Proposals for three new West Midlands railway stations to be developed

[Elecman]

Midlands Rail hub full scheme is fully funded. 1.7bn been in the press and mayor tweeted it.

£1.75 billion funded to "build Midlands Rail Hub in full" as part of Network North.

‘Funded’ subject to individual acceptable business cases being submitted and approved

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I live in Wolverhampton and for the life of me cannot see why the idea of a Tettenhall station keeps cropping up. There's a very frequent and generally reliable bus service between Tettenhall and Wolverhampton, where you can get a train anyway. Or, the erstwhile residents of Tetttenhall "Village" can drive their Range Rover Evoques to Wolverhampton station (where there is ample parking) even quicker! Introducing another stop literally outside Wolverhampton seems entirely unnecessary.

They already bought the land for it.

This is the link, sorry I can't download the text:
Ignore this point! I see that the link address refers to Aldridge, not sure why it's against Tettenhall in my spreadsheet!

 

[Meerkat]

As it stands, it will have to end up in a XC Leicester local, and a New St Nottingham local. I can't see XC being overly enthused by it as you point out. Unless someone is putting in a crossover at Tamworth, you can't run a local there.

I was assuming it would be a big money effort with a new southbound platform so that the current one can be a turnback in the centre to reduce pathing issues. So unlikely...

People will still drive to it, you can't stop human nature and the locals will soon kick off when they can't park anymore as the back streets get clogged up. You only need to look at the Willenhall Lane bridge on StreetView to see what fun that will be.

Controlled parking zones are the answer. One hour a day that needs permits or vouchers, to put off commuters.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

There’s been another announcement of additional funding today.

The Midlands Rail Hub project will also extend more London to Birmingham services from Moor Street to Snow Hill station, allowing the Chiltern line to serve Birmingham’s Snow Hill business district.

What’s more, Kings Norton station will be made more accessible, while platforms at Snow Hill, Moor Street, and Kings Norton will be upgraded.

Once delivered in full, this project aims to increase services on most routes by between 50 and 100 percent.

For example, the number of trains between Birmingham and Leicester will be doubled from two to four per hour. More trains are also planned between Birmingham and Nottingham and the new Birmingham to Worcester trains will be extended to Hereford.

In addition, Birmingham’s Cross-City line will gain a ‘turn-up-and-go’ service with a train every 10 minutes.

Full article is in the link but as a half interested bystander does this actually mean anything tangible? I get the impression that a lot of these announcements are people just re announcing things that have already been funded, spinning non news (like the reinstatement of a 10 minute frequency on the cross city line) or making speculative suggestions that might be cool but won’t happen. Will Moor Street station ever look like the image in the render for example?

 

[The Planner]

There’s been another announcement of additional funding today.




Full article is in the link but as a half interested bystander does this actually mean anything tangible? I get the impression that a lot of these announcements are people just re announcing things that have already been funded, spinning non news (like the reinstatement of a 10 minute frequency on the cross city line) or making speculative suggestions that might be cool but won’t happen. Will Moor Street station ever look like the image in the render for example?

Spin, its nothing new. Love the way the Cross City "gains" a turn up and go service.

 

[172007]

There’s been another announcement of additional funding today.




Full article is in the link but as a half interested bystander does this actually mean anything tangible? I get the impression that a lot of these announcements are people just re announcing things that have already been funded, spinning non news (like the reinstatement of a 10 minute frequency on the cross city line) or making speculative suggestions that might be cool but won’t happen. Will Moor Street station ever look like the image in the render for example?

Well, all I know is that behind the scenes everything is pretty much finalised with regards, track and signaling including Snow Hill getting Mid platform signals, Platform 4 back and new crossovers Jewelllery Quarter end allow access to all 4 platforms both ways.

Time will tell.

 

[stuu]

About time the Chiltern line went to Snow Hill

 

[The Planner]

Well, all I know is that behind the scenes everything is pretty much finalised with regards, track and signaling including Snow Hill getting Mid platform signals, Platform 4 back and new crossovers Jewelllery Quarter end allow access to all 4 platforms both ways.

Time will tell.

No mid platform signals on the plans I have seen. There is going to be one hell of a signal gantry where the chords branch off though at what was Bordesley station.

 

[Bald Rick]

In addition, Birmingham’s Cross-City line will gain a ‘turn-up-and-go’ service with a train every 10 minutes.

Looking forward to see @The Planner fit the extra 2tph and the Camp Hill services between Grand Jn and the platforms at New St. Good luck, mate.

 

[The Planner]

Looking forward to see @The Planner fit the extra 2tph and the Camp Hill services between Grand Jn and the platforms at New St. Good luck, mate.

You mean the Camp Hill trains that sit in the missing Cross City north slots?

 

[snowball]

The report linked in #34 is doubtless based on this DfT press release:

Work to deliver Midlands Rail Hub set to begin with £123 million

Millions of people will benefit from more frequent rail services from central Birmingham and upgraded stations across the Midlands.

www.gov.uk

design work on £1.75 billion Midlands Rail Hub project set to begin

rail hub set to benefit millions of people with improved journey times and more frequent rail services

investment demonstrates Network North commitment to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub with reallocated HS2 funding to benefit more people, in more places, more quickly

comes as Midlands set to benefit from £2.2 billion through Local Transport Fund to improve local transport connections

Work on the Midlands Rail Hub is set to begin after ministers provided an initial £123 million funding injection.

The transformational upgrade project is part of the government’s plan to improve transport across the region and beyond, boosting the capacity and frequency of rail services for passengers while upgrading stations across the Midlands.

More than 50 stations – covering 7 million people across the region – will benefit from the plans, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding. The first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub will mean an additional train every hour in both directions between central Birmingham and locations including:

Bristol
Cardiff
Cheltenham
Worcester

This first wave of funding will enable design work to begin on creating space for extra services. This includes preparing detailed designs for the infrastructure improvements required, finalising operating plans for the new services, while continuing to move the rest of the programme forward.

The investment comes as part of the government’s Network North transport plan, which committed £1.75 billion to deliver the Midlands Rail Hub in full.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

The Midlands Rail Hub will bring huge benefits to passengers in the region and beyond, so it’s great to be in Birmingham with Mayor Andy Street to kick start this important project.

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s plan to invest in transport projects with reallocated HS2 funding, helping to grow the economy and better connect communities across the Midlands.

More London to Birmingham services will be extended from Moor Street to Snow Hill station meaning the Chiltern line will also serve Birmingham’s Snow Hill business district.

In addition, Kings Norton station will be made more accessible, while platforms at Snow Hill, Moor Street, and Kings Norton stations will be upgraded. Passengers will also have greater access to HS2 services via Curzon Street station, meaning easier travel across the country.

When delivered in full, the hub will see services on most routes increase by between 50% and 100%. Birmingham’s Cross-City line will be given a ‘turn-up-and-go’ service with a train every 10 minutes.

The number of trains between Birmingham and Leicester will be doubled from 2 to 4 per hour, while additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham, and the new Birmingham to Worcester trains extended to Hereford.

Andy Street, Mayor of West Midlands and chair of the West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE), said:

The Midlands Rail Hub will deliver a revolution in public transport for our region opening up more capacity on the routes in and out of central Birmingham which will allow us to run more services to more places both locally and nationally.

Midlands Rail Hub will also provide an opportunity for us to open more new stations and lines across our network as well as deliver faster journey times into central Birmingham from the new Camp Hill line stations that are currently under construction at Moseley Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road.

This investment will not only better connect communities to convenient and rapid public transport services but also attract further investment into our region, delivering jobs, growth and greater prosperity.

It’s important not to forget that this new funding comes on top of the billions of pounds worth of transport investment we have already secured for the West Midlands. That funding is really significant and will help turbo-charge our plans to improve public transport across the region, connecting local people to education, training, health and leisure services as well as job opportunities.

Maria Machancoses, Chief Executive of Midlands Connect, said:

This announcement marks a major milestone in this transformational, nationally significant project.

The Midlands Rail Hub programme is the result of years of collaboration and determination by cross-party leaders from all corners of the Midlands.

Today’s £123 million announcement is a clear sign of government’s trust in our partnership – getting us closer to finally delivering much need east-west connectivity across the region.

We will continue to work with government to progress the plans and ensure, as set out in Network North, Midlands Rail Hub is delivered in full, extending the benefits to towns and cities like Hereford, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester.

The Midlands Rail Hub announcement comes as the British Business Bank launched its £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II today (29 February 2024), unlocking additional funding to help smaller businesses in the Midlands prosper and thrive.

The fund will drive sustainable economic growth by supporting new and growing businesses across the whole of the Midlands, increasing the access and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses in the region. It includes a range of finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million to help small and medium-sized businesses start up, scale up, or stay ahead.

The Midlands Rail Hub announcement also comes shortly after the government announced the Midlands will receive £2.2 billion from April 2025 to improve local transport connections in areas outside the city regions. The investment will give local authorities long-term certainty to invest in transport improvements such as building new roads and installing or expanding mass transit systems.

Over the 7 years as a whole, this funding will be on average at least 9 times more than these local authorities currently receive through the local integrated transport block, which is the current mechanism for funding local transport improvements in their areas.

Subject to future decisions, this first phase of the Rail Hub could be completed by the early 2030s.

 

[Snow1964]

Seems the announcement includes enhanced services

The first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub will mean an additional train every hour in both directions between central Birmingham and locations including:

• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Cheltenham
• Worcester

More London to Birmingham services will be extended from Moor Street to Snow Hill station meaning the Chiltern line will also serve Birmingham’s Snow Hill business district.

In addition, Kings Norton station will be made more accessible, while platforms at Snow Hill, Moor Street, and Kings Norton stations will be upgraded. Passengers will also have greater access to HS2 services via Curzon Street station, meaning easier travel across the country.

When delivered in full, the hub will see services on most routes increase by between 50% and 100%. Birmingham’s Cross-City line will be given a ‘turn-up-and-go’ service with a train every 10 minutes.

The number of trains between Birmingham and Leicester will be doubled from 2 to 4 per hour, while additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham, and the new Birmingham to Worcester trains extended to Hereford.

Work to deliver Midlands Rail Hub set to begin with £123 million

Millions of people will benefit from more frequent rail services from central Birmingham and upgraded stations across the Midlands.

www.gov.uk

 

[172007]

No mid platform signals on the plans I have seen. There is going to be one hell of a signal gantry where the chords branch off though at what was Bordesley station.

Snow Hill will have mid platform signals. Yep, I have heard about the big gantry of signals also.

 

[The Planner]

Snow Hill will have mid platform signals. Yep, I have heard about the big gantry of signals also.

Well unless there is another signalling plan dated after Dec 23 they dont exist.

 

[172007]

Well unless there is another signalling plan dated after Dec 23 they dont exist.

Interesting. I guess time will tell tbh.

 

[The Planner]

Interesting. I guess time will tell tbh.

Snow Hill will be changing to RA indicators, so unless they are doubling up on the train ready to start (TRTS) equipment I suspect its been culled as part of efficiency making. A lot of the 4 aspect is reduced to 3 as well.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

Why would they reduce to 3 aspect on such a busy route?

 

[The Planner]

Why would they reduce to 3 aspect on such a busy route?

4 aspect over a short distance will increase the headways.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Seems the announcement includes enhanced services

Work to deliver Midlands Rail Hub set to begin with £123 million

Millions of people will benefit from more frequent rail services from central Birmingham and upgraded stations across the Midlands.

www.gov.uk

XC getting a load more DMUs to double Leicester and Nottingham services ?
Must be those ex TPE Mk5s then !!!! or maybe not

 

[Halish Railway]

XC getting a load more DMUs to double Leicester and Nottingham services ?
Must be those ex TPE Mk5s then !!!! or maybe not

Ex-EMR Class 222s displacing 170s from Nottingham to Birmingham and Cardiff services is an option that has been discussed in previous Midland Rail Hub literature, although I could see 68/Mk5s working on the aforementioned services.

 

[city dweller]

Spin, its nothing new. Love the way the Cross City "gains" a turn up and go service.

Network Rail put out a tender for MRH last week - firms have until 24th April to respond with the tender being awarded end of June.

Midlands Rail Hub Alliance – Alliance Partners (Non-Signalling Disciplines) - Find a Tender

www.find-tender.service.gov.uk

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Similarly down here in Cardiff several new stations have been planned to relieve pressure on the M4. These new West Midlands Railway stations are an example of the great investment the West Midlands board really are making. There have been some fabulous changes to the network - and tram service - over the past years

'Down here in Cardiff' doesn't seem to quite tally with your location of 'Farnham'

Coventry East will depend on its layout and what they want to stop there. It makes more sense if they have the ability to terminate trains there from the west as Coventry is far from ideal to do it at currently.

I would have thought terminating local trains from the West at Rugby would have made more sense from the point of view of making the new Coventry East most useful - since then you have all the connections to the WCML services. And Rugby used to have West-facing terminal platforms too - but for some reason IIRC they got filled in with concrete when Rugby was redeveloped a while back.

 

[RT4038]

And Rugby used to have West-facing terminal platforms too - but for some reason IIRC they got filled in with concrete when Rugby was redeveloped a while back.

I think it was just ballast used to fill them in.

 

[DDB]

Does anyone know what the plans are behind "additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham"?

Extra in the peaks or later into the evenings? Something more radical like cutting at the stop and reversal at Derby on some services?

The increase in Leicester Birmingham frequency might change the realtive attractiveness of going via Leicester vs Derby.

 

[The Planner]

'Down here in Cardiff' doesn't seem to quite tally with your location of 'Farnham'



I would have thought terminating local trains from the West at Rugby would have made more sense from the point of view of making the new Coventry East most useful - since then you have all the connections to the WCML services. And Rugby used to have West-facing terminal platforms too - but for some reason IIRC they got filled in with concrete when Rugby was redeveloped a while back.

You couldnt build the layout that is there with the north bays intact I suspect, and there was no requirement to terminate from the north. There still isnt. The services that would terminate at Cov East would be local stoppers from Birmingham. If you wanted the connection you use a different, faster, train. You can terminate in any of the existing Rugby platforms anyway from the north, apart from 3. 5 and 6 are the easier ones, but it can be done.

 

[Snow1964]

Does anyone know what the plans are behind "additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham"?

Extra in the peaks or later into the evenings? Something more radical like cutting at the stop and reversal at Derby on some services?

The increase in Leicester Birmingham frequency might change the realtive attractiveness of going via Leicester vs Derby.

DfT Press Release (and they are ultimately the funders so ought to know) says

The first phase of the Midlands Rail Hub will mean an additional train every hour in both directions between central Birmingham and locations including:

• Bristol
• Cardiff
• Cheltenham
• Worcester

implies it is every hour service operates, not just peaks

The number of trains between Birmingham and Leicester will be doubled from 2 to 4 per hour, while additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham, and the new Birmingham to Worcester trains extended to Hereford.

This also implies, every hour service operates 2 trains per hour, will become 4 per hour

Work to deliver Midlands Rail Hub set to begin with £123 million

Millions of people will benefit from more frequent rail services from central Birmingham and upgraded stations across the Midlands.

www.gov.uk

 

[The Planner]

I think it was just ballast used to fill them in.

Correct

 

[The exile]

Does anyone know what the plans are behind "additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham"?

Extra in the peaks or later into the evenings? Something more radical like cutting at the stop and reversal at Derby on some services?

The increase in Leicester Birmingham frequency might change the realtive attractiveness of going via Leicester vs Derby.

It is not impossible that some of the additional trains between Birmingham and Leicester are the same ones as the additional trains planned between Birmingham and Nottingham. Assuming you could sort out the operator and that the additional Birmingham - Leicesters aren't planned to go on to Peterborough, it would presumably be more efficient at Leicester to combine them with the Nottingham stoppers than to have two terminating services - as well as opening up new through journey opportunities. Probably not attractive as through services from Birmingham to Nottingham - but who cares when it looks good as a headline.

 

[duffield]

Does anyone know what the plans are behind "additional trains are planned between Birmingham and Nottingham"?

Extra in the peaks or later into the evenings? Something more radical like cutting at the stop and reversal at Derby on some services?

...

Given that the long distance XC services between Derby and Birmingham are soon supposed to return to 2tph for most of the day, giving 4tph total, it would be good to have 1tph Nottingham to Birmingham skipping Derby (via the "official" diversion, Sheet Stores to Stenson junction, currently used for some XC ECS movements and used intensively during the Derby remodel shutdown).

It would benefit both Nottingham to Birmingham passengers (possible journey time around 50-55 mins non-stop paths permitting) and Derby to Birmingham passengers (by taking some load off the services via Derby). The main issues to me seem likely to be pathing the Birmingham approach and New Street platform availability; I think there was some talk of running into Moor Street, but that would be pretty poor for many connections.

Anyhow, I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[DDB]

DfT Press Release (and they are ultimately the funders so ought to know) says

implies it is every hour service operates, not just peaks


This also implies, every hour service operates 2 trains per hour, will become 4 per hour

Work to deliver Midlands Rail Hub set to begin with £123 million

Millions of people will benefit from more frequent rail services from central Birmingham and upgraded stations across the Midlands.

www.gov.uk

I read the statement as the extra Birmingham Nottingham are separate to the "per hour" listings