Originally mooted by the Wolverhampton, Walsall & Midland Junction railway
in 1872, the line from Castle Bromwich to Walsall was opened under the Midland Railway (who
absorbed the WW&MJ in 1874). The station, pictured above in 1964 (photo: Michael Mensing), opened with
the line in 1879. In 1882 the Brownhills Branch was added, which can be seen branching-off to the right
in the above photograph past the station's goods shed which can be seen in the distance, and operated
until 1884 as a goods-only line before beginning a passenger service from Aldridge to Walsall Wood and
Brownhills. The Brownhills Branch closed to passengers in 1930 and was finally closed and lifted in stages
during the early-1960s. The line upon which Aldridge station proper stands was closed to passengers in
1965 but still operates a frequent goods service.
Above-left is a similar view to the 1964 shot taken from Station Road and
as can be seen, nothing remains at the station site today. Above-right we have moved onto what
is now the Aldridge Bypass and are looking towards Walsall. The station was in the foreground
with the station building itself to the right: some remains of brickwork can be seen in the immediate
foreground in the bottom-right and bottom-left hand corners of the shot. The most noticeable absentees
from the 1964 photo are the Brownhills Branch which has been lifted and the goods shed.
Above-left we are still on the Aldridge Bypass and looking at the car park where during its
heyday we would have seen the rear of the station building. Above-right we are on the Dumblederry Road bridge
looking back towards the station and the Aldridge Bypass: the Brownhills Branch would have curved to the left here (around
the point of the signal post which can be seen more clearly on the enlarged photograph) and
the goods shed would have been behind the shrubbery to the left a few hundred yards away. However, the area has been very well cleared
and an industrial site and housing estate now occupy the site of the goods shed and straddle the pathway of the old
Brownhills Branch.