Coventry to Birmingham - infrastructure change or the onset of senility?

[SteveM70]

When I was a teenager in the mid-80s I spent a lot of time going up and down between Coventry and Birmingham.

I did it this afternoon for the first time in probably 25 years and found an awful lot has changed.

For a start, the level crossings at Canley and Tile Hill have been replaced with bridges / road realignment, and the approaches to Birmingham seem not too dissimilar from a railway point of view, but everything else looks shiny and new. And of course HS2 work is going on.

The stub siding at Berkswell is also no more. We were told as kids that sometimes the royal train stopped there overnight. Who knows, but we were impressed

But something is baffling me. I remember - or at least I think I remember - there was a short loop on the down side in between Tile Hill and the tunnel. No sign of it today though, and no real evidence it was ever there.

So:

- am I dreaming, or was it once there and then removed?

- if so, roughly when?

 

[Dr Hoo]

The Tile Hill loop was very short and really lost its usefulness once Birmingham International was built in the 1970s with higher entry and exit speeds and a generally 'spare' platform in the Down direction at the time..

It wasn't uncommon to see freights looped at International in the Down direction.

I think that you can still see where a few masts were set back just beyond Tile Hill but the whole point is, it was only a few for such a short facility.

I recall that it lingered on to some extent until the West Coast upgrade got under way.

 

[Ianno87]

Tile Hill Down loop was removed in around 2006/7 or so. Possibly as a precursor to Coventry resignalling that happened in Sunmer 2007.

 

[MarkWi72]

My father ruptured his bladder at Berkswell in 1982. I recall the date as the World Cup was on at the time. the cause was railway photography. We were stopped at the crossing, and we'd been on a day out to Coventry (I think) and he always took his camera. It was on the back seat, so he got out of the car, grabbed his camera and raced along the wooden planked walkway , which led to the platform. It had been raining and he fell heavily on his back and spent three days in Dudley Guest Hospital. He got the photo, mind.

 

[SteveM70]

Thanks for the info, glad it wasn’t me imagining stuff

 

[a good off]

The stub at Berkswell used to originally go to Kenilworth and joined the Cov - Leamington line.

 

[Bald Rick]

Confirming that Tile Hill loop went when Coventry was reisgnalled, and the 3 level crossings (Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell) were removed a year or two before that.

Berkswell siding is, technically, still there. It’s in the signalling system, but out of use. It may be being (has been?) removed for HS2 which crosses the line there.

I have actually been in Tile Hill loop on a service train in 1993. On a stopper looped for a late running InterCity. A rare occurrence, even then. The longer masts are still visible, you can see them on aerial views of mapping apps, starting a couple of masts west of Tile Hill station itself.

 

[Ken H]

I think I have been in the tile hill loop in the 90's
further west, does anyone remember the electrified down loop through Adderley Park stn? Think freight only and the down platform was a one sided island. Must have been lifted about 1988 ish. They rebuilt the station to have step free after that.

 

[SteveM70]

The stub at Berkswell used to originally go to Kenilworth and joined the Cov - Leamington line.

Indeed. Part of my schools cross country course used the trackbed on the outskirts of Kenilworth

I think I have been in the tile hill loop in the 90's
further west, does anyone remember the electrified down loop through Adderley Park stn? Think freight only and the down platform was a one sided island. Must have been lifted about 1988 ish. They rebuilt the station to have step free after that.

Yes! Had completely forgotten about that but I do recall it

 

[The Planner]

Berkswell siding is, technically, still there. It’s in the signalling system, but out of use. It may be being (has been?) removed for HS2 which crosses the line there.

The stub is still there, there is talk about bringing it back in to use temporarily for HS2 materials.

 

[CHA 81C]

I think I have been in the tile hill loop in the 90's
further west, does anyone remember the electrified down loop through Adderley Park stn? Think freight only and the down platform was a one sided island. Must have been lifted about 1988 ish. They rebuilt the station to have step free after that.

I think the Adderley Park loop was where some trains stopped for ticket checks when New St was an open station. Vauxhall & Duddeston would have been similar, but with ordinary island platforms. Maybe someone even older than me can confirm that.

 

[SteveM70]

The stub is still there, there is talk about bringing it back in to use temporarily for HS2 materials.

If it is there, it’s a lot shorter than it was in the 80s. I’ve just checked google maps and it looks to be maybe 75 yards or so, parallel to the main line. 30 years ago I’m sure the siding was longer and curved away following the line of the Kenilworth branch

 

[Wapps]

What speed is the Coventry - Birmingham line? Does it have EPS?

 

[The Planner]

What speed is the Coventry - Birmingham line? Does it have EPS?

100mph with bits of 110mph MU and EPS

 

[Wapps]

Thank you. What is the speed on Coventry to Rugby, if you know?

 

[The Planner]

Thank you. What is the speed on Coventry to Rugby, if you know?

100mph/125mph MU and EPS

 

[Wapps]

100mph/125mph MU and EPS

Thanks, that makes sense. There’s a pub at Wolston right next to the track. As they accelerate out of Coventry they really hurtle past - the pub shakes.

 

[diffident]

Thanks, that makes sense. There’s a pub at Wolston right next to the track. As they accelerate out of Coventry they really hurtle past - the pub shakes.

The pub by the station at Berkswell has the same issue!

 

[Geezertronic]

For a start, the level crossings at Canley and Tile Hill have been replaced with bridges / road realignment...

And Berkswell which has been replaced with a larger traffic light controlled underpass to the right (if coming from Balsall Common)

 

[oldboy reg]

Apparently way back in time there used to be a small oil depot siding between Tile Hill and Canley.

 

[The Planner]

And Berkswell which has been replaced with a larger traffic light controlled underpass to the right (if coming from Balsall Common)

Large? I've driven under that, its about 7 foot high!

 

[Geezertronic]

Large? I've driven under that, its about 7 foot high!

I meant larger than the one that was there when the crossing was in use I believe they made it larger (additional height, and width to allow for a pedestrian path) as part of the closing of the crossing. I also believe they also installed a height notification system for vehicles coming close to the location so over-height vehicles can be reminded of the fact and don't hit the bridge

 

[james60059]

There was a loop at Tile Hill, I use to spot in the car park in the early 1990's, down where a signal was with a junction indicator, and one occasion a local service (Class 310?) was looped after the Tile Hill stop to allow an Intercity service to pass. Sadly I lost all of my early spotting notes many years ago