Craven Arms railway station

Craven Arms
Craven Arms railway station, looking north
General information
Location	Craven Arms, Shropshire England
Coordinates	52°26′33″N 2°50′15″W / 52.4425°N 2.8375°W / 52.4425; -2.8375
Grid reference	SO431830
Managed by	Transport for Wales
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	CRV
Classification	DfT category F1
History
Opened	1852
Passengers
2018/19	100,968
Interchange	3,311
2019/20	96,166
Interchange	2,604
2020/21	23,912
Interchange	1,462
2021/22	71,224
Interchange	2,058
2022/23	93,000
Interchange	1,850
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

Craven Arms railway station serves the town of Craven Arms in Shropshire, England. Until 1974 it was known as "Craven Arms and Stokesay",^[1] named after the nearby coaching inn (the town having not come into being prior to the arrival of the railways) 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, 20 miles (32 km) south of Shrewsbury. All passenger trains calling at the station are operated by Transport 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.^[2] Prior to these changes, southbound trains to Llanelli and beyond used platform 1 in both directions (the crossover giving access to the branch being sited to the north near Long Lane crossing - this has now been relocated to the south end of the station).

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.