Coventry's first railway 1838

According to "Warwickshire Railways", Coventry Station opened to passengers on 9 April 1838. A few weeks earlier, on 23 February 1838, The Coventry Standard reported: We understand that a steamer, with four travelling carriages, arrived at the Coventry Station of the London and Birmingham Railway, yesterday, from Birmingham, about 12 o'clock, and immediately returned. Some of the Directors and their friends occupied the carriages. On 23 March 1838, The Coventry Herald reported: The London and Birmingham Railroad,

What goes around comes around. The original Birmingham station was located in Curzon Street. That site, including remnants of the original station building will be the location of the Birmingham HS2 station. There are some artists impressions of this new station in the latest edition of Modern Railways.

The project for a line of railway from London to Birmingham in 1824 was inopportune. The scheme was set aside for five years, railways were not considered safe investments and the public were not yet infected by the railway mania. The year 1830 saw two rival schemes offered, one through Coventry, one through Banbury/Oxford. The choice was left to George Stephenson, he opted for Coventry, more likely to pay, being more direct, and less mileage. Opposition was on every side - Northampton for one, the Freemen of Coventry another, but it did cross their land. The station, and the line kept at some distance, did not have to pay town rates. By escaping the city they got into the Fletchamstead valley, and easier levels, the tunnel passing through the neck of the ridge kept costs down. But it was thrown out by the House of Lords in 1832, but by paying people higher from 250,000 to 750,000 they went ahead. May 1833, under five contracts, the line completed in 1838. The building at the top of Station Road becoming the original station on the Coventry side, a shed on the other, the house near the bridge the booking office, a decent way down the bank a line of steep flights of stairs. The design of railway carriage, three stage coaches into one vehicle. About 1860 extensive alterations. the distance from the town a great drawback.

Robert Stevenson was chief engineer at a salary of £1500 per annum. The line was formally opened on 15th Sept 1938. The line was extended eastwards in 1860, the Station Master was Mr McIver, who seldom wore the staff uniform, he was dressed in black with top hat.