Craven Armsrailway station serves the small town of Craven Arms in Shropshire, England. Until 1974 it was known as "Craven Arms and Stokesay", named after the nearby coaching inn and the historic settlement of Stokesay to the south. It is situated at the junction of the Welsh Marches Line and the Heart of Wales Line, south of Shrewsbury. All passenger trains calling at the station are operated byTransport for Wales, who also manage it. The station has two platforms, connected by a footbridge. Platform 1, on the west side, serves northbound trains to Shrewsbury and beyond as well as trains from Swansea via the Heart of Wales Line. Platform 2, on the town side of the station, serves southbound trains to Hereford and Cardiff and also southbound HoW services since signalling and track alterations in October 2018. Prior to these changes, southbound trains to and beyond used platform 1 in both directions. Between 1865 and 1935, Craven Arms was the junction terminus of the Bishops Castle Railway. There was also a junction serving the line that went to Wellington via Much Wenlock. Adjacent to the station once stood the now demolished carriage sheds. There continues to be a signal box at Craven Arms, to the north of the station by the level crossing.
History
The Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway company was the first to serve the town, arriving from the north in 1852 and completing its route through to Hereford the following year. The Knighton Railway constructed the first of the three branches from the main line between 1858 and 1861. The second branch was that of the Bishops Castle Railway which arrived in 1865 via a junction with the main line about 1 km to the north, whilst the route from Much Wenlock was completed by the Wenlock, Craven Arms and Lightmoor Extension railway in 1867. The LNWR and Great Western Railway jointly leased the main line in 1862, whilst the modest Knighton branch would eventually be extended right through to Swansea by the LNWR over the course of the next decade. The Bishop's Castle branch, which spent its entire existence in receivershipclosed in 1935. The Much Wenlock line by contrast would remain little altered throughout its life, although the GWR did take control of it soon after opening; its passenger trains ceased in 1951. The station's locomotive shed closed in 1964 and goods traffic ceased in May 1968.
Facilities
The station is unstaffed and now has no permanent buildings other than standard metal and plexiglass waiting shelters on each platform. A self-service ticket machine is however provided for intending passengers - this can also be used for collecting pre-paid tickets. Train running information is offered via CIS displays, timetable posters and a customer help point on each platform. A footbridge links both platforms, but step-free also offered on each side - this does though require a sizeable detour via local roads if changing platforms.
Services
Mondays to Saturdays trains from Carmarthen to Manchester Piccadilly call at the station every two hours in both directions. Most to Cardiff trains also call here. On Sundays the frequency is irregular and there are no departures until just before noon. There are four trains a day in each direction between Swansea and Shrewsbury along the Heart of Wales Line.
