Hereford has seen a history of expansion and decline in its railway history.

Hereford Railway

Incorporated in 1826. This was a tramroad which linked with other earlier tramroads to form a continuous line between Hereford and Abergavenny. It was bought by the Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway in 1846.

Newport, Abergavenny & Hereford Railway

Incorporated in 1846. Formed by the amalgamation of the Hereford Railway, the Llanfihangel Railway and the Grosmont Railway. A joint opening with the Shrewsbury & Hereford Railway Company took place on 6 December1853.

The company was taken over by the West Midland Railway in 1860 which became part of the Great Western Railway (GWR) in 1863.

The main station and headquarters of the Newport to Hereford line was Barton Street Station in the east of the city. There was a short link which continued northwards to the Shrewsbury & Hereford line at Barrs Court junction. A connecting line was built in 1866 around the south of the city from Red Hill on the Newport line to Rotherwas on the Hereford Ross and Gloucester line. This enabled Newport and Abergavenny trains to use Barrs Court station. Barton Street station was closed to passengers on the 2 January, 1893, with all services transferred to the Barrs Court Station (the current Hereford station). Barton Street Station was demolished in 1913, although facilities there remained open for freight until 1979.

Shrewsbury & Hereford Railway

Incorporated in 1846. The Hereford section of the line officially opened at Barrs Court Station on the 6 December1853, although the line had been used for goods traffic since the earlier in the year.

It was leased jointly by the LNWR and GWR from 1862 and was transferred to joint ownership in 1868.

Hereford, Ross & Gloucester Railway

Incorporated in 1851. The final section from Hopesbrook to Hereford section opened 1st of June, 1855. It was a broad gauge track, linking eventually to London through a 22 mile section from the Grange Court Junction in the Forest of Dean.

On July 29th, 1862 the line was amalgamated with the GWR. In 1869 the line was converted from broad gauge to standard gauge in a 5 day period.

As part of the Beeching Axe the Gloucester to Hereford line was closed on the 2 November1964.

Worcester & Hereford Railway

Incorporated in 1853. This railway was opened by the Worcester and Hereford Railway in stages from 1859 to 1861 with the final section Malvern Wells to Shelwick Junction (Hereford) opened on 17 September1861.

The Worcester and Hereford Railway became part of the West Midland Railway on 1 July1861 and the GWR on 1 August 1863.

Hereford, Hay & Brecon Railway

Incorporated in 1859. Opened between Hereford and Moorhampton to goods traffic on the 24 October1862, to Eardisley for goods and passengers on the 30 June1863 and reached Hay-on-Wye on the 11 July1864.

Initially the company used the Moorfields Station to the west of the city but later used Barrs Court Station. The railway was taken over by the Midland Railway in 1874.

The line closed to passengers on 31 December1962, and was shut finally in 1964.

West Midland Railway

Incorporated in 1860.

This was originally the Oxford Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. It changed its name in 1860 and absorbed the Newport Abergavenny & Hereford plus the Worcester & Hereford. It also had agreements to work or leases on numerous branch lines in the English West Midlands region. The West Midland Railway's independent life was very short. It was leased to the GWR in 1861 and amalgamated with it in 1863.

References

A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, Volume 13 - Thames and Severn. Rex Christiansen. 1981. ISBN 0 7153 8004 4