Bishops Castle Railway

It opened in 1866 but was continuously short of money, and was unable to complete its originally-planned route, nor to provide more than the most basic level of equipment.

[1] To the east the Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway had opened its main line in 1852; there was a station at Craven Arms, named after a nearby inn that had been a staging post for the coaches.

[2] At this time it had become clear that rural towns that were not connected to a railway would suffer economically, as necessities brought in, and manufactures and agricultural products sent out, were expensive to transport by other means.

Accordingly the idea developed of a railway branch line from the Craven Arms station to a point on the O&NR near Montgomery, serving the town and intermediate areas.

From a junction at Wistanstow near Craven Arms, this would run through Lydham and join the O&NR north of Montgomery station, near the bridge over the River Camlad.

[6] As a result of local feeling, the Committee of the House of Commons introduced a clause in the Railway Bill requiring that a branch from Lydham Heath to Bishop's Castle must be opened concurrently with the main line.

It was not until 1865 that work was begun, by another contractor, and the part of the line from Craven Arms to Lydham and Bishop's Castle was opened on 1 February 1866.

The line formed a Y shape, as trains ran from Craven Arms to Lydham and reversed to reach Bishop's Castle.

[8] However Oppitz says that the Bishop's Castle branch from Lydham was used [for passenger purposes] from October 1865 without waiting for the approval of the Government Inspector.

They obtained an authorising Act of Parliament on 7 August 1884, incorporating the Bishop's Castle and Montgomery Railway, but once again local support in the form of share subscriptions was absent, and the scheme never progressed.

The financial state of the company was worsening as road transport in rural areas began to expand, and the Receivership was terminated in April 1935: the business was closed down and the line now ceased to operate.