and the Great Western Railway too was taking steps to make a presence locally. The OW&WR and the GWR were later to align with one another under the GWR name, but for the time being they were far from friendly to one another. Moreover there was a rapid development in manufacturing industry in the area. There was a huge demand for transport of raw materials in and completed goods out, and factories were established in newly developed locations . Interconnection between railways of diverse ownership was essential in this environment, and the SSR's position cutting across the grain of many main lines resulted in the construction of a number of junctions and spurs to enable transfer traffic. Stour Valley line at Sedgeley The Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Stour Valley Railway was opened in 1852. Usually referred to as the Stour Valley Line, it was an affiliate of the LNWR providing a more satisfactory route between Birmingham and Wolverhampton for that company. A new central station was being constructed in Birmingham, and as New Street station it opened fully in 1854. The Stour Valley line crossed over the Dudley to Walsall line of the South Staffordshire Railway at Dudley Port. The SSR Act of 1851 had authorised a short connecting line to the Stour Valley line with running powers into the LNWR High Level station, and gave the LNWR reciprocal running powers from there to Dudley. The connecting line was known as the Sedgeley Loop and it ran to a position alongside the new Stour Valley station and beyond it to form a junction with it. There was already a Low Level station at Dudley Port on the SSR main line, but the intention was to have a High Level station alongside the new Stour Valley station. However space at that point was extremely limited, as the Loop line was sandwiched between the Stour Valley line and the canal. Although the Sedgeley Loop and the connection to the Stour Valley line beyond were double track, the SSR station was built as a single line. The Board of Trade inspecting officer, Captain Galton, declined to allow opening of the section of line east of the station. The loop itself to the new SSR High Level station were acceptable, but the continuing through connection was not, apparently because of the perceived danger of working passenger trains from both east and west into the single