The Grand Junction Railway was approved by an act of Parliament of 6th May 1833 and opened in 1837 running between Warrington (SJ 599878) and Birmingham (SP 069866); the company was merged in 1845 with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, which was the world's first public passenger steam railway, opening in 1830. The line was extended south to London (TQ 295827) and north to Manchester (SJ 847978) by a historic merger with the London and Birmingham Railway and the Birmingham and Manchester Railway on 1st January 1846, forming the London and North Western Railway which operates today as part of the West Coast Main Line. (www.RailScot.co.uk)
The North Staffordshire Railway was formed in 1845 by the amalgamation of the Churnet Valley Railway and the Staffordshire Potteries Railway, the section operating between Stone (SJ 896345) and Colwich (SK 008211) opened in 1849. The coaching stock of the line was painted claret while the locomotives were bright green with a wide black lining, edged on either side with white. The line was incorporated into the London Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923 and remains in operation today. (www.lnw1.demon.co.uk)
The Trent Valley Railway was authorised by parliament in 1845 and the section between Rugby (SP4976) and Stafford (SJ 923221) was opened in 1847. The line was intended to bypass the busy Birmingham route in order to cut the running times from London to the north-west and in doing so acted as a catalyst for industrial expansion in the Cannock Chase area. (AHDS)
The Stafford and Wellington Railway was a built by the Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company and opened in 1849 operating between Stafford (SJ 9154 2323) and Wellington (SJ 6593 1146) in Shropshire. The Stafford to Newport section closed in 1966 and the Newport to Donnington section closed in 1969. (AHDS)
The Norton Branch Railway was built by the South Staffordshire Railway company in 1858 to serve the collieries of the southern Cannock Chase coalfields, closing after the last of these mines had shut down in 1964. It ran from Norton Junction (SK0204) near Pelsall on the South Staffordshire Railway to Norton Canes (SK0107). (AHDS)
The Cannock Branch Railway was built by South Staffordshire Railways between Walsall (SP 014994) and Cannock (SJ 986098) in order to exploit the coalfields of Cannock Chase coalfield. The branch opened in 1858 and closed to passenger traffic in 1965 but remained in use for freight traffic, reopening again to passengers in 2001?. (AHDS)
The Cannock Mineral Railway was originally planned by North Staffordshire Railways to link Walsall (SP 014994) and Rugeley (SK 043174) but their proposal was rejected by parliament in 1846. Another more limited scheme was proposed by LNWR in 1859 to link Cannock (SJ 986098) and Rugeley across the Chase to link up with the Cannock Branch Railway which had opened in 1858; the LNWR gained control of this line from South Staffs Rail in 1861. The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1965 but remained open to freight, primarily in order to supply coal to Rugeley Power Station, but reopened again to passengers in 2001?. (AHDS)
The Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway was incorporated in 1862 and opened for traffic between Stafford Common (SJ 922249) and Bromshall Junction (SJ 990270) in 1867. The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1939 and the line was lifted after the last special train ran in 1957. (AHDS)
The Cannock Chase and Wolverhampton Railway Company was incorporated in 1864 to build a network of branch lines from Anglesea Sidings at New Town just north of the Watling Street (SK 056066) on the existing South Staffordshire Railway, via Norton Chase Junction between Brownhills and Chasewater (SK 038086) on the Midland Railway to the collieries in Rawnsley and Hazelslade served from the Coopers Lodge Junction (SK 026123) on the Cannock Chase Railway; the Cannock Chase and Wolverhampton Railway was completed in 1867 and closed down in 1960. (AHDS)
The Brownhills Branch Railway was authorised by parliament in 1876 to operate between Aldridge (SK0500) and Walsall Wood (SK0208) and an extension was granted in 1880 to Cannock (SJ 994113), the line was built by Midland Railways and opened in 1882. The line did not run all the way to Cannock but instead joined the Cannock and Wolverhampton Railway at Norton Canes (SK 020077). In order to carry the high volume of coal traffic from the five coalmines it served in southern Cannock Chase the branch comprised two lines. The line was closed to passenger traffic in 1930 and to mineral goods in the 1960's after closure of the collieries. (AHDS)
The Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield Railway line was opened in 1884 by GWR to operate between Lichfield (SK 116087) and Sutton Coldfield (SP 119963); the line was amalgamated into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923 and remains in operation today. (www.RailAroundBirmingham.co.uk)
The South Staffordshire Railway line was projected to operate between Lichfield (SK 118091) and Walsall (SP 011985) by GWR in 1912 but was not completed until 1925. The line was not a financial success and ceased passenger services in 1932, becoming part of the newly-nationalised British Rail Western Region in 1948 but the continuing decline in goods traffic throughout the 1950's led to its complete closure on 24th June 1965. (www.SStaffs.gov.uk)
Lichfield Trent Valley (High Level) Station (SK 136098) opened on the South Staffordshire Railway in 1849. Brindley Heath Station (SK 022149) opened on the Cannock Mineral Railway in 1859 and closed in 1959. Colwich Station (SK 010212) opened on the Trent Valley Railway in 1847 and closed in 1958. Hammerwich Station (SK 074071) opened on the South Staffordshire Railway in 1849 and closed in 1965. Lichfield Trent Valley (Low Level) Station (SK 136099) opened on the Trent Valley Railway in 1847. Rugeley Trent Valley Station (SK 047190) opened on the Trent Valley Railway in 1847. Armitage Station (SK 088159) opened on the Trent Valley Railway in 1847, closed to passengers in 1960 and entirely in 1969. Cannock Station (SJ 985 098) opened on the Cannock Branch Railway in 1858 and closed in 1965. Chartley and Stowe Station (SK0027) opened on the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway in 1867, closed to passengers in 1939 and entirely in 1951. Gailey Station (SJ 913104) opened on the Grand Junction Railway in 1837 and closed in 1951. Great Haywood Halt Station (SK 010212) opened on the North Staffordshire Railway in 1848 and closed in 1947. Hednesford Station (SK 000125) opened on the Cannock Mineral Railway in 1859 and closed in 1965. Hixon Halt Station (SJ 993257) opened on the North Staffordshire Railway in 1848 and closed in 1947. Ingestre and Weston Station (SJ9726), also known as Weston-on-Trent Station, opened on the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway in 1867 and closed in 1939. Lichfield City Station (SK 118092) opened on the South Staffordshire Railway in 1849. Milford and Brocton Station (SJ 974214) opened on the Trent Valley Railway in 1877. Penkridge Station (SJ 920139) opened on the Grand Junction Railway in 1837. Rugeley Town Station (SK 044175) opened on the Cannock Mineral Railway in 1859 and closed in 1965. Salt and Sandon Station (SJ9527) opened on the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway in 1867 and closed in 1939. Shenstone Station (SK 105046) opened on the Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield Railway in 1885. Stafford Common Station (SJ 922248) opened on the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway in 1867, was closed to passengers in 1939 and entirely in 1968. Four Ashes Station (SJ 916084) opened on the Grand Junction Railway in 1837, was closed to passengers in 1959 and entirely in 1965. Bloxwich Station (SJ 995018) opened on the Cannock Mineral Railway in 1859 and closed in 1965. Brownhills Station (SK 045057) opened on the South Staffordshire Railway in 1849 and closed in 1965. Pelsall Station (SK 026031) opened on the South Staffordshire Railway in 1849 and closed in 1965. Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay Station (SJ 985076) opened on the Cannock Mineral Railway in 1859 and closed in 1965. (AHDS)