Bescot Stadium railway station
Encyclopedia
Bescot Stadium railway station serves the Bescot
area of Walsall
in the West Midlands
of England
. (The station is actually situated in the borough of Sandwell
, although it can only be reached from within the borough of Walsall
.) The station, and all trains serving it are operated by London Midland
. Bescot TMD
is adjacent to the station.
The station was originally known as Bescot. However, it was renamed in 1990 in order to serve Bescot Stadium
, the newly-built home of Walsall Football Club
.
The station footbridge offers views of Bescot depot
, and its freight movements.
Access to the station is via Bescot Crescent (where there is a car park) and then a footpath which passes underneath the M6 motorway
and over the River Tame, then an overbridge
that does not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act
.
The station was re-opened on the 11 September 2007 after a short period where it was closed for refurbishment. Whilst closed, no services called at the station, but trains continued to pass through.
between Birmingham New Street
and Walsall
, part of the former Grand Junction Railway
, opened in 1837. The current station manager is Dave Morris and the typical Monday-Saturday daytime service sees two trains per hour in each direction between Walsall and Birmingham New Street that are operated by Class 323
electric trains. This service is reduced to one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays. There are a small number of early morning and late evening trains on weekdays are operated by Class 170 diesel trains and extend past Walsall to either Hednesford or Rugeley Trent Valley.
London Midland are proposing the closure of the ticket office.
Bescot
Bescot is an area of Walsall in the West Midlands of England.It is served by Bescot Stadium railway station, adjacent to which is Bescot depot where locomotives are maintained. The Bescot Stadium was built in 1990 for Walsall F.C.....
area of Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. (The station is actually situated in the borough of Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
, although it can only be reached from within the borough of Walsall
Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a local government district in the Black Country part of the West Midlands, England, with the status of a metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes the towns of Aldridge, Brownhills,...
.) The station, and all trains serving it are operated by London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
. Bescot TMD
Bescot TMD
Bescot TMD is a locomotive traction maintenance depot in the West Midlands, England. It is situated adjacent to Bescot Stadium station. The depot is currently operated by DBS . The current depot code is BS but, in steam days, the shed code was 3A.Bescot Marshalling Yard is to the south-east of the...
is adjacent to the station.
The station was originally known as Bescot. However, it was renamed in 1990 in order to serve Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium, also known as the Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the home ground of Walsall Football Club. It was built in 1989-90 by GMI Construction with a reported build cost of £4.5m...
, the newly-built home of Walsall Football Club
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
.
The station footbridge offers views of Bescot depot
Bescot TMD
Bescot TMD is a locomotive traction maintenance depot in the West Midlands, England. It is situated adjacent to Bescot Stadium station. The depot is currently operated by DBS . The current depot code is BS but, in steam days, the shed code was 3A.Bescot Marshalling Yard is to the south-east of the...
, and its freight movements.
Access to the station is via Bescot Crescent (where there is a car park) and then a footpath which passes underneath the M6 motorway
M6 motorway
The M6 motorway runs from junction 19 of the M1 at the Catthorpe Interchange, near Rugby via Birmingham then heads north, passing Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Preston, Carlisle and terminating at the Gretna junction . Here, just short of the Scottish border it becomes the A74 which continues to...
and over the River Tame, then an overbridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
that does not comply with the Disability Discrimination Act
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010 , except in Northern Ireland where the Act still applies...
.
The station was re-opened on the 11 September 2007 after a short period where it was closed for refurbishment. Whilst closed, no services called at the station, but trains continued to pass through.
Services
Bescot Stadium station is on the Walsall LineChase Line
The Chase Line is the railway line from Birmingham New Street to Walsall and Rugeley.-Overview:The line from Birmingham to Walsall has two alternative routes, both of which are electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
between Birmingham New Street
Birmingham New Street Station
Birmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
and Walsall
Walsall railway station
Walsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall, West Midlands, England and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by London Midland, who run all of its train services...
, part of the former Grand Junction Railway
Grand Junction Railway
The Grand Junction Railway was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was merged into the London and North Western Railway...
, opened in 1837. The current station manager is Dave Morris and the typical Monday-Saturday daytime service sees two trains per hour in each direction between Walsall and Birmingham New Street that are operated by Class 323
British Rail Class 323
The British Rail Class 323 electric multiple units were built by Hunslet TPL from 1992-93. Forty-three 3-car units were built for inner-suburban services around Birmingham and Manchester...
electric trains. This service is reduced to one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays. There are a small number of early morning and late evening trains on weekdays are operated by Class 170 diesel trains and extend past Walsall to either Hednesford or Rugeley Trent Valley.
London Midland are proposing the closure of the ticket office.