Redditch, Barnt Green - and need for a Birmingham SW Parkway?

[VT 390]

Kings Norton is mooted to be the new Interchange station for Southern Brum if the line to through Kings Heath is finally re-opened for passenger services in next few years.

Failing that maybe stop a Cardiff or Worcester train at Longbridge for better connections? I'd say say Bromsgrove is the better option given the redevelopment of the station.

Not a good idea to stop at Longbridge as services would have to cross to the slow lines and Worcester services are Overcrowded anyway

 

[train_lover]

Kings Norton is mooted to be the new Interchange station for Southern Brum if the line to through Kings Heath is finally re-opened for passenger services in next few years.

Failing that maybe stop a Cardiff or Worcester train at Longbridge for better connections? I'd say say Bromsgrove is the better option given the redevelopment of the station.

There's no plan's for Cardiff or Hereford services to stop at Kings Norton. However there are plans for a half hourly service from Hereford to Birmingham. 1 will be a fast service which is the same as the current service and a slow service will be introduced calling additionally at all the camp hill stations with the final plan for it to terminate at Moor Street.

 

[The Planner]

Last I heard it was the Shrewsbury trains stopping on the Camp Hills, not Hereford's

 

[Class172]

Last I heard it was the Shrewsbury trains stopping on the Camp Hills, not Hereford's

There was something last year from Andy Street & co. that strongly suggested it was the Herefords they plan to use. It was never clearly worded however so it didn't explain if this was the fabled second train per hour, or simply a diversion of the existing service (which in my opinion is a very poor idea).

EDIT: I've found my own post:

The latest revision of the plan appears to be to divert the Herefords away from University to fulfill the needs.

https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/train-stations-moseley-kings-heath-14350952

A major stumbling block to the reopening of Birmingham’s Camp Hill rail line could be cleared thanks to a bold reworking of the plans.

The city has been crying out for passenger services to be brought back to the line through Moseley and Kings Heath for many years .
And West Midlands Mayor Andy Street made it a manifesto pledge to get work started on the line by the time his term of office ends in 2020.

The key engineering issue has been the need for a new railway viaduct in Bordesley to allow services to access Moor Street and Snow Hill Stations, avoiding congested New Street.

But now Mr Street says the viaduct is not necessary and a reorganising of services between Herefordshire and New Street could see the line open to New Street without adding to congestion.

He said: “Until now the reopening of the Camp Hill line has been predicated on the construction of a new chord in the Bordesley area of the city. It would allow services to access Snow Hill station, rather than clog up the platforms at the already clogged New Street station.

“But railway flyovers aren’t cheap, hence the reason that it’s not happened as yet. However, a bit of lateral thinking has meant a new plan, which would see services from Hereford diverted onto the Camp Hill line to stop at the new stations and then head to New Street.

…continued…

Needless to say I've previously made my views known on this.

 

[train_lover]

Last I heard it was the Shrewsbury trains stopping on the Camp Hills, not Hereford's

There was something last year from Andy Street & co. that strongly suggested it was the Herefords they plan to use. It was never clearly worded however so it didn't explain if this was the fabled second train per hour, or simply a diversion of the existing service (which in my opinion is a very poor idea).

EDIT: I've found my own post:

No confirmation on the Shrewsbury services going via camp hill. Being as only Worcester crew sign Camp Hill it would support the document I've seen stating it will be the new slow Hereford service that will serve Camp Hill. The existing Hereford service will stay as it is via UNI

 

[train_lover]

Here is the relevant information. I've attached the Cross city plan too.

 

[VT 390]

Would it be possible to Double track the entire Redditch branch to improve services to Redditch?

 

[Class172]

The line was doubled around Alvechurch only a couple of years ago, allowing a 3tph service to Redditch. Further frequency improvements would require a lot more than redoubling the whole line I would imagine. The existing infrastructure on the rest of the Cross-City line doesn’t really have scope for a frequency above 6tph (don’t forget all the other WMR and XC services that share the line).

 

[VT 390]

The line was doubled around Alvechurch only a couple of years ago, allowing a 3tph service to Redditch. Further frequency improvements would require a lot more than redoubling the whole line I would imagine. The existing infrastructure on the rest of the Cross-City line doesn’t really have scope for a frequency above 6tph (don’t forget all the other WMR and XC services that share the line).

I was thinking if in the future it was needed would it be possible to double the line, perhaps if the Bordesley chords open a service could run to Moor Street

 

[SoccerHQ]

There's no plan's for Cardiff or Hereford services to stop at Kings Norton. However there are plans for a half hourly service from Hereford to Birmingham. 1 will be a fast service which is the same as the current service and a slow service will be introduced calling additionally at all the camp hill stations with the final plan for it to terminate at Moor Street.

Yeah I read Hereford was going to be the Camp Hill service so just assumed it would be the current one which obviously has the University stop in its schedule.

I do think there's tremendous potential in Kings Norton. Already got an industrial park nearby so could become a proper commuter hub when Camp Hill comes into operation. Obviously losing door-to-door Uni stop would be frustrating but you get off and one of the CC 6ph trains should be right behind it ready to pick up so five minutes added on at the most.

 

[VT 390]

Could they not continue to run the existing Hereford services as they are to maintain through University journeys and better interchange options at New Street and run an additional Worcester or Great Malvern service along the Camp Hill lines in to Moor Street

 

[train_lover]

The current Hereford service will stay exactly as it is today. A new additional service will be created that will via camp hill instead.

 

[The Planner]

Here is the relevant information. I've attached the Cross city plan too.

Thats just a wish list similar to any NR route study, the franchise bid was certainly the Shrewsburys.

 

[VT 390]

In order to give Redditch an easier service south could the line reopen south from Redditch towards Evesham and onward to Cheltenham using the GWSR heritage line (converted to Main Line)?

 

[Class172]

Unlikely to happen for a number of reasons. Firstly the formation south of Alcester is now the A46 for the majority of the length towards Evesham; the road is a dual carriageway so I doubt you could fit anything alongside it.

Then there's the issue of routeing via Winchcombe. Not only would using the GWSR entail a large diversion via Honeybourne (the Midland line at Evesham did continue southwards, but it headed to Ashchurch to meet the Birmingham-Bristol line), it would require reopening the north end of the line. The southernmost section in Cheltenham town centre has no chance of being reinstated so somehow you'd need to find a new alignment.

 

[train_lover]

In terms of the disused line it could go back in as far as Studley. Heading further south would only be achieved by building a new line. Although much of the old line is untouched it would be tricky to put back in.

 

[train_lover]

Stratford to Honeybourne wpuld be a quick win though

 

[Harbornite]

In order to give Redditch an easier service south could the line reopen south from Redditch towards Evesham and onward to Cheltenham using the GWSR heritage line (converted to Main Line)?

Or reopen it to Ashchurch instead, as that was the original route.

 

[option]

Surely the obvious location is the existing Longbridge station?

Already served by Bromsgrove & Redditch trains, could be served by Camp Hill line services.
Could be served by regional services using the line, eg Worcester & onward.
Right next to the A38, so connected to south west Birmingham by road & bus, connection to the M5 (J4). Not far from A441, so connected to south Birmingham by road & bus, connection to M42 (J2).
Redevelopment area.
Loads of space to build a bigger station & more platforms.

 

[option]

With some 4000 new homes currently being built in Redditch and with many more being planned what it really wants is the following

1) Redditch Parkway to be built north of the town opposite to the Abbey Stadium. There's a massive housing development happening around the rail line there.

2) Some of the old line putting back in towards the south of the town (Studley) much of where the development is happening

3) A faster service from Redditch to New Street

4) Doubling of the line to Redditch with a second platform being put in

1) At Weights Lane, right off the A441, where there's a new traffic island

2) Would need to be new formation along the Alvechurch Highway

3) How?

4) Second platform would be easy. Why double any more, it's already been done at Alvechurch. Or are you suggesting an even more increased frequency, & if so, how do they fit onto the CrossCity north of Barnt Green?

 

[PartyOperator]

Unlikely to happen for a number of reasons. Firstly the formation south of Alcester is now the A46 for the majority of the length towards Evesham; the road is a dual carriageway so I doubt you could fit anything alongside it.

Then there's the issue of routeing via Winchcombe. Not only would using the GWSR entail a large diversion via Honeybourne (the Midland line at Evesham did continue southwards, but it headed to Ashchurch to meet the Birmingham-Bristol line), it would require reopening the north end of the line. The southernmost section in Cheltenham town centre has no chance of being reinstated so somehow you'd need to find a new alignment.

There's space to run about a mile of track from Swindon Village to Cheltenham Racecourse roughly alongside Hyde Lane. It's through an undeveloped field and would need one new road bridge north of the old railway crossing to allow for a suitably wide curve and to skirt the edge of the hill. Such a link has been suggested by the heritage people but would be difficult to justify for their purposes. The cost would be pretty minor compared to the expense of getting the rest of the line up to spec for a double-track public railway. Reinstating the old line through town is highly unlikely but also unnecessary - running parallel railways through the town only made sense when they were competing with each other.

You wouldn't be 'using the GWSR' though - you'd be ending it and turning the line back into a functioning railway.

The big gains, if you could ever get it done (2050?) would be to build a brand new railway from Honeybourne to Birmingham International to allow traffic from the South West to the North and HS2 to bypass central Birmingham and free up the other lines for people who actually need to get to New Street.

The alignment from Aschurch to Evesham has rather more buildings on it now but could be a better option if you were going for the whole HS2-link thing.