Kings Norton railway station
Encyclopedia
Kings Norton railway station serves the Kings Norton
and Cotteridge
areas of Birmingham
, England
. It lies on Cross-City Line from Redditch
through Birmingham New Street to Lichfield
. The station's main entrance is located on Pershore Road South, the A441
.
(the first of three stations to bear the Lifford name) was first built on what is now the Camp Hill Line ).
Opening in 1849, Kings Norton was developed as part of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
's line to Curzon Street
via the Camp Hill Line. It was greatly extended in 1892 with the extension of the Midland Railway
's Birmingham West Suburban Railway
, adding a third platform when the line was quadruple tracked south to the junction with the Halesowen Joint Railway
. This enabled the construction of a large coal and goods yard with sidings for the adjacent Triplex factory. In the 1930s, a fourth platform was added to provide an overflow facility for Birmingham New Street, allowing passenger trains going from Derby
to Bristol
to avoid central Birmingham. At the same time, suburban traffic was reduced with the closure of the stations on the Camp Hill Line in 1930.
Refurbished as part of the Cross-City line in 1978, it retained some of its original features following refurbishment, unlike the other 'cross city line' stations. The original station building survived, leased out for commercial purposes, until it was demolished in February 2006 for safety reasons. An extension car park provides a Park and Ride
facility.
Kings Norton is served by London Midland
services, using Class 323
electric multiple units. London Midland operate the Cross-City line on behalf of Centro
.
Kings Norton Station is equipped with real-time information departure boards which were installed in 2006 by Central Trains
.
Kings Norton
Kings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield.-History:...
and Cotteridge
Cotteridge
Cotteridge is an area of Birmingham, England and is part of the Bournville ward. It is located about 4.5 miles south of Birmingham city centre. Connected to both the Watford Road and the Pershore Road, Cotteridge is a local shopping area.- St Agnes Church :...
areas of Birmingham
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...
, 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...
. It lies on Cross-City Line from Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
through Birmingham New Street to Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
. The station's main entrance is located on Pershore Road South, the A441
A441 road
A441 is an A-road in England which runs from central Birmingham to Cookhill, Worcestershire.-History:Once one of the main routes between Evesham, Redditch and Birmingham, the A441 has now largely been superseded by A435 which has been upgraded to the East...
.
History
The current Kings Norton station is the second station to be built in the Kings Norton area. The original Lifford railway stationLifford railway station
Lifford railway station was a railway station in Cotteridge, Birmingham, England, on the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway's Camp Hill Line. The station operated between 1885 and 1940, closing due to the Second World War....
(the first of three stations to bear the Lifford name) was first built on what is now the Camp Hill Line ).
Opening in 1849, Kings Norton was developed as part of the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
Birmingham and Gloucester Railway
The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway is a railway route linking Birmingham to Gloucester in England.It is one of the world's oldest main line railways and includes the famous Lickey Incline, a dead-straight stretch of track running up the 1-in-37 gradient of the Lickey Ridge...
's line to Curzon Street
Curzon Street railway station
Curzon Street railway station was a railway station in Birmingham that was used briefly for regular scheduled passenger services between 1838 and 1854 when it acted as the terminus for both the London and Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway, with lines connecting Birmingham to London...
via the Camp Hill Line. It was greatly extended in 1892 with the extension of the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's Birmingham West Suburban Railway
Birmingham West Suburban Railway
The Birmingham West Suburban Railway was a suburban railway built by the Midland Railway company. Opened in 1876, it allowed both the opening of development of central southwest suburban Birmingham south into Worcestershire, and the by-passing of railway traffic via the Birmingham and Gloucester...
, adding a third platform when the line was quadruple tracked south to the junction with the Halesowen Joint Railway
Halesowen Joint Railway
The Halesowen Joint Railway was a British pre-grouping railway company that opened a six mile line in 1883 in the Midlands. It later became a joint railway owned by the Midland Railway and the Great Western Railway....
. This enabled the construction of a large coal and goods yard with sidings for the adjacent Triplex factory. In the 1930s, a fourth platform was added to provide an overflow facility for Birmingham New Street, allowing passenger trains going from Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
to avoid central Birmingham. At the same time, suburban traffic was reduced with the closure of the stations on the Camp Hill Line in 1930.
Today
With the development of both bus and tram services, the need for such a large facility reduced from the 1930s onwards. The result is that today although all four platforms all remain in place, only the outer two remain in passenger use, with the middle island platform now derelict.Refurbished as part of the Cross-City line in 1978, it retained some of its original features following refurbishment, unlike the other 'cross city line' stations. The original station building survived, leased out for commercial purposes, until it was demolished in February 2006 for safety reasons. An extension car park provides a Park and Ride
Park and ride
Park and ride facilities are car parks with connections to public transport that allow commuters and other people wishing to travel into city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system , or carpool for the rest of their trip...
facility.
Kings Norton is served 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....
services, using 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 multiple units. London Midland operate the Cross-City line 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....
.
Kings Norton Station is equipped with real-time information departure boards which were installed in 2006 by 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:...
.