joeykins82
Member
Yeah, I can't see how XC, whose base of operations is Birmingham New Street, would support the diversion of services via Tamworth in to Moor St.
Yeah, I can't see how XC, whose base of operations is Birmingham New Street, would support the diversion of services via Tamworth in to Moor St.
That isn't the proposal anyway, it's nothing to do with XC. Its about altering/extending LM services. The RUS proposes a new turn back at Tamworth, but with services continuing to use New St, being extensions of existing LM services to Worcester. Presumably a good thing - as it removes reversing trains out of New St.
CENTRO then build on that serious proposal by suggesting services into and out of Moor St and via the Camp Hill line, with some new stations (at Kingsbury, Castle Bromwich and in the Fort area).
Would this service also call at Coleshill Parkway? Getting the service off of the fast line between Tamworth and Brum would allow overtaking and stop it getting in the way of XC trains.
I also wonder: in the long term, would it be worth extending this service to Burton (or even Derby)? A bay platform at Burton could quite easily be added at Burton on the existing island, and would provide a good reversing point out of the way of the fast trains. This extra service would then provide some justification for removing Tamworth and Burton stops from the XC service, speeding it up for long distance traffic.
If this new service did extend to Burton, then I also wonder if a station at Barton Under Needwood could be justified. Another 5000 people with access to the railway network!
Just thinking a bit off topic, this new platform would also be quite useful for extended Lichfield trains, or possibly even trains from the South Staffs line. I can imagine 2 Lichfield trains per hour extending to Tamworth and Burton (with 1 extending to Derby). I could also imagine 2 TPH from Birmingham-Wallsall-Pellsall-Brownhills-Lichfield-Alrewas-Barton Under Needwood-Burton, with 1 TPH extending to Derby again. (Yes, I do have a very active imagination.)