Page 5 - The Last TRain South

The Last Train South Redditch Heritage

The Last Train South

A Milestone was reached on the 29th September 2012 when it was 50 years since the
last passenger train pulled out of Redditch Railway Station and headed south towards
Evesham.

It was just three days after September 29, 1962 that rail bosses shocked residents by
announcing the line would be closed as the track south of Alcester was unsafe.

Although a shuttle bus service was temporarily provided, passenger services were officially
withdrawn on June 17, 1963. Freight traffic followed the year later when the track was
also lifted, bringing to an end what was once a thriving branch line.

Railway historian Philip Jarvis said it was a decision which had left a long-lasting impact
on the town, effectively severing it from the south of Worcestershire.

"The reason they gave was it was unsafe, because the track south of Alcester was not in
good order but it was just an excuse, they wanted to close it anyway because of a lack
of passenger numbers," he said.

"It was used as an alternative to the mainline to by-pass the Lickey Incline especially
when they had engineering work on it, but it was only ever a branch line, it was never
meant to take mainline locomotives and that's essentially what made it unsafe.

"There was a proposal to close the line at Studley or Alcester and build a halt in Lodge
Park or Greenlands to serve the south side of the New Town but it never happened - in
hindsight it should have."

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