Bordesley Station

GWR Route: Banbury to Wolverhampton
GWR Route: North Warwickshire Line

Bordesley station was opened in 1855 on the GWR Birmingham to Oxford line between Snow Hill and Acocks Green as Small Heath and Tyseley were not opened until some time later. Bordesley station was unusual because it was built entirely on a viaduct. Initially the station was a conventional two platform station with a large goods shed and sidings. As part of the extensive upgrade to the route in to Birmingham, which saw the construction of Moor Street to handle local passenger services, Bordesley station was upgraded to a two-island platform facility, with one island handling local passenger services to and from Moor Street and the other handling traffic to and from Snow Hill. The station provided significant cattle facilities adjacent to and on Duddeston Viaduct, the long abandoned aborted link to the London & Birmingham Railway's Curzon Street station. Between Small Heath and Bordesley was a significant goods yard facility. Whilst in the 1930s eleven or twelve staff were employed at the station the loss of traffic in the 1960s saw the station downgraded to provide a minimal level of passenger services mainly concentrated on providing football fans access to Birmingham City's St Andrews football ground.

The Locomotive News and Railway Notes Journal, Volume VII – No 41, published 10th November 1920.

Robert Ferris

Much of the information on this and other webpages of Warwickshire Railways is derived from articles or books listed in our 'bibliography'.

Ref: gwrbg2706 C Chinn Pre-war photograph showing the redundant High Street entrance to the original Bordesley station

Ref: gwrbg2709 G Laucht Another photograph of the High Street entrance to the original Bordesley Station taken in 1949

Ref: gwrbg2274 GWR Magazine A trolley bus for the city passes under the plate girder bridge over the Coventry Road on 30th June 1951

Ref: gwrbg1093 RM Casserley Looking towards Bordesley High Street in 1964 showing Bordesley Station's roadside entrance and booking hall

Ref: gwrbg1330 MA King Entrance to the second Bordesley passenger station which was located beneath the Coventry Road bridge

Ref: gwrbg82b Lens of Sutton Close up showing the far end of the station and the overbridge girders which spanned Coventry Road

Ref: gwrbg82c Lens of Sutton Close up showing the down and up main platforms and the two buildings for passenger facilities

Ref: gwrbg1086 RM Casserley Looking to Tyseley along the down main island platform with Coventry Road bridge girders in the near distance

Ref: gwrbg1086a RM Casserley Close up showing the main up and down platforms with the unusual building leading to the stairs to Coventry Road

Ref: gwrbg1086b RM Casserley Close up of the relief down platforms and the building which accommodated the stairs to Coventry Road

Ref: gwrbg82 Lens of Sutton Looking towards Moor Street with the down and up relief on the left and the main down and up on the right

Ref: gwrbg82a Lens of Sutton Close up of the relief down and up platforms and buildings with the steps to the road at the far end

Ref: gwrbg2703 R Preston Hendry Looking south along the down relief platform at Bordesley Station with the MR’s bridge visible in the background

Ref: gwrbg1328 C Gilbert Looking South to Leamington with the bridge carrying the MR' Washwood Heath to Camp Hill line in the distance

Ref: gwrbg2275 R Nelson Looking towards Tyseley from the edge of the island platform that served the relief lines at Bordesley Station

Ref: gwrbg2716 GWR Magazine View of Bordesley Station looking south towards Tyseley taken on 18th July 1963 from the edge of platform 3

Ref: gwrbg1327 C Gilbert Looking North towards Snow Hill station from the end of the island platform serving the up and down main lines

Ref: gwrbg2279 C Gilbert A 1929 view from the south end of Bordesley Station showing part of the bridge and the staggered platforms

Ref: gwrbg2273 GWR Magazine Photograph showing one of three steel plate girders used in the reconstruction of the Coventry Road Bridge

Ref: gwrbg2280 C Gilbert Bordesley North Signal Box viewed from the Birmingham city-centre side on 20th March 1966

Ref: gwrbg670 PB Whitehouse Looking to Moor St with the spur to the unfinished Duddeston Viaduct to the LNWR on the left

Ref: gwrbg670a PB Whitehouse Close up showing Bordesley signal box which controlled the crossovers and junction with the sidings

Bordesley Green Goods Yard and Goods Shed

Ref: gwrbg2268 GWR Magazine A 1931 GWR publicity aerial view of Bordesley warehouse showing its juxtaposition to the ex-MR Camp Hill line

Ref: gwrbg2267 GWR Magazine A GWR publicity photograph of Bordesley warehouse seen from the GWR Oxford to Snow Hill main line

Ref: gwrbg2267a GWR Magazine Close up showing a water column, fire devil and the signals controlling access from the new sidings

Ref: gwrbg2715 GWR Magazine Interior view of one of the upper floors of the Bordesley Warehouse showing some of the non-ferrous goods stored

Ref: gwrbg2272 G Buckeley A photograph from Mr G Buckeley's book on Mechanical Appliances for Handling Railway Traffic

Ref: gwrbg1333 R Pixton Bordesley Goods Yard looking south showing Small Heath Road bridge crossing the GWR line in the distance

Ref: gwrbg1333a R Pixton Close up of the arrival sidings on the left of Bordesley yard with a mix of wagons and vans in evidence

Ref: gwrbg1333b R Pixton Close up of the six main running lines to Moor Street station and the throat of the Caledonia yard

Ref: gwrbg1333c R Pixton Close up of an unknown BR Class 08 Diesel at work with a GWR shunters truck attached in front

Ref: gwrbg2281 C Flemens A class F unfitted through freight has crossed over from Moor Street Goods Yard to the Up Main Line

Ref: gwrbg2282 Anon A Shunters truck specially constructed to enable Shunters to safely travel on them within marshalling yards

Ref: gwrbg670b PB Whitehouse Close up of Bordesley cattle dock with two cattle vans and three open seven-plank wagons in evidence

Ref: gwrbg2527 C Walker View showing one of four girders made by E C & J Keay for GWR bridge over Sandy Lane near Bordesley

Ref: gwrbg2271 GWR A composite image showing a photo and diagram of an Overhead Runway System used to handle goods

Ref: gwrbg2291 GWR Engine Cleaner, Peter Frederick Smout and Examiner, Frederick Francis Blake honoured for bravery

Locomotives and trains seen at or near to Bordesley Green station

Ref: gwrbg1087 RS Carpenter An unidentified ex-GWR 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive is seen on up express parcels service passing through the station

Ref: gwrbg1087a RS Carpenter Close up of the ex-GWR 0-6-0PT Pannier tank marshalling a long coal train into Bordesley sidings

Ref: gwrbg1094 G Adams Ex-GWR 0-6-0PT No 3673 is seen at the head of a freight passing under the former Midland line to Camp Hill

Ref: gwrbg1331 Rail Archive Stephenson An unidentified ex-GWR 2-6-2T 'Prairie' locomotive runs bunker first with a Class B local passenger service

Ref: gwrbg1332 M Mensing Ex-LMS 4-6-0 No 44816 traverses the ex-MR Camp Hill to Saltley line with a goods train on 20th July 1961

Ref: gwrbg2269 Birmingham Post A DMU approaches Moor Street from the south as it passes over Bordesley Viaduct on 6th September 1966

Ref: gwrbg2277 G Adams Looking north from Bordesley South Signal Box as a class 9F 2-10-0 crosses the ex-MR viaduct with a freight

Ref: gwrbg2278 R Buckley Ex-GWR class 38XX 2-8-0 No 3864 with a block oil train on the Down Main at the southern end of the Station

Ref: gwrbg2281a C Flemens Ex-GWR class 43xx 2-6-0 with a down block oil train on the Down Main at the southern end of Bordesley Station

Ref: gwrbg2483 G Adams Ex-GWR 43xx class 2-6-0 No 5339 approaching Bordesley on the down main line on 13th August 1955

Ref: gwrbg2701 M Mensing Ex-GWR 2-6-0 No 6319 passes through Bordesley station on a Type 4 down freight in July 1961

Maps of Bordesley Green station and Goods Yard

Ref: gwrbg2704 Graham Laucht Ordnance Survey Map of 1889 and a schematic overlay showing the outline of the original Bordesley Station		Ref: gwrbg2705 Graham Laucht Ordnance Survey Map of 1950 and a schematic overlay showing the outline of the original station		Ref: gwrbg2702 Ordnance Survey Plan of Bordesley Station prior to the First World War showing the original station layout complete with goods shed		Ref: gwrbg2270 Ordnance Survey Map showing the 1930s Bordesley warehouse on the left, hemmed in by the Grand Union Canal and MR Viaduct		Ref: gwrbg2710 Ordnance Survey A 1889 Map of Bordesley showing Bordesley Junction, Exchange Sidings and the Broad Gauge Engine Shed

Ref: gwrbg2713 Ordnance Survey A 1905 Map of Bordesley showing Bordesley Junction, Exchange Sidings and the Broad Gauge Engine Shed

Ref: gwrbg2712 Ordnance Survey A 1921 Map of Bordesley showing Bordesley Junction, Exchange Sidings and the Broad Gauge Engine Shed

Ref: gwrbg2711 Ordnance Survey A 1945 Map of Bordesley showing Bordesley Junction, extensive exchange sidings and goods yard and shed

Ref: goods_yard_map_part1 Ordnance Survey Bordesley Goods Yard to the West of Jenkins Street bridge showing the sidings and Bordesley Junction Signal Box

Ref: goods_yard_map_part2 Ordnance Survey Bordesley Goods Yard to the East of Jenkins Street bridge showing the sidings and Small Heath North Signal Box

Ref: gwrbg3996 Great Western Railway GWR Land Survey Plan from 1878 shows the land purchased by the Birmingham & Oxford Junction Railway

Ref: gwrbg3998 Great Western Railway This Great Western Railway Land Survey Plan of Bordesley Station and Goods Yard dates from 1878

Ref: gwrbg3997 Ordnance Survey A 1903 Map of the single line Bordesley Junction with the MR and the names of the four Up Siding areas

Simon Richards wrote, 'I've read your pages on Bordesley station with interest. The first time I remember using the station was in 1968 as an 8 year old. It was just before the current layout. This what I believe - The entrance wasn't the current one it was to left (if facing towards Small Heath}. You went in and turned right to get to the stairs. In front of you was a ticket office - which even then had been closed. Soon after the entrance was bricked up. At the bottom of the stairs you can see where the way to the ticket office was.'