Dudley Port railway station

Dudley Port railway station serves the Dudley Port and Great Bridge areas of Tipton, West Midlands, England. Situated on both the Stour Valley Line and Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line, the station is operated by West Midlands Railway.

Dudley Port
General information
Location	Dudley Port, Tipton, Sandwell England
Coordinates	52.524693°N 2.049987°W / 52.524693; -2.049987
Grid reference	SO967918
Managed by	West Midlands Railway
Transit authority	Transport for West Midlands
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	DDP
Fare zone	4
Classification	DfT category E
History
Original company	Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 July 1852 (1852-07-01)	Station opened as Dudley Port (High Level)
c. 1964	Renamed Dudley Port
Passengers
2019/20	0.525 million
2020/21	0.102 million
2021/22	0.247 million
2022/23	0.316 million
2023/24	0.358 million
Location
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Upper Level station

History

The station opened in 1852. Despite the name, and being located just 1.6 miles (2.6 km) north-east of the town centre of Dudley (which has not had its own railway station since 1964), Dudley Port station is not actually situated within the Borough of Dudley, but in Sandwell. The name Dudley Port emerged during the 19th century, due to the many warehouses and wharves being built along the Birmingham Canal. The area initially became known as Dudley's Port, before the title Dudley Port was adopted.

Dudley Port Station was originally known as Dudley Port High Level Station, as a Low Level Station was situated on the South Staffordshire line from Dudley to Walsall, which passes beneath.

High Level was dropped from the station's name when the Low Level station closed in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Axe.

The upper level was revamped in the mid-1980s and officially re-opened by West Midlands County councillor Gordon Morgan in 1989.

Today's usage

Plaque commemorating the rebuilding of Dudley Port station's upper level in 1989

Services

Dudley Port is served by West Midlands Railway services between Walsall and Wolverhampton, under a franchise agreement with the Department for Transport.

During Monday–Saturday daytime, there is a train every half hour, which calls at all stations between Wolverhampton and Walsall via Birmingham New Street. On Sundays, there is typically one train per hour between Birmingham and Wolverhampton only and a morning peak service to Crewe which calls at all stations.

Three main West Midlands Railway express services used to call at this station - the first a morning peak service from Stafford to New Street, the second an evening peak service from Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury and the third the final service from Birmingham New Street to Crewe.

Low Level station

Dudley Port (Low Level)
A picture of Dudley port station's lower level in 2001. The diagonal brick structure on the right is a former stairway.
General information
Location	Tipton, Sandwell England
Coordinates	52.501°N 1.981°W / 52.501; -1.981
Platforms	2
Other information
Status	Disused
History
Original company	South Staffordshire Railway
Pre-grouping	London and North Western Railway
Post-grouping	London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Key dates
1 April 1850	Opened as Dudley Port railway station
1964	Closed

History

The Low Level Station stood on the former South Staffordshire Line opened in 1850, which connected Dudley Port with Dudley railway station. The line had reasonable passenger usage until about the early 1880s, when it began to slump at several stations, leading to the line becoming a largely freight only operation in 1887. It remained open for goods traffic, which was considerable at this time, as the district had become highly industrialised in the Black Country's heyday. It closed in July 1964 as passenger services were phased out along the line due to the Beeching Axe and the blue brick station building was demolished three years later, although the railway remained open to goods trains until 1993.

The South Staffordshire Line through Dudley Port Low Level.

Just to the north of Dudley Port Low Level was the junction for the connecting line to the GWR Snow Hill Line via Great Bridge. To the south was the junction for the short connecting line to the Stour Valley Line.

West Midlands Metro

Phase Two of the West Midlands Metro will see the line reopening to carry trams between Walsall, Dudley Port Lower Level, Dudley railway station and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. The closed section of the South Staffordshire Line through Dudley is under construction and was due to re-open in 2022–2023,. However due to delays and cost overruns the line is expected to open as far as Dudley by 2025. The section to Brierley Hill will begin construction after the first section is complete. Funding has not yet been secured for the final section to Merry Hill.

Reopening

West Midlands Metro Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension
Line One at Wednesbury Tame Valley Canal Golds Hill Walsall Canal Great Bridge Horseley Road Dudley Port Birmingham New Main Line canal (under aqueduct) Sedgley Road East Birmingham Old Main Line canal Birmingham New Road Tipton Road Dudley Castle Dudley Town Centre Flood Street New Road Cinder Bank Parkhead Viaduct over Dudley Canal Pedmore Road Canal Street Waterfront Merry Hill Brierley Hill

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Sandwell & Dudley		West Midlands Railway Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line		Tipton
	Disused railways
Dudley		Great Western Railway Birmingham Snow Hill–Dudley Branch (1866–1964)		Great Bridge South
Dudley		South Staffordshire Railway Later LNWR, then LMS, finally BR South Staffs Line (1850–1964)		Great Bridge North

External links

• Train times and station information for Dudley Port railway station from National Rail
• Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Dudley Port station
• Some South Staffordshire Railway Byways – The Darlaston Branch
• A History of Wednesbury
• Dudley Port Low Level Station