Harborne Station was the terminus of the Harborne Railway and opened to
passengers in August 1874. An interesting point regarding the station and railway was that
whilst the Harborne Railway was the operating company for the line, the LNWR worked the line
by providing rolling stock, locos, maintenance and staff. The image above shows the rather grim
exterior of Harborne Station with closure imminent in 1934 (photo: Harborne Library).
Above we see a present-day photograph showing the top of the Park Hill
Road bridge which once carried the single track line: just through the gates and behind the
bushes at the end of the bridge is a development of flats that now occupy the site of the
old station. Unfortunately, there is no trace of the station other than 'Station Road' from
which the old station building was accessed and bordered one side of the old railway.
Above we see the goods yard at Harborne Station in 1950 (photo: P.B.Whitehouse),
looking towards Park Hill Road bridge with the Chad Valley toy factory dominating the skyline
right-hand upper and the old station platform right-centre: the station building being behind and
to the right of the point from which the photograph was taken. I assume, that the photographer is
standing on the old iron footbridge which spanned the station between Station Road and Park Hill
Road - interestingly, the local residents protested against its demolition and a petition was
raised, such was the footbridge's use as a convenient short-cut! However, this was to no avail
and the bridge was removed in 1968.
Fortunately, all is not doom and gloom regarding the demise of the railway.
The trackbed has been preserved as the Harborne Walkway which runs from the old station site
to Summerfield Park. Above we see the trackbed approaching the point where
it ran under Woodbourne Road. This shot shows well the reclamation nature has performed of
the old trackbed.
