Notes: Oswestry station was situated on what became the Cambrian Railways main line from Whitchurch to Welshpool. The first section to open into the town was the line to Newtown which was opened by the Oswestry and Newtown Railway on 1st May 1860. A two road locomotive shed was provided to the north of the station which opened with the line.

A line between Oswestry and Whitchurch which was first proposed in 1860. Following ferocious arguments between competitors LNWR and GWR, Parliament authorised building the line in August 1861. One of its primary purposes for building the line was to regenerate the town of Ellesmere which had suffered from competition with other neighbouring towns

The first section of the line officially opened from Whitchurch to Ellesmere on the 4th May 1863. A special train to mark the completion of this section of the line ran a few weeks earlier on the 20th April 1863. The onward section to Oswestry was held over for a year in case of new GWR route developments.

On the 25th July 1864 the Oswestry and Newtown and the Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railways amalgamated with the Newtown and Machynlleth, and the  Llanidloes and Newtown Railways to form the Cambrian Railways (Joined in 1865 by the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway). Two days later on the 27th July 1864, the final section of the

This meant that by 1866 the Cambrian Mainline from Whitchurch to Aberystwyth, through Oswestry was complete, together with its various branch lines.

The newly formed Cambrian Railway decided to make its headquarters at Oswestry and they built a substantial station, locomotive, wagon and carriage works to the north of the station. The locomotive erecting shop had a central traverser serving twelve roads on each side, including the entrance and through road which was kept clear The other roads could each accommodate a single locomotive or tender They were moved by hand as far as the enclosed yard outside the shop, where the works shunter took over. At the other end of the works a network of sidings fanned out across an open yard and eleven, including the through road, continued into the carriage and wagon shops. Whilst a lot of carriageway and wagons were built in the workshops, only two locomotives were actually constructed at Oswestry, although many were extensively rebuilt.

The station consisted of two through platform faces and there were bays at each end. The main platforms were connected by a covered footbridge. Substantial buildings were provided on both platforms. Services ran to all parts of the Cambrian system.

In the1923 grouping the Cambrian Railway was taken over by the Great Western Railway. They already had a branch line from Gobowen, opened in 1848, which ran into a separate station in the town. In 1923 they closed their own station and diverted services into the former Cambrian Station. These services tended to be a shuttle service to Gobowen on the main Chester to

In 1948 Oswestry station became part of the British Railways Western Region. At first little changed , the loco sheds were reroofed in 1950 and as the 1950s progressed increasing road competition led to a reduction in services. In 1963 the station and the lines that served it were transferred to the London Midland Region. On the 18th January 1965 passenger services

General freight services ran until 1971 and in the years following much of the station was demolished. A single line through the station was kept in use for trains that ran from Gobowen to Blodwel quarry until 1988. This line is still intact today is the recently restored building on the Whitchurch platform. The Welshpool platform is also still extant but in very poor condition.

In 1972 the Cambrian Railways Society was formed to preserve whatever it could of Oswestry's railways. The Society is based in their depot in the former Cambrian Railways goods yard where they have an extensive museum. They have and set out to 'maintain a living continuance of the railways historical presence in a town steeped with railway history.' In 1998 the Cambrian Railways Trust came into being with similar aims to the Cambrian Railways Society. The main station building and Cabrian offices have now been fully restored. The building now houses the town's tourist office and visitor centre.

Source: Stanley Jenkins, Steam Days Magazine, December 2008. Tickets from Michael Stewart

Other web sites: BBC Shropshire History
                         Shropshire roots to roots
                         Cambrian Railway Trust
                         Garry Brookes Railway Photography - colour pictures of Oswestry Station before                          closure to goods in 1971.

To see other stations on the Oswestry - Whitchurch line click on the station name: Whitchurch STILL OPEN, Fenn's Bank, Bettisfield, Welshampton, Ellesmere, Frankton, Whittington High Level, Tinkers Green Halt & Oswestry

See also Park Hall Halt on the Oswestry - Gobowen line