Chase Line
Encyclopedia
The Chase Line is the railway line from Birmingham New Street to Walsall
and Rugeley
.
at 25 kV AC
overhead. Of the two routes, one leaves New Street from the east, following the Cross-City Line as far as Aston
, where it diverges to the west. The other route leaves New Street from the west, and travels via Soho
. Beyond Walsall, the line is not electrified, and continues north to Hednesford
and Rugeley. The section from Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley was previously freight-only, and reopened to passenger trains in stages between 1989 and 1998.
Places served on the route are listed below. For information on the stations, please refer to the list in the route map.
Chase Line (Walsall-Rugeley)
Walsall Line (Birmingham-Walsall)
Passenger services on the line are operated by London Midland
on behalf of Centro
.
, opened in 1837.
The section between Walsall and Cannock was constructed by the South Staffordshire Railway
Company.
The section between Cannock and Rugeley was constructed by the Cannock Mineral Railway
Company.
Electric Multiple Units. The other two per hour are operated by Class 170 Diesel Multiple Units. These trains call at Tame Bridge Parkway, Walsall and then continue to Rugeley Trent Valley with one train calling at all stations and one train skipping certain stations between Walsall and Rugeley. Monday to Saturday evenings and all day Sunday, there are two trains per hour (one stopping and one semi-fast) between Walsall and Birmingham and an hourly service to Rugeley Trent Valley.
From December 2010, the Rugeley service will be cut from half-hourly to hourly on weekdays due to lack of funding, however they introduced an Walsall
to Birmingham New Street fast only stopping at Tame Bridge Parkway these services used to start from Rugeley Trent Valley.
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...
and Rugeley
Rugeley
Rugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...
.
Overview
The line from Birmingham to Walsall (sometimes referred to as the Walsall Line) has two alternative routes, both of which are electrifiedRailway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
at 25 kV AC
25 kV AC
The 25 kV Alternating current railway electrification system is commonly used in railways worldwide, especially for high-speed rail.-Overview:This electrification system is ideal for railways that cover long distances and/or carry heavy traffic...
overhead. Of the two routes, one leaves New Street from the east, following the Cross-City Line as far as Aston
Aston
Aston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
, where it diverges to the west. The other route leaves New Street from the west, and travels via Soho
Soho, Birmingham
Soho is an area in north west Birmingham, approximately 2 miles from the City Centre on the A41, which until 1911 formed part of Handsworth District. Soho is also a ward within the council constituency of Ladywood...
. Beyond Walsall, the line is not electrified, and continues north to Hednesford
Hednesford
Hednesford is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.-History:...
and Rugeley. The section from Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley was previously freight-only, and reopened to passenger trains in stages between 1989 and 1998.
Places served on the route are listed below. For information on the stations, please refer to the list in the route map.
Chase Line (Walsall-Rugeley)
- RugeleyRugeleyRugeley is a historic market town in the county of Staffordshire, England. It lies on the northern edge of Cannock Chase, and is situated roughly midway between the towns of Stafford, Cannock, Lichfield and Uttoxeter...
- HednesfordHednesfordHednesford is a small town and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, within Cannock Chase District. It adjoins Cannock Chase to the north, and the town of Cannock to the south. It had a 2010 mid-year estimated population of 16,928.-History:...
- CannockCannockCannock is the most populous of three towns in the district of Cannock Chase in the central southern part of the county of Staffordshire in the West Midlands region of England....
- Great WyrleyGreat WyrleyGreat Wyrley is a parish and town in South Staffordshire, England, with a population of 11,236 at the 2001 census.-Etymology:The word "Wyrley" derives from two Old English words: wir and leah. Wir meant "bog myrtle," and leah meant "woodland clearing," suggesting that Great Wyrley was, at genesis,...
(closed in 1964) - LandywoodLandywoodLandywood is a village in Staffordshire, England. Landywood forms part of the parish and village of Great Wyrley, and together with Great Wyrley and Cheslyn Hay, forms a community with a combined population in 2001 of almost 20,000....
- BloxwichBloxwichBloxwich is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall, West Midlands, England, with a population of around 40,000 people.-Early history:Bloxwich has its origins at least as early as the Anglo-Saxon period, when the place name evidence suggests it was a small Mercian settlement named after the...
- WalsallWalsallWalsall 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...
Walsall Line (Birmingham-Walsall)
- WalsallWalsallWalsall 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...
- BescotBescotBescot 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.....
(for Bescot StadiumBescot StadiumBescot 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 home of Walsall FC) - Stone CrossStone Cross, West MidlandsStone Cross is a residential area of West Bromwich in the metropolitan borough of Sandwell in the West Midlands of England. It is 2.5 miles north of the town centre, and is situated around the A4034 road that links West Bromwich and Walsall....
(near Tame Bridge Parkway station) - HamsteadHamstead, West MidlandsHamstead is an area of Birmingham, England, between Handsworth Wood and Great Barr, and adjacent to the Sandwell Valley area of West Bromwich. Historically it has its foundations as part of the Hamstead Colliery from the early to mid 20th Century with a lot of the housing have been built for the...
- Perry BarrPerry BarrPerry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
- WittonWittonWitton may refer to one of several places in England:*Witton-le-Wear, County Durham*Witton, Lancashire, a former parish in Blackburn*Postwick with Witton, in the county of Norfolk and 5 miles east of Norwich, in Broadland district...
- AstonAstonAston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
- DuddestonDuddestonDuddeston is an inner-city area of the Nechells ward of Birmingham, England. It was part of the Birmingham Duddeston constituency until that ceased to exist in 1950.-Etymology:...
- 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...
Passenger services on the line 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....
on behalf of Centro
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....
.
History
The line running via Aston, Perry Barr and Bescot is the former Grand Junction RailwayGrand 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 section between Walsall and Cannock was constructed by the South Staffordshire Railway
South Staffordshire Railway
The South Staffordshire Railway was the railway company responsible for building several lines in and around the area of Staffordshire, England.The Chief Engineer was John Robinson McClean...
Company.
The section between Cannock and Rugeley was constructed by the Cannock Mineral Railway
Cannock Mineral Railway
The Cannock Mineral Railway ran from a junction with the South Staffordshire Railway at Cannock though Cannock Chase to a junction with the London & North Western Company's Trent Valley Line at Rugeley. It was authorised by The Cannock Mineral Railway Act, 1855.The line was originally authorised...
Company.
Services
Monday to Saturday daytimes there are four trains per hour from Birmingham New Street to Walsall. Two per hour call at all stations and are operated by Class 323British 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 Multiple Units. The other two per hour are operated by Class 170 Diesel Multiple Units. These trains call at Tame Bridge Parkway, Walsall and then continue to Rugeley Trent Valley with one train calling at all stations and one train skipping certain stations between Walsall and Rugeley. Monday to Saturday evenings and all day Sunday, there are two trains per hour (one stopping and one semi-fast) between Walsall and Birmingham and an hourly service to Rugeley Trent Valley.
From December 2010, the Rugeley service will be cut from half-hourly to hourly on weekdays due to lack of funding, however they introduced an 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...
to Birmingham New Street fast only stopping at Tame Bridge Parkway these services used to start from Rugeley Trent Valley.
Reopening
The line between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley closed to passengers in 1965, although it remained as a freight–only line. It reopened in stages, as follows:- 10 April 1989 — Walsall to Hednesford
- 2 June 1997 — Hednesford to Rugeley Town
- 25 May 1998 — Rugeley Town to Stafford
- 12 December 2008 — Chase Line trains are withdrawn from the Stafford - Rugeley Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main LineWest Coast Main LineThe West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...