• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Moseley Kings Heath Line

This is to do with the Camp Hill Line with Balsall Heath, Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell. The car park at Acocks Green is built over a former part of what is now the Chiltern Mainline.

Only Small Heath on that line has 2 unused platforms.

And Kings Norton and Northfield have a pair of central unused platforms (on the Cross City Line).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I think the line is used by quite a lot of freight, and there might be problems replacing that use if it was used by the tram, a it is not wide like the old GWR route to wolverhampton, so couldn't have both side by side
 
Some old photos of mine on the Camp Hill Line of the past and maybe future sites of the stations.

Hazelwell (between Kings Heath and Stirchley)





Site of Kings Heath Station from the High Street. Near Homebase.



Site of Moseley Station from Woodbridge Road.





There is space for a car park next to St Mary's Church on St Mary's Row.

 
There has been a a long term ongoing discussion about opening this line. Living in Mosley I do have to declare an interest in it. As far as I understand the line was closed to passengers before the war and was never reopened, other than for freight.


I understand that the line goes into New street which is already well over used, so any reinstatement would have to include for an extra bridge to take to line into Moor Street.


I have mentioned the reopening of this line to passengers on a number of occasions to elected councillors, who always tend to agree, but that’s as far as things ever get. Saying that, I did write in last year and raised the question of the fact that now councils have greater devolved powers, the line can be opened as a Birmingham initiative.


The way I see it is we cannot build any more by-passes or road improvement schemes of any significance now, the city is already bursting with traffic, there has to be alternative ways of getting traffic off the roads. I do also find it amusing when people used to talk about an underground system in Birmingham, when if you look at the number of redundant and none passenger carrying railways, we have 70% of an underground system already.


I am just wondering if there are any photos of the old stations and maybe a rail map we could pull together on this tread to get a better overview and discussion.
 
Below is something I've made up from a map labelled 1974-1980. As its rather large , best to download and view the downloaded file
 

Attachments

  • MOSELEY LINE FROM MAP OF LATE 1970S.jpg
    MOSELEY LINE FROM MAP OF LATE 1970S.jpg
    891.1 KB · Views: 70
Last edited:
If, as mentioned in a previous post, there are spare platforms at Kings Norton and Northfield then the Metro system or trains from Moor Street via the Camp Hill line would seem to be well worth considering. Maybe they have. Certainly any more movements in and out of New Street are not really ideal. I am not sure of the density of freight traffic but I am sure freight trains could be pathed overnight and during some of the quieter daytime periods.
 
Mike, there are a couple of interesting goods yards on the way into Birmingham. I was looking at the one the top of Camp Hill
 
I read, elsewhere and written by someone who actually works for the railways, not in the Council House or a newspaper, that the Camp Hill route is already used by passenger trains. Here is the quote from him. It is a reply to a post about the Lord Mayors BBC interview.
I don't know why he mentions 3rd. city, maybe because he thinks Manchester is No.2. But he is correct about the crawl into New Street.
The Camp Hill line is open now and and used by most Bristol - Manchester services. However, it currently lacks the intermediate stations needed to slow the approach to the 3rd city to a crawl.
laugh.gif

Another contributor suggests difficulties in re-instating the new stations at Moseley (in a cutting) and Kings Heath has a structure built in the old yard. Maybe simple platform with bus shelter type stations are envisaged. I gather than the new folk running the WM area are not allowed to make announcements until after 10th. December. This is a snippet from their web site where mention of places specifically in Birmingham are mentioned.

Are there plans for any new stations?
There will be a new depot located in Birmingham and in addition we will also be investing in depot upgrades at (Worcester,) Soho, Tyseley (and Bletchley.)
subject to feasibility, we would like to open new stations at Moseley, Kings Heath, Hazelwell, (Brierley Hill and West Midlands Safari Park as well as the two at Darlaston and Willenhall.)
 
Last edited:
I have travelled the Camp Hill line at least 5 times on trains to and from Bristol. I think it is more likely that trains from Manchester to Bristol use this route rather than Sheffield/Derby trains to Bristol. I read a few years ago that reopening of the line is dependent on the first reopening of the Stourbridge to Bescot Line. Also because of the overcrowding at New Street trains would have to run into Moor Street which requires a new line being built to connect the Camp Hill line to the Moor Street Line
 
For information I have checked and found that there were 66 train movements over this line today (1st December)

6 Bristol & beyond to Manchester (other trains would have run over the Bromsgrove line)
14 Manchester to Bristol & beyond (other trains would have run over the Bromsgrove line)
1 Birmingham to Cardiff (other trains would have run over the Bromsgrove line)
1 Cardiff to Birmingham (other trains would have run over the Bromsgrove line)
13 To run as required but did not run
4 Cross Country empty train movements
1 London Midland empty train movements
26 Freight trains

For information, some Bristol and Cardiff trains run via the Stourbridge line at the beginning and end of service each day to enable drivers to maintain their route knowledge in case of diversion.

Information taken from Real Time Trains
 
Thank you David. I now have an idea of the approximate number of freight trains using the line. It seems that the XCountry SW to NE and Scotland still run through the line via Five Ways.
 
Looking at the station in the other direction from Woodbridge Road toward Moseley you can see the tunnel under St Mary's Row at the end of the station.

Moseley Moseley Railway Station.jpg
 
The photo by Phil is the second Moseley station. The original was named Kings Heath when this one was built. The passenger line existed from 1867 under the Midland Railway and the LMS who closed it in 1941. The frequent service of city trams and buses, with lower fare was something the railway was unable to combat.
Lots more pics of old Moseley station here:
https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/moseley.htm
 
The trains from Hereford could be rerouted via the Camp Hill Line according to this, with stops at Kings Heath, Moseley and Balsall Heath. But will go into New Street, so they don't have to build a spur at Bordesley to get trains to Moor Street / Snow Hill.

https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/train-stations-moseley-kings-heath-14350952

A major stumbling block to the reopening of Birmingham’s Camp Hill rail line could be cleared thanks to a bold reworking of the plans.

The city has been crying out for passenger services to be brought back to the line through Moseley and Kings Heath for many years .

And West Midlands Mayor Andy Street made it a manifesto pledge to get work started on the line by the time his term of office ends in 2020.

The key engineering issue has been the need for a new railway viaduct in Bordesley to allow services to access Moor Street and Snow Hill Stations, avoiding congested New Street.

But now Mr Street says the viaduct is not necessary and a reorganising of services between Herefordshire and New Street could see the line open to New Street without adding to congestion.
Click to expand...
 
The Transport Secretary visited Moseley a few days ago.

https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/ne...rayling-absolutely-committed-moseley-14387978

Transport secretary Chris Grayling has said he is "absolutely committed" to getting passenger trains running on the Camp Hill line again.

Speaking after a meeting with rail and transport chiefs in Moseley, the Conservative Cabinet minister also promised to help restore the much-needed rail service as soon as possible.

He spent yesterday in the West Midlands viewing progress on the Brierley Hill metro extension, examining the case to restore passenger trains on the Walsall to Wolverhampton line and popping into Moor Street station in Birmingham for a briefing before heading to Moseley.
Click to expand...
 
The article above shows several stations on the line. One looks like thy'd be re-opening the old Camp Hill station as well as King's Heath and Moseley. That should irritate the people that campaigned for a "Balsall Heath" station. Then again, if they're going to call it the Camp Hill line...
Further down the page there's something from new Mayor Andy Street. "He has previously spoken in favour of introducing a congestion charge for Birmingham city centre, last year saying it was something the city would have to do."
Has this guy ever been to Birmingham City Centre? You've got the Ringway which seems to have survived the continuous diversions without any major blockages and everything inside that is closed to traffic. What congestion? It gets worse on Moseley Road or Stratford Road.
 
The repaired bridge on Vicarage Road in Kings Heath. Metal fences either side. Could be a good side for a new Hazelwell Station (if there is room?).



Map below from Google Maps. Trees line the section near the top of Fordhouse Lane.

Vicarage Rd Kings Heath.jpg
 
It would be lovely to have this line reinstated. We have friends near the cricket club and at the moment we take the train and then the bus. The traffic in Kings Heath High Street is a nightmare at most times of the day and I wouldn't dream of trying to drive there.
 
Glad to hear it. the minister's visit will also probably explain the tidying up of Duddeston station which a member commented on recently on another thread, as Duddeston would presumably feature in the new connection to Kings Heath and will possibly have been visited by him
 
Seems there is progress, see tfwm web site, I can't get it to copy, apparently planning permission for station at Kings Heath has been granted.
Screenshot (219).png
 
Last edited:
Yes, there was a trial using a train stopping at the station locations on Monday 16th 2020 as confirmed by the Rail Advent site.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top