Easter engineering work, Birmingham - Derby.

[Mugby]

Just noticed on Cross Country's site, NE/SW services between Derby and Birmingham are diverted via Leicester this weekend.

The Nottingham stoppers from Birmingham are terminating at Tamworth with bus connections thence to Burton and Derby. What will the procedure be for returning to Birmingham from Tamworth?
I'm not aware of any crossover in the immediate vicinity of Tamworth High Level, where will they go to get access to the Down line?

 

[JonathanH]

Just noticed on Cross Country's site, NE/SW services between Derby and Birmingham are diverted via Leicester this weekend.

The Nottingham stoppers from Birmingham are terminating at Tamworth with bus connections thence to Burton and Derby. What will the procedure be for returning to Birmingham from Tamworth?
I'm not aware of any crossover in the immediate vicinity of Tamworth High Level, where will they go to get access to the Down line?

Running forward to Barton under Needwood to reverse.

Realtime Trains - 5V03 1025 Tamworth to Tamworth

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[43055]

Looks like they are running as far as Central Rivers before crossing over and turning back. As seen here

Realtime Trains - 5V05 1230 Tamworth to Tamworth

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Mugby]

Thank you. So that's the first available crossover north of Tamworth.

Not sure if the one at Elford is still in situ but it wasn't signalled so therefore unsuitable?

 

[The Planner]

No crossover at Elford to do that, its a down only loop, and a useless one at that considering how slow it is.

 

[Mugby]

No crossover at Elford to do that, its a down only loop, and a useless one at that considering how slow it is.

No, I didn't mean the Down loop. There used to be a crossover on the Burton side of the A513 road bridge (where the old station house is)
I presume it must have been removed in recent years?

 

[The Planner]

No, I didn't mean the Down loop. There used to be a crossover on the Burton side of the A513 road bridge (where the old station house is)
I presume it must have been removed in recent years?

That went nearly 10 years ago as part of the Water Orton resignalling.

 

[satisnek]

The crossover at Elford is still in situ as far as I know, but presumably padlocked out of use?

 

[8stewartt]

Elford crossover is operated by a ground frame and hand signals. Easier to use the crossover near the depot.

 

[The Planner]

The crossover at Elford is still in situ as far as I know, but presumably padlocked out of use?

So it is, live and learn. Amazed it survived considering how it was all de-scoped, would have been an easy bit to cull.

 

[Mugby]

Incidentally, does anyone know exactly what and where the engineering work was?

Presumably it must have been between Central Rivers and Stenson Jcn. or the Birmingham - Nottingham trains could have gone via Castle Donington.

 

[rail-god]

Incidentally, does anyone know exactly what and where the engineering work was?

Presumably it must have been between Central Rivers and Stenson Jcn. or the Birmingham - Nottingham trains could have gone via Castle Donington.

Wetmore Sidings and Barton South Jct - All lines Possession - 0855 Sun to 19.25 Sun

 

[trubla]

A trailing crossover was installed just north of the high level platforms, the idea being in the rush hour trains trains could reverse at Tamworth without going further north. But this never happened and the crossover was eventually removed.

 

[The Planner]

A trailing crossover was installed just north of the high level platforms, the idea being in the rush hour trains trains could reverse at Tamworth without going further north. But this never happened and the crossover was eventually removed.

How long ago was this? I don't recall it.

 

[Class 170101]

A trailing crossover was installed just north of the high level platforms, the idea being in the rush hour trains trains could reverse at Tamworth without going further north. But this never happened and the crossover was eventually removed.

Whilst it probably suits the Birmingham Mayor for services to terminate at Tamworth having seen some of the trains across there they would be better pushing through to Derby and terminating there given that Derby is a centre of employment too.

 

[Whistler40145]

What would journey times have been by road either from Birmingham New Street or Birmingham International and going via the Motorway calling in at Tamworth?

 

[The Planner]

What would journey times have been by road either from Birmingham New Street or Birmingham International and going via the Motorway calling in at Tamworth?

The times are set by the TOCs, don't always go by what Googlemaps might tell you.

 

[trentvalley]

Whilst it probably suits the Birmingham Mayor for services to terminate at Tamworth having seen some of the trains across there they would be better pushing through to Derby and terminating there given that Derby is a centre of employment too.

to be fair Andy Street, Westmids mayor is interested in greater connections to more places north than just Tamworth. For instance extending the cross city line to Burton and adding a couple of new stations along the route one of them a parkway at Alrewas.

 

[Whistler40145]

to be fair Andy Street, Westmids mayor is interested in greater connections to more places north than just Tamworth. For instance extending the cross city line to Burton and adding a couple of new stations along the route one of them a parkway at Alrewas.

Would it be a good business case to double track Lichfield Trent Valley High Level to Wichnor Junction?

 

[The Planner]

Would it be a good business case to double track Lichfield Trent Valley High Level to Wichnor Junction?

Apart from the mile or so at Wichnor it already is.

 

[Whistler40145]

Apart from the mile or so at Wichnor it already is.

Is a second platform still in situ at Lichfield Trent Valley High Level and what modifications to the signalling system would be required?

 

[The Planner]

Is a second platform still in situ at Lichfield Trent Valley High Level and what modifications to the signalling system would be required?

No, and arguably none even though it is the last bit of the West Mids to be done and is on the back burner currently.

 

[Whistler40145]

No, and arguably none even though it is the last bit of the West Mids to be done and is on the back burner currently.

Thank you

 

[Class 170101]

Certainly it could be argued that more services should be provided towards Nuneaton and Tamworth these services should go beyond those points as well as those services to Lichfield Trent Valley should go to their next major respective centres - so Leicester and Derby respectively. Whether extending beyond Burton from Lichfield is worth it is hard to say as it will never be the faster route between Derby and Birmingham (thats via Tamworth) but would connect those stations directly with Derby rather than needing to double back on oneself via Birmingham, as currently or by changing at Burton.

 

[Mugby]

I seem to remember that there was one train from Birmingham which terminated at Tamworth.

It could have been about ten years ago, can't remember if it was in the morning or evening peak.

 

[Comstock]

For instance extending the cross city line to Burton and adding a couple of new stations along the route one of them a parkway at Alrewas.

And what would the other one be?

 

[Roast Veg]

I don't exactly think Fradley would make for a well served station - nor Alrewas.

 

[grumpyoldman01]

I don't exactly think Fradley would make for a well served station - nor Alrewas.

Alrewas station site is close to the National Memorial Arboretum - I remember getting my wife to stop the car so I could take a photo of the old LNWR signal box there as she was driving into the arboretum's overflow car park!

 

[grumpyoldman01]

Certainly it could be argued that more services should be provided towards Nuneaton and Tamworth these services should go beyond those points as well as those services to Lichfield Trent Valley should go to their next major respective centres - so Leicester and Derby respectively. Whether extending beyond Burton from Lichfield is worth it is hard to say as it will never be the faster route between Derby and Birmingham (thats via Tamworth) but would connect those stations directly with Derby rather than needing to double back on oneself via Birmingham, as currently or by changing at Burton.

There's quite a strong commuter flow along the A38 to Derby from places like Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield, so an extension through to Derby might make sense; but could the present infrastructure cope, particularly at Wichnor Junction and Derby?

 

[43055]

There's quite a strong commuter flow along the A38 to Derby from places like Lichfield and Sutton Coldfield, so an extension through to Derby might make sense; but could the present infrastructure cope, particularly at Wichnor Junction and Derby?

Derby would certainly be able cope seeing as they had a remodel two years ago.