Severn Valley Railway volunteers proud to unveil new platform - with video
After more than five years of fundraising and volunteering, the renovation of a historic railway near Bridgnorth is close to completion.
The Eardington Halt Railway Station, on the Severn Valley Railway, has had more than £28,000 invested in making it look like it did about 100 years ago.
After having its original platform dismantled in 1984, the last few slabs have just finished being laid in what has taken more than a year of work.
Bricks have been donated from the demolition of a bridge in a railway project near Bristol, and local company JSR Construction, based just a few hundred yards down the road, undertook the building work.
Watch: All about the Eardington Halt Railway Station renovation
Volunteers give up their time and resources every Thursday to continue work renovating the station.
They are now busy adding the final few touches such as engine clinker spread along the ground, before visitors are invited to take in the history for themselves. Steve Downs, project manager, said: “We were very lucky in that we had materials donated to us which have a good railway pedigree and have had a local company do most of the building work.
“The slabs on the edge of the platform take about a week each to cast, and more than a year to lay in total. But we have made the design of the station to match the original as closely as we possibly could.
“It’s an idyllic station that holds a lot of history and we’re proud it’s looking as good as it is – the way it is now is as authentic as it can get.
“All the black gravel-looking ground you can see on the platform is clinker from the engines which is basically ash gathered engines.
“We’ve shovelled it out and put it down which is exactly how it would have been.
“A lot of these stations have gone now, you don’t find little stations like this on the national network or even among preserved stations. It’s very unique in that factor and holds a lot of history.”
Mr Downs added there may be potential for the station to take passengers to a proposed leisure facility at the Astbury Estate if plans to develop it by FCFM Group are approved.
“Nothing has been agreed upon yet, as the company haven’t even got planning permission. But I know Severn Valley Railway have expressed a possible interest should progress be made in development.”
