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The Railways

mikejee said:

From New civil engineer​

Updated 30-year rail strategy for the West Midlands promotes new lines and services in the region​

06 SEP, 2023 BY THOMAS JOHNSON

The West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) has updated its 30-year rail strategy and has outlined a number of proposals for new lines and services in the region.
The update to the rail strategy for the region comes five years after the 30-year plan was originally published, with the pandemic being cited as the reason for the refresh. WMRE’s new West Midlands Rail Investment Strategy 2022-2050 includes expanded proposals to support the recovery from Covid-19 and increase contributions towards net zero.
The updates have further been made to the strategy following a consultation that began in October last year.
The new proposals include a train service between Burton and Lichfield to be constructed and details of longer term plans for new railway between Walsall, Lichfield and onto central Birmingham. A new station at Alrewas is proposed for the Burton to Lichfield line and a new station in Aldridge is included as part of the proposal for the extension of Walsall services.
The strategy also details proposals to provide a New London - Coventry - Nuneaton - Trent Valley service and extend the services of Rugeley trains out to Stafford. WMRE believes all this can be achieved by 2031. Also suggested within this timeframe is the construction of new stations at Tettenhall, Shrewsbury Parkway, Brinsford and south of Stoke.
Further down the pipeline, WMRE want the Cross City Line extended to Burton with a new station at Polesworth Parkway, the reopening of the Sutton Park Line in two phases, the creation of services between Chase Line and Birmingham International and the reopening with Walsall – Lichfield services with new stations. It believes all this, plus the implementation of new stations in Fort Parkway, Kingsbury and Nuneaton Parkway, can be achieved by 2050 at the latest.

A key element of the strategy is the remapping of train services across Birmingham, which includes new cross-Birmingham links connecting Wolverhampton and Walsall with south Birmingham.
Further to this, the strategy outlines commitment to help “support delivery of new stations in east Birmingham and Warwickshire (for example Castle Bromwich and Galley Common) and new services (for example Sutton Park Line)”. Short term aspirations regarding MRH involved constructing a new platform at Birmingham Snow Hill and upgrading the Kings Norton to Barnt Green line.
The unchanged part of the plan reiterates that WMRE remains committed to the Midlands’ end of High Speed 2 (HS2) and the Midlands Railway Hub (MRH). The £1.3bn MRH will aim to unlock “the national rail network’s capacity bottleneck in central Birmingham, improve access to HS2 and deliver faster and more frequent connections across the West Midlands,” according to the report.
Since the first strategy was issued in 2018, the new Worcestershire Parkway station has opened, progress has also been made on the construction of five new railway stations on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham and the Wolverhampton to Walsall line, as well as the redevelopment of Coventry, Wolverhampton, Perry Barr and University railway stations.
With plans for roughly 400,000 more houses to be built in the Midlands, the strategy also looks at increasing the number of trains servicing major stations as well as building more new ones.

Current stations under construction include Darlaston, Willenhall, Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road, all set to be completed by 2023-24.
West Midlands mayor and WMRE chair Andy Street said: “Rail has an absolutely central role to play in our region’s success.
“New rail links and stations generate jobs for local people and prosperity for local communities. At the same time – by providing a sustainable car alternative – rail helps us to tackle the climate emergency and meet our #WM2041 net zero commitment.
“Since the first strategy was published five years ago, we’ve made tangible progress – drawing in more than £200M in funding for new and redeveloped stations.
“Alongside our own substantial programme of investment, it’s vital for the West Midlands that both HS2 and the MRH are completed - providing the much needed extra capacity required to improve services for residents right across our region and give them a rail network that is truly fit for the future.”
WMRE accountable director for rail infrastructure investment Peter Butlin said: “An enhanced, fit-for-purpose rail network doesn’t just benefit the major cities, it helps spread investment and improve the quality of life across the entire wider region from Shropshire and Staffordshire to West Northamptonshire and Warwickshire
“Our regional rail network must have the future capacity and capability required to meet future demand for travel and provide access to employment, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities for all of our citizens.”
Railway Industry Association Midlands & Eastern lead Milda Manomaityte said: “RIA Midlands & Eastern welcomes today’s announcement of the West Midlands Rail Investment Strategy, which strongly aligns with RIA Midlands & Eastern members priorities of having visibility and certainty around major projects delivery, decarbonisation, skills and innovation.
“We continue to call for close collaboration with the supply chain to develop an efficient and affordable rolling programme of electrification, to deliver the HS2 and Midlands Mainline Electrification programmes in full, and to provide the supply chain with full visible timeline of the Midlands Rail Hub programme, among other things. The full RIA Midlands & Eastern Priorities paper will be launched in Derby on 6 October and railway stakeholders are welcome to join the event.”
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This article mentions Aldridge railway station and the Sutton Park line. Current proposals are to reopen the Sutton Park line to passenger traffic (it has always remained open to goods traffic), but only initially between Aldridge and Walsall. The article also mentions Castle Bromwich station. That was at the other end of the Sutton Park line. It would be good if they could join these plans up and reopen the whole of the line to passenger services.

www.birminghammail.co.uk

Huge boost for new train station plans after £400k land investment

It will be the first time the area has had a passenger service in 56 years
www.birminghammail.co.uk www.birminghammail.co.uk

www.railadvent.co.uk

Plans approved for a new station at Aldridge in the West Midlands

Funding has been approved for a new single-platform railway station at Aldridge on the Sutton Park line in the West Midlands.
www.railadvent.co.uk www.railadvent.co.uk
 
Ray Griffiths said:
Two pictures of City Of Birmingham in The Old Transport Museum in Newhall Street.

You used to be able to press a button and see it move Backwards /forwardwards and see the British Engineering at it's.

I think I right in say that when it came it Birmingham for official naming it damaged the smoke exhaust pipe on the tunnel and that's why semi's never worked it to New St Station.

Or is this a tale we like to believe because as a trainspotter I don't ever remember seeing one in New St, Lichfield Trent Valley/ Tamworth Low level was the place
Click to expand...
 
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Ray Griffiths said:
Two pictures of City Of Birmingham in The Old Transport Museum in Newhall Street.

You used to be able to press a button and see it move Backwards /forwardwards and see the British Engineering at it's.

I think I right in say that when it came it Birmingham for official naming it damaged the smoke exhaust pipe on the tunnel and that's why semi's never worked it to New St Station.

Or is this a tale we like to believe because as a trainspotter I don't ever remember seeing one in New St, Lichfield Trent Valley/ Tamworth Low level was the place to see them.
Click to expand...
As a spotter of those days all sorts of stories were about, they hit the tunnel with the chimney...they couldn't make the curves of the bends leading to New St.....and so on...but...did we have the traffic that called to pull a loco off the London to Northern regions to warrant a Semi being put on ??? difficult to say isn't it....they came in later OK in 1962 but then of course we get....Oh the structures had been altered !!! will we ever really know ???
 
I did see a photo of I think Princess Alice 1951 in New Street Station....with sloping smokebox too....you may well find it still about somewhere
 
The first service in the Birmingham area to switch from steam to diesel was that between New Street, Sutton Coldfield and Lichfield.
Ivatt 2-6-2T 41370 at Chester Road with a Four Oaks to Birmingham New Street rail motor train on 25th February 1956,the last day on which services were steam operated.

1697958115656.jpeg​
 
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