LMS Route: Trent Valley Line

Shilton Station: lnwr_shil1342

Looking south to Rugby with the down island platform in the foreground whilst an up express services passes through the station. A down express can be seen in the distance approaching the station. The down island platform was formed as a result of a passing loop being installed. Passing loops or refuge sidings (the latter were only accessed by the train reversing in to a siding) were needed on high density routes to move slow moving trains out of the path of their faster brethren.

Express services were the primary beneficiary but even local passenger services benefited. Whilst freight was the initial economic driver to building railways, passenger trains were soon the most prestigious service offered and consequently great effort was made to keep them running to time. During the Second World War when troop services demanded priority the crew of a goods train could serve their entire shift in a refuge siding without moving at all.

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