Posted 1st September 2014 | 6 Comments
West Midlands redoubling completed
THE railway between Barnt Green and Redditch reopened this morning after an eight-week closure to allow a 3km section in the Alvechurch area to be doubled.
Network Rail took advantage of the closure to also improve facilities and accessibility at Alvechurch station.
The doubled line will allow three services an hour to run between Barnt Green and Redditch in both directions from December rather than two an hour at the moment.
Alvechurch station has gained another platform as well as a new bridge and lifts to provide step-free access.
The improvements are part of a £100 million railway investment programme in north Worcestershire which also includes electrification, linespeed improvements and a new station at Bromsgrove.
Network Rail area director Liam Sumpter said: “The completion of this work is the first significant phase.
“The additional train in each direction will mean passengers travelling between Redditch and Barnt Green – and on the Cross City line generally – will benefit from a much improved service while passengers using Alvechurch station have better access and facilities."
Mark Goodall, London Midland’s head of Cross City services said, "The new station facilities at Alvechurch are extremely impressive, and we look forward to the winter timetable when all passengers on the route will benefit from an improved service”.
Reader Comments:
Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.
Will, Halesowen
Posted 17/09/14 at 10.22.
Re: Andrew Blurton, Stafford.
The big problem with more services on the Cross City/Walsall lines is capacity.
There are already 10 passenger services per hour through the two-track section between New St and Aston. There's no easy way to widen this section due to the major bottleneck at Aston station, built partly on the bridge over Lichfield Rd.
A better solution would be to extend the existing Rugeley services to Stafford for easy connections to the north west.
Longer term, the line from Lichfield Trent Valley to Burton-on-Trent needs to be wired, allowing connections to Derby, Yorkshire and the north east.
You would also need to tweak the timetable on these routes to give a semi-fast/locals combination, to give faster journey times from the extremes on the routes - rather like the Snow Hill lines services.
andrew blurton, Stafford
Would it be considered a good idea if the West Midlands Transport Network & authority start designing & developing a plan for a new operation & more direct localised rail service from Bromsgrove & Redditch & Longbridge & Birmingham to London & Crewe & Liverpool & Manchester via Walsall & Cannock & Wolverhampton & expanding all the localised services operating between Manchester & Stoke On Trent & Birmingham - Rugeley services this direction & route when the Cannock rail electrification & Norton bridge junction is completed in the near future be a good idea for London Midland to start thinking about as well!
James, London
The Felixstowe branch needs electrifying as a matter of great urgency. It is shocking that cross country freight runs on diesel traction simply for the want of a couple of miles of overhead wiring.
John Gilbert, Cradley, Herefordshire
I agree with Mr Capel. Use of electric bankers should be considered AS A MATTER OF COURSE - providing they can be spared!!! But then, we in the UK don't always do what is logical do we? For example the Felixstowe branch, carrying vast tonnages of freight, should have been doubled years ago!!! But they're still havering on about whether to or not!!
Andrew Gwilt, Wickford
It would also be good to new have new footbridge and lifts to provide step-free access at stations in Essex including Hythe, Wivenhoe, Arlesford, Weeley, Great Bentley, Thorpe-le-Soken, Kirby Cross, Ingatestone, Wickford, Billericay, Rayleigh, Hockley, Rochford, Prittlewell, Hatfield Peverel, Marks Tey, Kelvedon, stations along the Crouch Valley line and Harwich Town line from Manningtree to have step-free access and station along the Stratford-Shenfield section to have step-free access as Crossrail will be taking over in 2018.
Roger Capel, Sheffield
Does electrification to Bromsgrove mean trying 90s or 92s on the Lickey bankers or would that require wiring sidings & crossovers which are not in the scope?