My Idea for Centro Urban Rail in Birmingham

[Waverley125]

currently, Birmingham is fairly well served by the Centro network of urban trains, but I've been thinking recently, how could it be improved? A couple of thoughts:

Reopen:

Walsall-Lichfield via Brownhills
Walsall-Stourbridge via Dudley
Walsall-Coleshill Parkway via Sutton Coldfield
Birmingham New Street-Kings Norton via Moseley
Kidderminster-Stourport on Severn

Electrify:

Walsall-Rugely Trent Valley
Walsall-Lichfield
Stourbridge-Coleshill Parkway
New St-Kings Norton via Moseley
Barnt Green-Worcester Shrub Hill
Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury
Leamington Spa-Birmingham Snow Hill
Snow Hill-Worcester
Kidderminster-Stourport
Snow Hill-Stratford on Avon
New Street-Tamworth via Water Orton
New Street-Nuneaton


This would give Birmingham two Networks, one running through Snow Hill, and one through New Street. Destinations would be something like

New Street-West

Worcester via University
Redditch via University
Shrewsbury
Stafford
Rugeley TV via Gib Heath
Lichfield TV via Walsall

New Street-East

Worcester via Kings Norton
Redditch via Kings Norton
Lichfield TV via Sutton Coldfield
Rugeley TV via Witton
Leamington Spa via Coventry
Tamworth via Coleshill Parkway

Snow Hill-West

Worcester via Stourbridge Junction
Stourport on Severn

Snow Hill-East

Leamington Spa via Tyesley
Stratford on Avon

plus a 'loop' line running:

Stourbridge Junction-Dudley-Walsall-Aldridge-Sutton Coldfield-Coleshill Parkway

 

[gepree]

currently, Birmingham is fairly well served by the Centro network of urban trains, but I've been thinking recently, how could it be improved? A couple of thoughts:

Reopen:

Kidderminster-Stourport on Severn

What route would this take? Reverse at Hartlebury or reverse at Bewdley?

 

[Ascot]

I'd like the zones extended a bit into the counties. Castle Bromwich station would be another bonus.

Sadly you won't be able to reopen Bewdley to Stourport as WF Council have built houses along the route and the Council wouldn't be happy with the level crossing shutting the town again. I also believe the Severn Valley Railway own up to the Stourport side of the tunnel.

 

[The Planner]

How many services is Worcester getting ?!? And are you planning on decreasing the Cross City if you are going Moseley and Selly Oak ?

 

[Class172]

How many services is Worcester getting ?!? And are you planning on decreasing the Cross City if you are going Moseley and Selly Oak ?

Well I've got no objections for more services to Worcester.

Perhaps you could do this (no idea if it would work though).

3tph   ...BHM-University-Redditch [I]Cross City[/I]
3tph   ...BHM-University-Bromsgrove [I]Cross City [/I](or Worcester assuming electrification)
1tph   BHM-Hereford via Camp Hill Line (replacing Uni call with Kings Norton to allow interchange

 

[Andyjs247]

plus a 'loop' line running:

Stourbridge Junction-Dudley-Walsall-Aldridge-Sutton Coldfield-Coleshill Parkway

Dudley is frequently mentioned as being the largest town without a railway station. It is not well served by rail although there are stations at Dudley Port and Tipton for example on the route between Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Reopening the south Staffs line is an interesting idea but I doubt whether there would be enough demand to make a viable service between Stourbridge and Walsall. Frankly I don't see any demand for direct journeys between Walsall/Aldridge and Sutton Coldfield and Coleshill when there are frequent connections via Birmingham or a direct bus (eg Walsall to Sutton). Stourbridge to Coleshill would be quicker via Birmingham too. Most of the demand is going to be to/from Birmingham. If Walsall to Wolverhampton direct services are anything to go by, other not via Birmingham services will tend to struggle also IMO

However I wonder if tram train might be a better idea. Possibly convert the Stourbridge Town branch to tram train then extend from Stourbridge town centre to Merry Hill / Brierley Hill then to Dudley town centre. Then via Dudley Port to link in with the Midland Metro at West Bromwich and eventually to Birmingham.

As for other improvements I'd prioritise electrification of the Snow Hill lines. Then I'd look at building the Bordesley Chords to run more services into Moor Street from the east.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I cant see any business case for a lot of the proposals in the original post (speaking as somebody who both lives and works in the area) but I agree with Andy's thought that the Snow Hill lines should be electrified at some point, certainly from Worcester through to at least Dorridge and Whitlocks End. It wont happen any time soon given that they have just spent a small fortune on an entire new fleet of Class 172s to work the line but given the frequency of the service and how well used the trains are I remain surprised it hasnt already been electrified.
Reopening the stations on the Camp Hill lines has been talked about for years, as has the chord to divert them into Moor Street. Again, I think that is another good call as is for the reopening of Castle Bromwich station. Considering how many houses and businesses are within five minutes of that place it is a huge black hole in the local network. I guess road access to it would be a major consideration, is there a way it could be built without adding a further bottleneck around Spitfire Island?

 

[SS4]

is there a way it could be built without adding a further bottleneck around Spitfire Island?

Not by road. The Chester Road and Fort Parkway (towards Spitfire Island) already see heavy traffic to the point where there are plans to make the Chester Road 3 lanes wide between the Tyburn House and the Spitfire Island. It's been that way since the retail park (especially Sainsbury's) opened and when the Jaguar plant got their new exit opposite.

A station serving the Fort Dunlop/Jaguar and the Fort Shopping Park would certain alleviate parking issues at the above places. The old Castle Vale station would be too far away for the office blocks in my opinion as well as putting strain on the local roads although may be used by residents but then Castle Vale gets a good bus service so would people take the train instead of the bus?

I think the network zones should be extended to Coleshill Parkway though, WM bus tickets are accepted there (iirc) and I reckon it could bring some more money in for Centro and passengers as they'd undoubtedly be undercutting XC. Put Water Orton in zone 3 and Coleshill Parkway in Zone 4 or 5 imo.

Isn't that part of the line on the HS2 spur?

 

[The Planner]

Rugeley wiring will be put forward as will an extension round to Aldridge. Stourbridge to Lichfield has big freight potential but is struggling money wise, it would only go to Walsall initially anyway. Stourport I can't see ever happening. The rest of electrification would be part of grander schemes and not WM centric. Castle Brom is a difficult one due to the amount of freight knocking about there, that corridor is beginning to bulge at the seams.

 

[Waverley125]

for Stourport, a new chord at Low Hill, swinging round to the west of Torton and joining the line into Stourport east of Leapgate.

The new station would have to be at the top of Millfields drive, provided with sizable car parking on the north side of the station.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Sometimes I read these threads and wonder if it was this density of lines and intensity of service that caused half of them to close in the first place. I can't imagine half of what's proposed here is viable, which is why I don't believe in reopening everything at a whim - we need to analyse and separate what will without doubt be useful, and what's nice to have but unlikely to be a viable opening. For example, I'd say the South Staffs and locals along Camp Hill would be viable, as well as Snow Hill lines electrification. But Stourport and all those services to Worcester, and the orbital service? No.

 

[Class172]

I agree Matt. As much as I would like to have extra services to Worcester, there are Far more important project which I believe should be done first: I would advocate the reintroduction of services on the South Staffs Line and Camp Hill line. Medium term I would like to see the Snow Hill Lines electrified; I'm surprised the opportunity wasn't taken a couple of years back in stead of ordering 172s.

I don't see any need at all for a separate rail line to Stourport. It isn't a huge place and Kidderminster is only 10 minutes away. If Stourport was ever to regain a station then I would see it being a branch of the SVR heading for Hartlebury, but that in itself is extremely unlikely.

 

[Waverley125]

also, I'm not mapping services, just destinations. So while there'd be stoppers from Worcester to a destination on the other side of New St, it wouldn't necessarily be lots of them, particularly given the presence of fast services from Worcester into New Street.

Were the Cardiff-Nottingham service sent via Worcester, as well as the Hereford service, then there'd be a half-hourly fast to Birmingham. So there might well be only 1 service an hour via each of New Street & Snow Hill on the stoppers, with other services cut back at other points, such as Stourbridge, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove or Kings Norton.

 

[Trainfan344]

Sometimes I read these threads and wonder if it was this density of lines and intensity of service that caused half of them to close in the first place. I can't imagine half of what's proposed here is viable, which is why I don't believe in reopening everything at a whim - we need to analyse and separate what will without doubt be useful, and what's nice to have but unlikely to be a viable opening. For example, I'd say the South Staffs and locals along Camp Hill would be viable, as well as Snow Hill lines electrification. But Stourport and all those services to Worcester, and the orbital service? No.

I always read these threads with a pinch of salt, and pretend everyone's talking about an ideal world.