Parkend railway station

Parkend station
"City of Truro" stands at Parkend in 2010
Location
Place	Parkend
Area	Forest of Dean
Coordinates
Grid reference	SO617078
Operations
Original company	Severn and Wye Railway
Operated by	Dean Forest Railway
Platforms	2
History
1875	opened
1929	closed for passengers
19 May 2006	reopened
Stations on heritage railways in the United Kingdom
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Parkend railway station is located in the village of Parkend, in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire. It is currently the northern terminus of the Dean Forest (heritage) Railway.

History

A 1911 Railway Clearing House map of railways in the vicinity of Parkend

Dean Forest Railway
Legend
Severn and Wye Railway Parkend Station Crossing Parkend Whitemead Park Crossing Oakenwood No.3 Crossing Oakenwood No.2 Crossing Oakenwood No.1 Crossing Grove Road Crossing Whitecroft Crossing  B4234  Whitecroft Severn and Wye Railway Mineral Loop Tufts Bridge over River Lyd Severn and Wye Railway to Princess Royal Colliery Tufts Junction Norchard High/Low Level Middle Forge Crossing Middle Forge Jn Lydney High Street  B4234  Lydney Town St Mary's Halt Pidcock's Canal Lydney Bypass Crossing River Lyd Lydney Junction Link Road x20px Lydney Junction for Gloucester to Newport Line

Railways and Canals of the Forest of Dean
Railways legend Waterways legend
Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Mitcheldean Road Ross and Monmouth Railway Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway Lydbrook Junction x20px Mitcheldean Road and Forest of Dean Jn Ry Drybrook Quarry Drybrook Halt Nailbridge Halt Lower Lydbrook Steam Mills Crossing Halt Upper Lydbrook Churchway Colliery Whimsey Halt Mineral Loop Drybrook Road Coleford Railway Serridge Platform Cinderford New Wimberry Quarry Whitecliff Quarry Speech House Road Bilson Halt Bicslade Tramroad Ruspidge Halt Bicslade Wharf Staple Edge Halt Eastern United Colliery Coleford (CR) Upper Soudley Halt Coleford (S&WR) Bullo Cross Halt Gloucester to Newport Line Milkwall Newnham Parkhill Colliery Ruddle Road Halt New Fancy Colliery Howbeach Colliery Parkend Forest of Dean Central Railway Whitecroft Awre for Blakeney Tufts Junction & Mineral Loop Norchard River Severn Middle Forge Junction Lydney Town Severn Railway Bridge Severn Bridge Gloucester and Sharpness Canal St Mary's Halt Sharpness Lydney Junction Sharpness Docks Lydney Sharpness Branch Line Upper Forge Lydney Harbour Pidcock's Canal x20px Lydney Canal Lower Forge Gloucester to Newport Line River Severn

In 1864 the Severn and Wye Railway began operating small mineral trains on its existing tramroad, but they were not satisfactory and, in 1868, the company added a broad-gauge steam railway line. However, both were removed and replaced with standard gauge tracks by 1874. The station was constructed in 1873, and subsequently opened in 1875, to enable the company to also offer passenger services alongside its freight operations which, by now, had given the railway a sizeable presence in the village, including several sidings.

A decline in mineral traffic and passenger numbers saw regular passenger services cease in 1929. The last goods train left Parkend on 26 March 1976 and much of the track was dismantled.

The line was bought by the Dean Forest Railway Preservation Society, now based at Norchard. In 2004-2005 Parkend station was extensively reconstructed, and it reopened 26 December 2005. Diesel Railcars ran the service in December 2005 and then Steam services have run into Parkend since 25 March 2006. It was then officially opened, by HRH the Princess Royal, on 19 May 2006.

The station has two platforms, a water column, footbridge, goods shed (not in use yet), level crossing and a signal box (not in use yet). On the 'Down' Platform there is the main station building which has a ticket office and also sells some food & drink along with some gifts. Toilets are also part of this building. The level crossing gates at the north end of the station are reputedly the longest in Britain.

Services

Preceding station	Disused railways			Following station
Whitecroft		Severn and Wye Railway Later Severn and Wye Joint Railway (MR and GWR)		Coleford Junction Halt
	Heritage railways
Whitecroft		Dean Forest Railway		Terminus
	Proposed Heritage railways
Whitecroft		Dean Forest Railway		Bicslade Wharf

See also

• Dean Forest Railway
• Severn and Wye Railway