Great Bridge North railway station was a stop on the South Staffordshire Line that served the suburb of Great Bridge, in the town of Tipton, West Midlands, England.
History
The station was built in 1850 and initially served by the South Staffordshire Railway. It was originally opened simply as Great Bridge. The South Staffordshire Railway was later absorbed by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR), which amalgamated with several other railways in 1923 to create the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS).
The station shared the name "Great Bridge" with its Great Western Railway counterpart, which was built in 1866 on a parallel line virtually across the road. To differentiate the two, the name North was appended to this station in 1950, shortly after nationalisation, while the other became Great Bridge South.
Passenger usage declined in the early 1880s, and the line became mainly freight in 1887. It remained open for goods traffic as the district became highly industrialised during the Black Country's industrial peak. Local industry declined after World War II as road transport became more common.
Closure
British Rail closed the station to passengers in 1964 as part of the Beeching Axe. It continued as a freight station for local factories until 1972. Goods trains continued to pass through the site until 1993. By that time, no sign of the station or the goods yard remained. The site is now derelict and mostly fenced off.
Infrastructure
The station had two platforms (with a third possible platform) and was located at grid reference SO976927, with coordinates 52°31′59″N 2°02′08″W.
Proposed Reopening
As of March 2025, the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension of the West Midlands Metro is under development. The first phase to Dudley town centre was expected to open for passenger services in autumn 2025, with a second phase to Merry Hill and Brierley Hill following. This light-rail line would pass through the Great Bridge area, though not as a conventional heavy-rail station.
Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Great Bridge, Sandwell, England |
| Original company | South Staffordshire Railway |
| Pre-grouping | London and North Western Railway |
| Post-grouping | London, Midland and Scottish Railway |
| Opened | 1850 (as Great Bridge) |
| Renamed | 1950 (to Great Bridge North) |
| Closed to passengers | 1964 |
| Closed outright | 1972 |
| Platforms | 2 (3) |
