass through Eardington, which reopened in 2023, without stopping, except for during galas.

But the 157-year-old station in Shropshire will be busy with 23 trains scheduled to stop there during Branch Line Weekend, which is "more than at any other time in its history", said organisers.

The event on 28 February and 1 March marks the 35th anniversary of the arrival of the railway's first diesel multiple unit (DMU) and aims to recreate the "everyday bustle" of a traditional country branch line.

The SVR, which operates between Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and Kidderminster in Worcestershire, brought timetabled services back to Eardington in September 2023, after more than a 40-year closure.

Across the weekend, visitors can experience autotrain workings, short local trains and independently operated DMUs, or diesel multiple units, running both shuttle services and full-line journeys.

Station master Steve Downs said he had been looking back at old timetables, including those by Great Western Railway and British Railways, to put the milestone into context.

"There were certainly plenty of trains stopping here on Saturdays in years gone by, but that was when Saturday was still a working day for many people," he said.

"On Sundays, there would only be one train in each direction. Over the Branch Line Weekend, we'll see 23 trains stopping at Eardington, which is certainly more than ever before."

Two diesel multiple units will be in action, alongside a "strong line-up of steam power", said SVR volunteers.

Downs added the station was a real credit to the site's team "who've worked tirelessly to bring Eardington back to life".

It was named Station of the Year by the Heritage Railway Association last year.

The group added the restored rural station would be open on both days, and an enhanced timetable meant visitors can also hop on and off to explore other stations along the line.

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