West Midland Branch
Railways in the West Midlands
The West Midlands is a the centre of the country’s Railway system with Birmingham New Street station a central crossroads where a variety of express, semi-fast, and local services can be observed operated by Virgin West Coast, Cross Country, London Midland, and Arriva Trains Wales. Since the end of April the new service operated by Wrexham, Shropshire, and Marylebone Railway also passes through the area with most workings by-passing New Street and calling at Tame Bridge Parkway. Currently (July 2008) operations are as follows. London Midland Class 350/1 work Birmingham-Northampton-Euston and Birmingham-Liverpool services. Their Class 321 appear on the Northampton and Walsall lines. London Midland use Classes 350/1, 321 and, occasionally, 323 on Coventry-Birmingham locals. Walsall-International via New Street, Birmingham-Wolverhampton, and Redditch-Birmingham-Lichfield (Cross City Line) are 323 units or on the Walsall line 150 worked in with the Stafford services. Birmingham-Stafford via Walsall are all DMU with types 150, and 170 in use often with an additional 153. Virgin West Coast Wolverhampton-Birmingham-Euston are all Pendolino with the 16.52 from Euston and 17.00 return still normally Mark III stock with class 90 haulage. Virgin West Coast north from New Street use Voyagers of Class 221. Cross Country have Voyagers of both Class 220 and 221on principal services. Their Cardiff-Birmingham-Leicester-Stansted axis use 170,s. The Chester line sees 170 on London Midland duties and 158 on Arriva Trains Wales services with a very occasional 175. The Walsall-Wolverhampton is Class 153 but can produce any type of DMU. The Wrexham-Marylebone workings comprise three Mark III coaches topped and tailed by Class 67 three of which are in WSMR silver livery. WSMR are awaiting their own stock and will then operate with a DVT and one 67. The other main Birmingham station is Snow Hill where Chiltern Railways Classes168 and 165 DMU's work the Stourbridge-Snow Hill-Banbury-Marylebone line. London Midland services here are normally Class 150 but other DMU types can appear. A 153 works the London Midland weekday’s only Stourbridge-Stourbridge Town branch. The Parry People Mover worked a Sunday service over this route and London Midland are acquiring two cars to be introduced towards the end of 2008 replacing the 153. London Midland’s Coventry-Nuneaton is normally a Class 153. Freight traffic is concentrated on Bescot yard where both EWS and Freightliner locomotives of Classes 60, 66, 67, and 92 can be seen. Bescot still has a number of stored 08 and 37 locomotives visible from passing trains. Secondary yards are at Wolverhampton Monmore Green, and Washwood Heath. A freight terminal exists at Hams Hall shunted by a 08, Coleshill Parkway being the nearest station. A short distance outside the area is Daventry freight terminal also shunted by 08. Freight traffic is worked to Saltley and Handsworth scrap yards. The rebuilding of Moor Street station in GWR style is now complete but the tracks into the bays have not yet been connected to the main system. GWR 2-8-0 2885 is on display here. The West Coast Trent Valley main line runs through the area from Stafford to Rugby. Extensive works are continuing on four-tracking north of Rugby on the Trent Valley route and the alterations at Rugby are ongoing. Blockages and diversions are also ongoing and continue to vary particularly at week-ends. Stafford, Tamworth, Nuneaton, and, to a lesser extent whilst the rebuilding is taking place, Rugby are all good vantage points. Virgin West coast workings are Pendolino units, the exception being Holyhead trains with 221 "Super Voyager" sets and one through Pendolino working. EWS, Freightliner, DRS, and Fastline Freight traffic produces Classes 56 (Fastline), 66/0, 66/4, 66/5, 66/6, 66/7, 86/6, 90, and 92. EWS stable locomotives at Bescot with Freightliner laying over in Lawley Street. DRS normally lay over at DIRFT. Class 08 shunters can be seen at Oxley Depot, Tyseley Depot, Bescot, Washwood Heath, Hams Hall, Monmore Green steel terminal, Pro Logis Park Coventry and DIRFT. Virgin often have a Class 57/3 standby at New Street and Stafford. The Pendolino depot is at Oxley near Wolverhampton where a number of 180 DMU are stored. Multiple unit depots are at Tyseley (DMU's) and Soho (EMU's). When in use the Parry People movers will be stabled at Stourbridge Junction in the small shed already there. An engineer's depot is located at Rugby on the site of the former LNWR locomotive works with a range of departmental stock. Apart from the above locomotives of Classes 47, 67, appear in the area on Charter traffic also steam types of position moves. Preservation sites in the West Midlands Branch area are located at the Severn Valley Railway, Battlefield Line Shakerstone, Tyseley and Chasewater. Ongoing engineering work continues to bring diversions and 'bus substitutions particularly at weekends. Reports on observations in the West Midlands appear regularly in the Railway Observer together with reports of West Midlands Branch meetings.
07/07/08