 Most of the present route was opened in 1837 as part of the original Grand Junction Railway (GJR), one of the first railway trunk routes.Built as a long distance trunk route, the original GJR line did not directly serve either Walsall or Wolverhampton, instead running around the outskirts of both of them.A station on the original line called "Wolverhampton" was opened at the edge of the town centre, this was later renamed in 1855 after the centrally located Wolverhampton (High level) station on the Stour Valley Line was opened, Wednesfield Heath was then closed in 1873.