It was originally opened as 'Oldbury' in 1852 and was one of two stations in the town. The more centrally located Great Western Railway Oldbury was located on the site of the bingo hall opposite the Sainsburys supermarket and was the only station on the GWR's Oldbury Branch Line from Langley Green. However, in 1984 it was rebuilt as a railway station designed to serve the metropolitan boroughs of Sandwell and Dudley with a new name to suit. It was equipped with longer platforms capable of handling long-distance intercity trains.