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The
Worcester Bromyard and Leominster Railway Company had as its chairman
Sir Charles Hastings, founder of the British Medical Association,
but this did little to expedite matters.
Eight
years later in 1869 the promoters, probably reconsidering the sparseness
of the route, abandoned the 12 mile Leominster-Bromyard stretch.
In
1870 the GWR came to the rescue over the remaining section by agreeing
to work the section from Bransford Road junction (on the Worcester
& Hereford line and to the north of Bransford Road station) to Bromyard.
This opened on 2nd May 1874 although only reaching as far as Yearsett
where a temporary terminus was established.
It
took another three years before Bromyard was reached and when this
3ΒΎ mile stretch opened on 22nd October 1877, Yearsett station was
closed. It is thought that Yearsett had the shortest life of any
GWR station!
Meantime
plans for the abandoned Leominster to Bromyard Railway had been
revived by an Act agreed in July 1874.
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| A
diesel railcar stops at Bromyard station in the early 1960s
Bromyard, on the Worcester to Leominster branch, closed to all
traffic in 1964. (E T Gill/R K Blencowe) |
Another
ten years passed before part of the line opened and then only a
four mile stretch from Leominster to Steens Bridge, the latter built
as a simple one-platform terminus with a run-round loop.
The
two sections remained isolated for another 13 years during which
time, on July 1st 1888, both companies were acquired by the GWR.
Finally on 1st September 1897 the whole line was complete.
Opening
of Fencote and Rowden Hill
When
Steens Bridge was linked with Bromyard, trains could at last travel
directly from Leominster to Worcester. The through opening meant
considerable alterations at Bromyard where two platforms were now
needed although it was possible to utilise a section of the existing
building as part of the enlargement.
Since
Bromyard was no longer a terminus, the small engine shed was closed
and demolished. Between Bromyard and Steens Bridge two stations
were added, these being Fencote and Rowden Mill. Despite the remoteness
of its surrounding area, Fencote acquired two platforms, a crossing
loop and a signal box whereas Rowden Mill had to be content with
just one platform for the single-track line.
Intermediate
stations between Bromyard and Bransford Road junction were provided
at Suckley, Knightwick and Leigh Court. These were also single-platform
stations although Suckley acquired a second platform, a crossing
loop and a signal box earlier last century.
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| GWR
locomotive no 4571 2-6-2T Churchward design class 4500 hauls
a special organised by the Stephenson Locomotive Society which
stops at Bromyard on 26th April 1958. The station closed to
passengers six years later in September 1964. |
At
Worcester the trains used Shrub Hill station as their terminus,
calling at Foregate Street on the journey. Since any population
along the line was almost non-existent, passenger traffic was never
heavy. The journey time between Worcester and Leominster took almost
1Β½ hours to cover the 27Β½ miles. Throughout much of the line's life,
there were five trains daily in each direction with no service on
Sundays.
In
Bradshaw's July 1922 Railway Guide the first up train left Leominster
at 7am each morning calling at all stations and arriving at Worcester
(Shrub Hill) at 8.25 am. The first down train of the day left Worcester
at 8.15 am to reach Leominster at 9.33 am. Each way trains had a
few minutes wait at Bromyard.
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