adrock1976
Established Member
From how I remember things, Bordesley station at one time had trains calling every 10 minutes in both directions - every 20 minutes to Shirley (60 minute extensions to Stratford upon Avon) and every 20 minutes to Dorridge (60 minute extensions to Leamington Spa).
Round about 1989 or 1990, the Leamington and Stratford trains omitted calling here (as well as Small Heath and Tyseley). Understandable as both Leamington and Stratford were the furthest points of the former Regional Railways Central routes out of Snow Hill.
A few years later, Bordesley had the number of trains calling there drastically reduced - possibly 2 in each direction, one for each of Shirley and Solihull although there would be extra calls on matchdays. In the years after the reinstated link to Stourbridge in 1995 and to the present day, there is one train that calls on a Saturday in the Stourbridge direction only (I looked during a random week in April 2021).
Is there anything that could be done to revive the fortunes of this station, as according to passenger data, Bordesley is the least used station within the West Midlands PTE (or even the former European Parliament Region), which is not surprising due to the legally bare minimum service it receives? Bordesley is not far from the Irish Quarter, and would be slightly easier for passengers who are transferring to or from Digbeth Coach Station as there are no steep hills to navigate compared with New Street or Moor Street, and it is close to the Middleway Ring Road (similar to Jewellery Quarter) which may make a reasonable park and ride station for passengers travelling out to Solihull or Stratford or wherever in that direction. Perhaps experiment with trains calling there on request to begin with? Any other possibilities?
Being as the area out towards Solihull and Shirley tends to be predominantly Bluenoses and with me being a supporter of the far mightier and far superior side that plays in claret and blue (and knows exactly what the top flight division trophy and also a replica of the European Cup looks like), I would not suggest permanent closure as I would have them raging at me. I'll leave that to somebody else to suggest that.
Round about 1989 or 1990, the Leamington and Stratford trains omitted calling here (as well as Small Heath and Tyseley). Understandable as both Leamington and Stratford were the furthest points of the former Regional Railways Central routes out of Snow Hill.
A few years later, Bordesley had the number of trains calling there drastically reduced - possibly 2 in each direction, one for each of Shirley and Solihull although there would be extra calls on matchdays. In the years after the reinstated link to Stourbridge in 1995 and to the present day, there is one train that calls on a Saturday in the Stourbridge direction only (I looked during a random week in April 2021).
Is there anything that could be done to revive the fortunes of this station, as according to passenger data, Bordesley is the least used station within the West Midlands PTE (or even the former European Parliament Region), which is not surprising due to the legally bare minimum service it receives? Bordesley is not far from the Irish Quarter, and would be slightly easier for passengers who are transferring to or from Digbeth Coach Station as there are no steep hills to navigate compared with New Street or Moor Street, and it is close to the Middleway Ring Road (similar to Jewellery Quarter) which may make a reasonable park and ride station for passengers travelling out to Solihull or Stratford or wherever in that direction. Perhaps experiment with trains calling there on request to begin with? Any other possibilities?
Being as the area out towards Solihull and Shirley tends to be predominantly Bluenoses and with me being a supporter of the far mightier and far superior side that plays in claret and blue (and knows exactly what the top flight division trophy and also a replica of the European Cup looks like), I would not suggest permanent closure as I would have them raging at me. I'll leave that to somebody else to suggest that.