Passenger services on the Kings Norton avoider?

[sprinterguy]

I was near the Chiltern line around Tyseley at 16:50 yesterday afternoon, and spotted one of Crosscountry's 220s passing above the Chiltern line heading south on the Kings Norton avoiding line, coming from the Bordesley Junction direction.

Does anybody know if this was a service train, an ECS working or something else? I thought that this section of line was currently freight only, and that all Crosscountry services heading in the Worcester direction were routed via the Selly Oak cross city line route. I'll be happy to stand corrected!

 

[starrymarkb]

SW-NW services go via camp hill to avoid reversal at BHM

 

[Mojo]

Kings Norton avoider? Do you mean the Camp Hill line (avoiding stations Bournville to Five Ways) that joins up at Kings Norton?

The xx42 services from New Street to Bristol (BRI) take this line (ex-Manchester (MAN)), departing platform 1b normally, and then drawing down and departing the a end once the xx36 Welsh services to International leave, although not always. It's only on Southbound services (ie. Northbound trains continue to go via Church Road (University)), except for 0625 Plymouth-Edinburgh (EDB), 0628 Penzance-EDB and 1900 BRI-MAN.

 

[yorkie]

I've done the Kings Norton avoider. I don't know of anyone else who has! It was due to a failed train. We then went through BHM again non-stop, Kidderminster, Worcester then back on the main line.

You can't spot a train on the Kings Norton avoider unless you're at the avoider itself!!

 

[323235]

I did the Camp Hill Line on 150108 3 Saturdays ago.
We got to Proof House Junction roughly 10 Early.

Also done it on a diverted Turbostar when travelling to Droitwich on one of the Green Dot Days last year.

 

[The Planner]

I've done the Kings Norton avoider. I don't know of anyone else who has! It was due to a failed train. We then went through BHM again non-stop, Kidderminster, Worcester then back on the main line.

There have been a few specials that have took in the Lifford Curve, not a lot uses it apart from some ECS moves.

 

[AJP62]

There used to be a summer Saturday train over the Lifford Curve. Something like Weymouth - Leicester which came to New Street from the Leamington line (early 80s so not sure which route then) and to save reversal it continued west out of New Street, past University, round the Lifford curve then up to Saltley and on to Leicester. I think it used the old Nuneaton avoiding line too. Passed St Andrews area twice in the process which must have confused passengers! IIRC this one was 2x31 hauled when I took it.

This was in the days of loads of summer Saturday scheduled trains and New Street was chaotic so reversal was avoided.

There were a few of the summer trains from Derby or northwards that avoided New Street altogether and went straight from Saltley passed St Andrews to Kings Norton. There was also one from Liverpool to the South West that did this - left main line north of Wolverhampton, round to Walsall then over Sutton Park line to Derby - New Street line and down to Saltley and on from there.

 

[mumrar]

The 21:50 from Cardiff-New St is booked Cheltenham-Droitwich-Bromsgrove-Bordesley-New St, it's to keep up the traincrew knowledge of diversionary routes should they be needed in times of disruption or engineering.

 

[sprinterguy]

Yeah the Camp Hill line is what I mean.

Thanks guys, a small mystery (for me) solved!

 

[ChrisCooper]

I nearly got to do it a few years back since there was a gas leak leading to the northern approach to New Street being closed. Problem was my Central Trains crew didn't sign the route, so we had to wait until a crew that did could be sent out. They arrived just as the signal cleared for the normal route. At least one Cross Country had passed us whilst we were waiting. Don't know if it would have done us much good anyway though, as it appeared the station had been evacuated too, and it was a little while before trains started departing. In the end I managed to get a Cardiff train 2 hours after the one I was supposed to be on (I could have been on the one an hour after but that was running about 45mins late as it was, and packed, the previous one having been cancelled, so I decided to wait a few mins).

 

[tynesider]

During 2008 there was a booked XC service via the Lifford Curve, as listed on PSUL: http://www.avoe05.dsl.pipex.com/2008.htm

Landor St Junction - St Andrew's Junction - Bordesley Junction - Lifford East Junction - Lifford West Junction (57) CC [partly common with adjacent entries]
Until 6 September 2008
1745 SO Bournemouth - Leeds
From 7 September 2008
Service ceased

David

 

[Invincibles]

Maybe this is not the best way to do this but my train from Cheltenham to Edinburgh used the Camp Hill today. This would seem odd because it necessitates a reversal at New Street to head on to Tamworth, Derby etc.

Was there something happening or is this a common thing (It was the 11:12 from Cheltenham so 12:03 from Birmingham?)

I know the Manchester - Bristols go on that route a lot as I regularly catch those south but was not aware of anything that was going to go back out eastbound going that way.

My Manchester - Birmingham (20:27 ex Manchester on Thursday) went in to Platform 12 to terminate so I think I had one or two oddities this week.