Ifton Colliery seen on 27 April 1968.

Ifton Colliery was located in the district of St Martins in Shropshire. Coal had been extracted from the area for centuries and there had been a number of pits close to Ifton in the 19th century. It was part of the North Shropshire Coalfield which was actually a southern extension of the Denbighshire Coalfield.

Ifton Colliery shaft was sunk in 1913 and it went into full production in 1921. At its peak Ifton employed 1,300 men and it was the largest coal mine in Shropshire.

The Ifton Colliery branch shown on a 1962 Ordnance Survey map

A railway was built to link the colliery to the Great Western Railway (GWR) at Weston Rhyn (Preesgeene at the time of opening). Opening in 1921 the line was a single track railway. At Weston Rhyn there were exchange sidings on the eastern side of the GWR line. The locomotive sheds and wagon repair shops were also located at Weston Rhyn.

The line contained no major civil enginneering features but there were a number of bridges, cuttings and embankments.

The line was worked by the colliery owners who had their own locomotives.

In 1947 the branch was taken over by the National Coal Board (NCB).

Extraction of coal at Ifton ceased in December 1968 and the branch line closed in 1969. It was lifted shortly after.

To see Weston Rhyn station click here