- Dudley Port railway station
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Dudley Port (Higher Level) 
Location Place Tipton Local authority Sandwell Coordinates 52°31′30″N 2°02′56″W / 52.525°N 2.049°WCoordinates: 52°31′30″N 2°02′56″W / 52.525°N 2.049°W Grid reference SO967918 Operations Station code DDP Managed by London Midland Number of platforms 2 Live arrivals/departures and station information
from National Rail EnquiriesAnnual rail passenger usage 2004/05 * 0.116 million 2005/06 * 
0.131 million2006/07 * 0.144 million2007/08 * 0.155 million2008/09 * 0.281 millionPassenger Transport Executive PTE West Midlands Zone 4 History Original company Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway Pre-grouping London and North Western Railway Post-grouping London, Midland and Scottish Railway 1 July 1852 Station opened as Dudley Port (High Level) c. 1964 Renamed Dudley Port National Rail - UK railway stations A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z * Annual passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Dudley Port (Higher Level) from Office of Rail Regulation statistics. Please note: methodology may vary year on year. Dudley Port railway station is located in the Tipton area of the borough of Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies on the Stour Valley Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.
Contents
Upper Level station
History
The station opened in 1852. The line had passenger usage until about the early 1880s, when it began to slump at several stations, leading to the line becoming a largely freight only operation in 1887. It would remain open for goods traffic, which was considerable at this time, as the district had become highly industrialised in the then heyday of the Black Country's industrial past.
As the local industry declined and road transport became more common, the station entered a post-World War II decline.
Despite the name, it is not situated in the nearby town of Dudley, which has not had its own railway station since 1964.
Dudley Port Station was originally known as Dudley Port High Level Station, as a Low Level Station was situated on the South Staffordshire line from Dudley to Walsall, which passes beneath.
High Level was dropped from the station's name when the Low Level station closed in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Axe.
The upper level was revamped in the mid 1980s and officially re-opened by West Midlands County councillor Gordon Morgan in 1989.
Today's usage
Services
Dudley Port is served by London Midland's services between Walsall and Wolverhampton, which are sponsored by Centro.
During Monday–Saturday daytime, there is a train every half hour, which calls at all stations between Wolverhampton and Walsall. On Sundays, there is typically one train per hour between Birmingham and Wolverhampton only.
A picture of the station's shelter, before repainting and reglazeing in 2009.
Three main London Midland express services call at this station - the first is a morning peak service from Stafford to New Street, the second evening peak service to Shrewsbury via Tipton, and the third is the final service to Crewe.
Raghvir Singh assault
On May 30, 2010, Raghvir Singh from Derby was attacked at Dudley Port railway station by two Afro-Caribbean males and badly wounded. The apparently unprovoked assault left Mr Singh in hospital with serious head injuries. British Transport Police still want to speak to three men captured on CCTV at the station on that night.[1][2][3][4][5]
Pictures of the modern station
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Plaque commemorating the rebuilding of Dudley Port station's upper level in 1989
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Dudley Port station's entrance and car park
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The Upper platform at Dudley Port station in 2010
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The Upper platform at Dudley Port station in 2010
The lower level station
Dudley Port railway station (lower level) 
A picture or Dudley port station's lower level in 2001. The diaganal brick structure on the right is a former stairway. Location Place Tipton Area Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell Coordinates 52°30′04″N 1°58′52″W / 52.501°N 1.981°W Operations Original company South Staffordshire Railway Pre-grouping London and North Western Railway Platforms 2 History 1 April 1850 Opened as Dudley Port railway station 1964 Closed Disused railway stations in the United Kingdom Closed railway stations in Britain
A B C D–F G H–J K–L M–O P–R S T–V W–ZHistory
There was a Low Level Station on the former South Staffordshire line that had opened in 1850. The line had reasonable passenger usage until about the early 1880s, when it began to slump at several stations, leading to the line becoming a largely freight only operation in 1887. It would remain open for goods traffic, which was considerable at this time, as the district had become highly industrialised in the then heyday of the Black Country's industrial past.
As the local industry declined and road transport became more common, the station entered a post-World War 2 decline and closed in 1964 as a result of the Beeching Axe, though the railway remained open to goods trains until 1993.
Today's usage
It is an overgrown and fenced-off pile of rubble, with a scrap dealership one forcort and a small office on the other.
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A picture or Dudley port station's lower level in 2001.
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A picture or Dudley port station's lower level in 2001 (left) and 2011 (right).
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A picture or Dudley port station's lower level in 2001.
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The scrap yard is on the former station fourcourt and station building in 2000.
Midland Metro
Phase Two of the Midland Metro will see the line reopening between Walsall, Dudley Port railway station, Dudley railway station and the Merry Hill Shopping Centre for trams on one track and for freight on the other. The closed section of the South Staffordshire Line through Dudley is expected to re-open during the 2010s,[6] as a combined Midland Metro tramway and a heavy rail line for goods trains. The Lower Level station would re-open as a Midland Metro tram stop. This might be adjacent to a re-opened single track line for goods trains.[7]
Midland Metro Brierley Hill/Stourbridge Extension Legend
Joins existing Line One 
Tame Valley Canal 
Golds Hill Walsall Canal Great Bridge Horseley Road Dudley Port 
Birmingham New Main Line Canal (under aqueduct) Sedgley Road Birmingham Old Main Line Canal Birmingham New Road Tipton Road Dudley Town Centre for Dudley Bus station Flood Street New Road Cinderbank Parkhead Viaduct Pedmore Road Canal Street Waterfront Merry Hill Brierley Hill Brettell Lane 
Stourbridge Preceding station 
National RailFollowing station Sandwell and Dudley London Midland
Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford LineTipton Disused railways Great Bridge South Great Western Railway
Later British Rail
Walsall-Wolverhampton - Dudley Branch (1852-1964)Dudley Great Bridge North South Staffordshire Railway
Later LNWR, then LMS, finally BR
South Staffs Line (1850-1964)Dudley References
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11659341
- ^ http://www.birminghammail.net/news/black-country/black-country-news/2010/10/30/a-dad-s-life-has-been-ruined-by-a-gang-attack-in-dudley-port-left-him-with-horrific-injuries-97319-27568983/
- ^ http://www.glasgowwired.co.uk/news.php/103793-Great-response-over-Dudley-Port-station-attack-appeal
- ^ http://www.yorkshirewired.co.uk/news.php/103793-Great-response-over-Dudley-Port-station-attack-appeal
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11655891
- ^ http://www.centro.org.uk/Metro/Nov%2003/W-B%20Timetable.asp
- ^ http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-transport-news/2010/11/25/plans-for-1-1-bn-west-midlands-metro-system-unveiled-65233-27711546/
External links
- Train times and station information for Dudley Port railway station from National Rail
- Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Dudley Port station
- Some South Staffordshire Railway Byways – The Darlaston Branch
- A History of Wednesbury
- Dudley Port Low Level Station
Categories:- Tipton
- Disused railway stations in Sandwell
- Railway stations in Sandwell
- Former London and North Western Railway stations
- Railway stations opened in 1850
- Railway stations closed in 1964
- Railway stations opened in 1852
- Railway stations served by London Midland
- DfT Category E stations
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