Rugby-Coventry-Birmingham electrification?

[rogercov]

Perhaps someone can clarify exactly when the line through Coventry was electrified. Wikipedia states that electrification to Birmingham was completed in March 1967.

I travelled from Euston to Coventry in December 1966. The outward journey involved catching the new Manchester Inter-City service as far as Rugby and taking a DMU from there to Coventry.

However, I'm fairly sure that the return journey was on an AM10 stopping service all the way.
This would imply that the line was electrified, at least for a few services, prior to 1967.
Maybe they had only electrified as far as Coventry at that time.

Can anyone confirm this or is my memory playing tricks? Thanks.

 

[Wyrleybart]

During the period of electrification there was a period of diversions from Rugby via Kenilworth and Balsall Common to Berkswell and vice versa but not sure of dates. My family were from Northampton and I vaguely recall my mum taking me to Northampton on a presumably fairly new AM10. I was born in 1962 and I guess it would have been anytime after 1967.

 

[Ianno87]

If it helps, the Stechford Rail Accident (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stechford_rail_crash) on 28th February 1967 involved a Class 304 EMU travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Coventry.

 

[rogercov]

If it helps, the Stechford Rail Accident (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stechford_rail_crash) on 28th February 1967 involved a Class 304 EMU travelling from Manchester Piccadilly to Coventry.

Thanks for that link. It proves that the line into Birmingham was electrified before the date given in Wikipedia.

Further to that, I've now found a reference in the "traffic report" section of Modern Railways for February 1967 which states:
"Electric working into Birmingham New Street started, as scheduled, on December 5" (1966). Therefore my trip was only a week or two after the service started.

It's most likely that my return trip was on an AM10, although I gather it could have been an AM4.

 

[Merle Haggard]

Railway Observer, March 1967 records (P 82) '... ... e.m.u. took over all local services (with one exception) between Rugby and Wolverhampton from 1st January (1967). The one remaining d.m.u. is an evening Birmingham - Coventry the unit going on to Leamington and back as a parcels train.'
The AM4 involved in the Stechford collision was working a Manchester - Coventry service.

 

[30907]

My guess (or a vague memory) is that March was when the new timetable came in (××15 Euston-Wolves etc).

 

[Merle Haggard]

My guess (or a vague memory) is that March was when the new timetable came in (××15 Euston-Wolves etc).

Unfortunately, although the RO refers to 'work will be finished in March' ('67) and later reports on the increase in passengers it doesn't actually give the exact date, but I'm pretty sure you're right It's frustrating because, as Max Boyce used to say ' I was there' but I never noted dates, sadly not even on photographs.

 

[Czesziafan]

Cecil J Allen, in "Titled Trains of Great Britain" (1967) states, in respect of the "Emerald Isle Express" that from April 1966 the service was diverted from the Trent Valley line to run via Birmingham. The down train left Euston at 17.40 and as electric power was only available as far as Coventry it stopped there for 10 minutes from 18.54 - 19.04 to change locomotives before continuing on via Birmingham and Stafford to Crewe, Chester and Holyhead. Once electrification was completed it was worked by electric power throughout to Crewe

 

[Merle Haggard]

Cecil J Allen, in "Titled Trains of Great Britain" (1967) states, in respect of the "Emerald Isle Express" that from April 1966 the service was diverted from the Trent Valley line to run via Birmingham. The down train left Euston at 17.40 and as electric power was only available as far as Coventry it stopped there for 10 minutes from 18.54 - 19.04 to change locomotives before continuing on via Birmingham and Stafford to Crewe, Chester and Holyhead. Once electrification was completed it was worked by electric power throughout to Crewe

Hmmm. Wouldn't like to suggest the great train timer might be wrong, but...

After Crewe to Liverpool and Manchester were wired, the electrification progressively headed South. I travelled on trains that changed locos. at Stafford and later Nuneaton but, on a Northbound journey, this was from diesel (or steam, once) to electric.

 

[Bevan Price]

6 March 1967 was the starting date of the 1967/68 timetable, when the full electric service was implemented.
Checking the RPS database of timing logs, the earliest electric log between Birmingham & Coventry was December 1966. The earliest electric log between Rugby & Coventry was May 1966. In between those dates, there were several examples of diesel / electric loco exchanges at Coventry. (It has to be remembered that only a small fraction of journeys were logged by train timers, so there might have been earlier occurrences.

 

[edwin_m]

Is the answer that electrification headed south on the main line but the West Midlands was a bit behind so that Birmingham-Coventry was done after Coventry-Rugby?