Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line is a commuter railway line from Birmingham
Snow Hill
to Worcester via Stourbridge
and Kidderminster
. It is part of the Snow Hill Lines
, with trains operated by London Midland
and Chiltern Railways
using by and diesel units. It is a future aspiration of Chiltern Railways and Network Rail to electrify the entire line, including the Chiltern Main Line
to London Marylebone.
to Wolverhampton Low Level
, which the Metro
now runs. The Line from Snow Hill to Bushbury & Smethwick was closed in 1972 only have a few local services a day, having had all of its former long distance services diverted in 1967. The line was restored through to Smethwick in 1995 as the Jewellery Line, most services either terminated at Stourbridge or Kidderminster with some each hour to Worcester and Malvern using the Class 150 DMU. All local trains come under the scrutiny of the CENTRO or as they are now branded Network West Midlands
, they company that operates most services is London Midland
who took over for Central Trains
in 2007. Chiltern operated several peak services to and from Kidderminster, but generally it requires a change at Snow Hill or even Moor Street station
for London. The smaller stations of Langley Green, Old Hill and Lye have less service than the others as most trains run through semi Fast, same as the stations of Blakedown and Hagley. Hartlebury has only a few trains a day, in the peaks. Droitwich Spa it is possible to join trains that take the route via Bromsgrove to Birmingham New Street, these trains usually start and terminate at Hereford
. Worcester’s stations are located on a triangular track junction, with Worcester TMD located in the middle.
Note: tph is trains per hour.
Passenger services are provided by London Midland
between Birmingham and Worcester and beyond, and by Chiltern Railways
between Birmingham and Kidderminster only. The latter runs services to London Marylebone in the morning rush hour, which start from Kidderminster rather than Snow Hill, and reverse journeys during the evening.
A triangular junction at Worcester allows a variety of service patterns (see map). Some trains terminate at Shrub Hill, whereas some reverse there before going to Foregate Street. Other trains take the direct curve to Foregate Street avoiding Shrub Hill. Some trains continue beyond Foregate Street to Malvern Link
and Great Malvern
.
Trains along this route occasionally also serviced Birmingham New Street, where they terminated. This link was axed, to much local consternation. Now passengers have to struggle with luggage across Birmingham City centre, or change at Smethwick Galton Bridge. But this did add much needed extra capacity to the Stour Valley Line into Birmingham New Street. This service took Galton and Smethwick Junctions near Smethwick West. Services were once hourly from Worcester to Birmingham New Street via Stourbridge.
Two services are timetabled to use the line each day — one CrossCountry
service to Birmingham New Street (via Smethwick Junction
and Galton Junction
) in the morning and a reverse service in the evening. Neither of these call at any of the stations along the route. During congestion or mainly during engineering works, the line sees much more frequent service as a diversionary route. The line from Worcester Shrub Hill continues to Cheltenham Spa railway station
, which is the next calling point for most Cross Country services, and thus offers a convenient alternative when the Lickey Incline
is closed.
Several charter trains can often be seen on the line due to the existence of the Severn Valley Railway
at Kidderminster, which has a mainline connection.
, colour light signals:
Hagley until Worcester is absolute block signaling:
From the viaduct to Birmingham, line speed is generally 60 mph, except:
Line speed then gradually drops around the Jewellery Quarter area for approach to Snow Hill. In the tunnel between Snow Hill and Moor Street line speed is 20 mph.
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Snow Hill
Birmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
to Worcester via Stourbridge
Stourbridge
Stourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
and Kidderminster
Kidderminster
Kidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
. It is part of the Snow Hill Lines
Snow Hill Lines
The Snow Hill Lines are railway lines running through Birmingham Snow Hill railway station, Birmingham, United Kingdom. All other lines to/through Birmingham use station.The three Snow Hill lines are:...
, with trains 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....
and Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
using by and diesel units. It is a future aspiration of Chiltern Railways and Network Rail to electrify the entire line, including the Chiltern Main Line
Chiltern Main Line
The Chiltern Main Line is an inter-urban, regional and commuter railway, part of the British railway system. It links London and Birmingham on a 112-mile route via the towns of High Wycombe, Banbury, and Leamington Spa...
to London Marylebone.
Introduction
The route starts by following the former GWRGreat Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
to Wolverhampton Low Level
Wolverhampton Low Level railway station
Wolverhampton Low Level was a railway station on Sun Street, in Springfield, Wolverhampton, England .It was built by the Great Western Railway, on their route from London to Birkenhead via Birmingham...
, which the Metro
Midland Metro
The Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under...
now runs. The Line from Snow Hill to Bushbury & Smethwick was closed in 1972 only have a few local services a day, having had all of its former long distance services diverted in 1967. The line was restored through to Smethwick in 1995 as the Jewellery Line, most services either terminated at Stourbridge or Kidderminster with some each hour to Worcester and Malvern using the Class 150 DMU. All local trains come under the scrutiny of the CENTRO or as they are now branded Network West Midlands
West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
, they company that operates most services is 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....
who took over for Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
in 2007. Chiltern operated several peak services to and from Kidderminster, but generally it requires a change at Snow Hill or even Moor Street station
Birmingham Moor Street railway station
Birmingham Moor Street railway station is one of three main railway stations in the city centre of Birmingham, England. The Grade II listed old station building has been partially renovated to its 1930s condition at a cost of £11 million....
for London. The smaller stations of Langley Green, Old Hill and Lye have less service than the others as most trains run through semi Fast, same as the stations of Blakedown and Hagley. Hartlebury has only a few trains a day, in the peaks. Droitwich Spa it is possible to join trains that take the route via Bromsgrove to Birmingham New Street, these trains usually start and terminate at Hereford
Hereford railway station
Hereford railway station serves the city of Hereford, England. Managed by Arriva Trains Wales, it lies on the Welsh Marches Line between Leominster and Abergavenny and is the western terminus of the Cotswold Line.The station has four platforms...
. Worcester’s stations are located on a triangular track junction, with Worcester TMD located in the middle.
Places served
The line serves the following places:- BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
Snow Hill - Colmore Row, City Centre and a short walk to New Street and a direct rail link to Moor StreetBirmingham Moor Street railway stationBirmingham Moor Street railway station is one of three main railway stations in the city centre of Birmingham, England. The Grade II listed old station building has been partially renovated to its 1930s condition at a cost of £11 million.... - Jewellery Quarter — Hockley, BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
- The Hawthorns — Halfords Lane, SmethwickSmethwickSmethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
for the West Bromwich Albion Football Club & Midland MetroMidland MetroThe Midland Metro is a light-rail or tram line in the West Midlands of England between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via West Bromwich and Wednesbury. It is owned and promoted by Centro, and operated by West Midlands Travel Limited, a subsidiary of the National Express Group , under... - Galton BridgeSmethwick Galton Bridge railway stationSmethwick Galton Bridge is a railway station in Smethwick, West Midlands, England.The station is situated where two lines cross at different levels: the line from Birmingham Snow Hill to Stourbridge Junction crosses over the Stour Valley Line by means of a bridge. There are four platforms, two on...
- Higher Level Station. Local services to Birmingham New Street - Langley GreenLangley Green railway stationLangley Green railway station serves the Langley Green area of Oldbury in Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is located on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line...
- Langley GreenLangley Green, West MidlandsLangley Green is a suburb of Birmingham, on the B4169 road, in the Sandwell District, in the English county of West Midlands. Langley Green has a library and a railway station called Langley Green railway station.- References :*A-Z Birmingham...
, OldburyOldburyOldbury may refer to:*Oldbury, Western Australia, a district south of Perth, Australia*Oldbury, Shropshire, a village near Bridgnorth, England, UK*Oldbury, South Gloucestershire, a village south of Bridgnorth, England, UK... - Rowley RegisRowley Regis railway stationRowley Regis railway station serves the town of Blackheath and the Rowley Regis area of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is located on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line...
— Blackheath Town Centre and Park & Ride - Old HillOld HillOld Hill is a locality in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in West Midlands, England. It is a district of Cradley Heath.-General description:...
- Cradley HeathCradley HeathCradley Heath is a town in the Black Country, located in Sandwell metropolitan borough, England. The name is usually pronounced "Craid-ley", not "Crad-ley", but in the Black Country accent, it may even sound like "Craig-ley Aith"...
— bus link to the Merry Hill Shopping Centre - LyeLye, West MidlandsLye is a suburban area of the Black Country in England, between Halesowen and Stourbridge in Dudley Metropolitan Borough, West Midlands. It was formerly a village in the parish of Oldswinford, Worcestershire...
- StourbridgeStourbridgeStourbridge is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the West Midlands of England. Historically part of Worcestershire, Stourbridge was a centre of glass making, and today includes the suburbs of Amblecote, Lye, Norton, Oldswinford, Pedmore, Wollaston, Wollescote and Wordsley The...
— Junction stationStourbridge Junction railway stationStourbridge Junction railway station is a railway station on the Birmingham, Worcester and Kidderminster Line in West Midlands, England. Stourbridge Town Branch Line runs from the station to Stourbridge town centre...
for the Town BranchStourbridge Town railway stationStourbridge Town is a railway station near the centre of Stourbridge, West Midlands, England. It is situated at the end of a short branch line linking the station with Stourbridge Junction just 0.8 miles away, where passengers can change for mainline train services... - HagleyHagleyHagley is a village and civil parish on the northern boundary of Worcestershire, England, near to the towns of Kidderminster and Stourbridge. The parish had a population of 4,283 in 2001, but the whole village had a population of perhaps 5,600, including the part in Clent parish...
- BlakedownBlakedownBlakedown is a village in the Wyre Forest District in the north of the county of Worcestershire, England. Due to its road and rail links it serves mainly as a dormitory village for Kidderminster, and the cities of Birmingham and Worcester...
- KidderminsterKidderminsterKidderminster is a town, in the Wyre Forest district of Worcestershire, England. It is located approximately seventeen miles south-west of Birmingham city centre and approximately fifteen miles north of Worcester city centre. The 2001 census recorded a population of 55,182 in the town...
— for Severn Valley Steam RailwayKidderminster Town railway stationKidderminster Town is a railway station situated in the town of Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England. It is operated by the Severn Valley Railway, a heritage line which runs from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth... - HartleburyHartleburyHartlebury is a village in Worcestershire, England. It is a few miles south of Kidderminster and is in Wychavon district. The village registered a population of 2,549 in the Census 2001.The railway station is about half a mile to the east of the village....
- Limited Service - Droitwich SpaDroitwich SpaDroitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England, on the River Salwarpe.The town is situated on massive deposits of salt, and salt has been extracted there since ancient times. The natural Droitwich brine contains 2½ lbs...
- WorcesterWorcesterThe City of Worcester, commonly known as Worcester, , is a city and county town of Worcestershire in the West Midlands of England. Worcester is situated some southwest of Birmingham and north of Gloucester, and has an approximate population of 94,000 people. The River Severn runs through the...
— Foregate StreetWorcester Foregate Street railway stationWorcester Foregate Street railway station, opened by the Great Western Railway in 1860, is situated in the centre of the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. It is physically the smaller of the two stations serving the city, but is more centrally located...
/Shrub HillWorcester Shrub Hill railway stationWorcester Shrub Hill railway station is one of two railway stations serving the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. It is managed by London Midland, and it is also served by First Great Western....
Service information
- 6 tph to from Birmingham to Stourbridge;
- 4 tph continue to Kidderminster
- 2 tph continue to Worcester
Note: tph is trains per hour.
Passenger services are provided 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....
between Birmingham and Worcester and beyond, and by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
between Birmingham and Kidderminster only. The latter runs services to London Marylebone in the morning rush hour, which start from Kidderminster rather than Snow Hill, and reverse journeys during the evening.
A triangular junction at Worcester allows a variety of service patterns (see map). Some trains terminate at Shrub Hill, whereas some reverse there before going to Foregate Street. Other trains take the direct curve to Foregate Street avoiding Shrub Hill. Some trains continue beyond Foregate Street to Malvern Link
Malvern Link
Malvern Link is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England to the north and east of Great Malvern. The centres of Malvern Link and Great Malvern are separated by Malvern Link Common, an area of open land that is statutorily protected by the Malvern Hills Conservators...
and Great Malvern
Great Malvern
Great Malvern is an area of Malvern, Worcestershire, England. It is the historical centre of the town, and the location of the headquarters buildings of the of Malvern Town Council, the governing body of the Malvern civil parish, and Malvern Hills District council of the county of...
.
Trains along this route occasionally also serviced Birmingham New Street, where they terminated. This link was axed, to much local consternation. Now passengers have to struggle with luggage across Birmingham City centre, or change at Smethwick Galton Bridge. But this did add much needed extra capacity to the Stour Valley Line into Birmingham New Street. This service took Galton and Smethwick Junctions near Smethwick West. Services were once hourly from Worcester to Birmingham New Street via Stourbridge.
Two services are timetabled to use the line each day — one CrossCountry
CrossCountry
CrossCountry is the brand name of XC Trains Ltd., a British train operating company owned by Arriva...
service to Birmingham New Street (via Smethwick Junction
Smethwick Junction
Smethwick Junction is a junction on the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line. With Galton Junction, northbound trains on the West Coast Main Line's Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line can join the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line in a westbound direction.Until the re-opening of...
and Galton Junction
Galton Junction
Galton Junction is a minor junction on the West Coast Main Line's Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line. With Smethwick Junction, it allows northbound trains from the RBS to join the Birmingham to Worcester via Kidderminster Line in a westbound direction and vice versa.Until the re-opening of Birmingham...
) in the morning and a reverse service in the evening. Neither of these call at any of the stations along the route. During congestion or mainly during engineering works, the line sees much more frequent service as a diversionary route. The line from Worcester Shrub Hill continues to Cheltenham Spa railway station
Cheltenham Spa railway station
Cheltenham Spa railway station is in Gloucestershire, England, on the Bristol-Birmingham main line. It is managed by First Great Western and is about one mile from the town centre.-History:...
, which is the next calling point for most Cross Country services, and thus offers a convenient alternative when the Lickey Incline
Lickey Incline
The Lickey Incline is the steepest sustained main-line railway incline in Great Britain and is situated south of Birmingham, in England. The climb is a gradient of 1-in-37.7 for a continuous distance of two miles ....
is closed.
Several charter trains can often be seen on the line due to the existence of the Severn Valley Railway
Severn Valley Railway
The Severn Valley Railway is a heritage railway in Shropshire and Worcestershire, England. The line runs along the Severn Valley from Bridgnorth to Kidderminster, following the course of the River Severn for much of its route...
at Kidderminster, which has a mainline connection.
Controlling signal boxes
The first section of the line until just before Hagley is track circuit blockTrack circuit
A track circuit is a simple electrical device used to detect the absence of a train on rail tracks, used to inform signallers and control relevant signals.- Principles and operation :...
, colour light signals:
- Snow Hill and as far as the Jewellery Quarter is controlled from Saltley
- Jewellery Quarter until Hagley the line is controlled by Stourbridge Junction Signal Box
- The Stourbridge Town Branch line is controlled by single line token staff, which is in turn under the supervision of Stourbridge Junction signal box
- Trains leaving the line at the junction south of Galton Bridge station enter Birmingham New Street Signal Box's area
Hagley until Worcester is absolute block signaling:
- Hagley until North of Kidderminster is controlled by Hagley Signal Box
- Kidderminster Signal Box covers until Hartlebury Signal Box controls the line until Droitwich Spa
- Droitwich Spa Signal Box covers the line until Worcester
- There are three signal boxes around Worcester; Tunnel Junction, Shrub Hill and Henwick
Line speeds
Between Worcester and Kidderminster Viaduct, the line speed is 75 mph (top speed of the Class 150 units) except in the following places:- Droitwich area — 65 mph
- Droitwich Junction — 40 mph
- Worcester Tunnel Junction — 25 mph
- Curve near Foregate Street station — 15 mph
- Rest of Worcester area — 40 mph
From the viaduct to Birmingham, line speed is generally 60 mph, except:
- Stourbridge North Junction — 15 mph
- Curve near Cradley Heath to Old Hill — 50 mph
- Old Hill to Rowley Regis — 40 mph
- Galton Junction — 30 mph
- The Hawthorns station — 50 mph
Line speed then gradually drops around the Jewellery Quarter area for approach to Snow Hill. In the tunnel between Snow Hill and Moor Street line speed is 20 mph.