We made one brief stop along the way to see if the resident Panamanian night monkeys were in their roost tree. ![]() Never fear! Domi called the Tower and a vehicle was sent to haul us back up to the lodge. Lunchtime was looming and our Kentucky compadre wondered aloud if she would be able to make the climb back up Semaphore Hill (I quietly wondered the same thing on my own behalf). Platform 1 can only be accessed by trains via Worcester Shrub Hill (including trains to and from London Paddington and via Cheltenham Spa towards the southwest), while Platform 2 can only be accessed from the east by trains running directly to and from Droitwich Spa, avoiding Shrub Hill.ĭespite opening as recently as February 2020, a semaphore signal still controls the exit from Worcestershire Parkway railway station.What comes down must go back up… We had meandered our way roughly one mile down the steep, sometimes slippery drive. The station layout is unusual in that travelling east the two platforms serve different routes, rather than different directions. The station opened in 1860 and is built on a curved viaduct. Half a mile away is the smaller Worcester Foregate Street station, which is also controlled by semaphore signalling. A Paddington-bound train pulls into Platform 2 past a semaphore bracket signal. The station has a splendid old school clock. Platform 3 is a small bay that was used mainly for the former Wessex Trains/Wales & West service towards Cheltenham Spa, as it is a small south facing bay platform its use is limited.īehind the station can be seen a large goods yard. The Worcester area is controlled by another two signal boxes at Henwick (west of Foregate Street), and Tunnel Junction to the north of Shrub Hill.īoth platform 1 and 2 can be used in either direction, generally trains for Foregate Street use platform one and trains towards Oxford and Cheltenham Spa use platform 2 but this is not in all cases. ![]() The entire station is controlled by Worcester Shrub Hill Signal Box located at the ‘London’ (south) end of platform 1. Station view with platform 1 to the far left and platform 3 just seen on the right. Shrub Hill station signal box stands south of platform 1 and is a Great Western Railway design dating from 1935, fitted with an 84-lever frame. The structure enjoys a Grade II* Listing, and was fully restored in 2015 by Network Rail, with support from the Railway Heritage Trust. Shrub Hill’s platform 2 has a unique, tile-clad waiting room and it’s a thing of some beauty.įormerly a ladies’ waiting room, it was built around 1880 using locally-produced “majolica” ceramic tiles, created by Maw and Company of Broseley Shrub Hill station is home to West Midlands Trains and Great Western Railway train crew depots. Great Western Railway also stable some of their Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) at Worcester depot. ![]() The station’s overall roof was removed in the 1930s.īehind the signals can be seen the Worcester traincare depot which is currently operated by West Midlands Trains, who also stable trains at various locations around Shrub Hill station. I loved hearing the clank of the cables and seeing the point rodding moving into place! It’s increasingly rare to see a mainline station still controlled by mechanical signalling. One of two stations serving Worcester, the first station at Shrub Hill was opened in 1850, with the current station building being designed by Edward Wilson and built in 1865.Įntrance to the Georgian-style station is via this attractive porte cochere. ![]() Fans of Victorian-era mechanical signalling are in for a real feast at Worcester Shrub Hill railway station, where all movements at the station are still controlled by a signalman/woman pulling levers in the nearby signal box.
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