Stratford-Upon-Avon (Alcester Rd)
Image Not Available
Stratford-Upon-Avon (Alcester Road), seen from the Alcester Road Bridge looking north, on the 13th February, 2012
Before 1863, Stratford had two terminus stations; the OWW station at Sancta Lane and the Stratford-Upon Avon Railway at Birmingham Road. With the construction of the connection between the two lines, both were somewhat surplus to requirements and a new station was constructed.
The first station at Alcester Road was opened in January 1863, and the two "terminus" stations were immediately closed, although the Birmingham Road station did handle some excursion traffic and the Sancta Lane station was used as temporary station by the East and West Junction Railway when it arrived in Stratford from Kineton. The new station developed a reputation as an embarrassment to Stratford; nicknamed "The Shed", some passengers travelled to Warwick to catch trains rather than use it. In 1865, the Birmingham Road Station was dismantled and rebuilt at the Alcester Road site.
Over the next few decades the station was extended and the track layout modified. A bay platform was added which became a loop in 1911 (and reverted back in 1969 with the end of services southwards). The station had signal boxes to the south and north, and the southern box (Stratford-Upon-Avon West) had a reputation for being kept in pristine condition.
The Alcester Road station is in use to today, but is now a terminus; the track south of the station having been lifted.