Moor Street and Midlands Rail Hub

[cle]

I could see a few threads which mention this but none centred on it.

Now that this has been approved, it'd be good to understand which of these (lifted from wikipedia, caveats abound) - are going into the final plans, and also - critically - what does this service plan unlock for New St. Could this enable more XC service, or 6tph Cross City again (or more/other, but via University?) - or other services in general? What else does this enable?

• two new platforms (5 and 6)
• two extra trains per hour to Leicester and Derby
• two extra commuter services per hour from Kings Norton via the Camp Hill line
• one extra train per hour to Nottingham
• one extra train per hour to Hereford via Worcester
• one extra train per hour to Cardiff Central
• one extra train per hour to Bristol Temple Meads

And are these truly extra, or relocations? For example, is 'one extra tph to Cardiff / Nottingham' just a move of the current service? Or will there be two, but one via NS and one via MS (reversing?)

Keen to hear more about the services to the South West (given that has been a burning topic) - are any of these through? Or all terminating/shuttles?

 

[Bald Rick]

Now that this has been approved

Has it been approved?

 

[cle]

'Promised in the budget' ...

 

[172007]

Funds authorised by last government, milestone payments have been released as the project progresse. WMT trains are to restrict services by only Birmingham Bound trains calling at Bordesley from 4th November 24 which h was extended 27th November, presumably to prevent overcrowding the Saturdays only Parliamentary service.

Stratford line users group have been notified that in early 2025 closure proceedings will be enacted for Bordesley station as there is not enough room for the station when the Western Camp Hill chord is built.

 

[Halish Railway]

• two extra trains per hour to Leicester and Derby
• two extra commuter services per hour from Kings Norton via the Camp Hill line
• one extra train per hour to Nottingham
• one extra train per hour to Hereford via Worcester
• one extra train per hour to Cardiff Central
• one extra train per hour to Bristol Temple Meads

And are these truly extra, or relocations? For example, is 'one extra tph to Cardiff / Nottingham' just a move of the current service? Or will there be two, but one via NS and one via MS (reversing?)

Keen to hear more about the services to the South West (given that has been a burning topic) - are any of these through? Or all terminating/shuttles?

All of these are supplementary services, starting and terminating at Moor Street. Relocating existing XC long distance services out of New Street has been discounted and I don’t think there’d be any more services on the Cross City line than pre-pandemic.

I haven’t seen anything about additional trains to Derby, only Leicester.

One thing about the Bordesley chords is that running these additional services is dependent on infrastructure enhancements elsewhere, e.g. Kings Norton, Washwood Heath and Water Orton remodelling, hence why this is all part of one big scheme.

 

[cle]

I thought perhaps the Nottingham / Cardiffs might be split in this process - it doesn't really need to run through. If that enabled something else. But then it wouldn't be an addition, really. Sounds like an extra set of regional TPH shuttling out of Moor St.

Curious about the stock/stopping patterns for the likes of Bristol and Cardiff (also the Cardiff routing)

 

[Halish Railway]

I thought perhaps the Nottingham / Cardiffs might be split in this process - it doesn't really need to run through. If that enabled something else. But then it wouldn't be an addition, really. Sounds like an extra set of regional TPH shuttling out of Moor St.

Curious about the stock/stopping patterns for the likes of Bristol and Cardiff (also the Cardiff routing)

Through running at Birmingham New Street is done due to a lack of platform space to terminate and as the existing service needs to remain to serve New Street and University, the status quo will continue.

Along the track the Nottingham and Moor Street to Cardiff services share, the routing and stopping pattern will be the same (unless the Moor Street service calls at more stations along the Severn) and the Moor Street to Bristol service will call at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire Parkway and perhaps Ashchurch for Tewkesbury in addition to the regular stops made by existing XC Bristol services.

Ideally all the additional services would ideally be worked by 100mph stock with good diesel performance, although the exact model is dependent on when this is all complete, especially if XC’s Voyagers finally start getting displaced.

 

[Bald Rick]

'Promised in the budget' ...

Funds authorised by last government, milestone payments have been released as the project progresse.

for the next stage.

 

[The Planner]

Funds authorised by last government, milestone payments have been released as the project progresse. WMT trains are to restrict services by only Birmingham Bound trains calling at Bordesley from 4th November 24 which h was extended 27th November, presumably to prevent overcrowding the Saturdays only Parliamentary service.

Stratford line users group have been notified that in early 2025 closure proceedings will be enacted for Bordesley station as there is not enough room for the station when the Western Camp Hill chord is built.

I very much doubt that the closure procedings will be started that quick.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Dec 2024 ==

All of these are supplementary services, starting and terminating at Moor Street. Relocating existing XC long distance services out of New Street has been discounted and I don’t think there’d be any more services on the Cross City line than pre-pandemic.

I haven’t seen anything about additional trains to Derby, only Leicester.

One thing about the Bordesley chords is that running these additional services is dependent on infrastructure enhancements elsewhere, e.g. Kings Norton, Washwood Heath and Water Orton remodelling, hence why this is all part of one big scheme.

They would put 6tph Cross City back in today if they could.

 

[anthony263]

Through running at Birmingham New Street is done due to a lack of platform space to terminate and as the existing service needs to remain to serve New Street and University, the status quo will continue.

Along the track the Nottingham and Moor Street to Cardiff services share, the routing and stopping pattern will be the same (unless the Moor Street service calls at more stations along the Severn) and the Moor Street to Bristol service will call at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire Parkway and perhaps Ashchurch for Tewkesbury in addition to the regular stops made by existing XC Bristol services.

Ideally all the additional services would ideally be worked by 100mph stock with good diesel performance, although the exact model is dependent on when this is all complete, especially if XC’s Voyagers finally start getting displaced.

I'd put my money on the 2tph to Cardiff just being an extension of TFWs Cardiff to Cheltenham service although probably would need an extra couple of class 231s although fitting them.with pantograph

 

[Palmerston]

• two new platforms (5 and 6)

I think there was a proposal to add a platform 0 and possibly a -1 too, but these might not yet be funded.

 

[ChrisC]

I thought perhaps the Nottingham / Cardiffs might be split in this process - it doesn't really need to run through. If that enabled something else. But then it wouldn't be an addition, really. Sounds like an extra set of regional TPH shuttling out of Moor St.

Curious about the stock/stopping patterns for the likes of Bristol and Cardiff (also the Cardiff routing)

I don’t think that would be an improvement from a passengers point of view. Whenever I have used the Nottingham - Cardiff trains there have been lots of passengers remaining on the train and travelling through Birmingham. Not everyone travelling right through to Cardiff, but plenty of passengers travelling to Cheltenham and especially Gloucester which is not served by other XC trains. Passengers numbers travelling through Birmingham may be down on previous figures because of its unreliability due to so many cancellations south of Birmingham.

 

[172007]

More press coverage today in the Express online.

The coverage does not mention anything new and is all the same as outlined in post #1 of this thread. It's simply just keeping the project in the media spotlight from the Midlands Connect.

Redirect Notice

 

[A S Leib]

Whenever I have used the Nottingham - Cardiff trains there have been lots of passengers remaining on the train and travelling through Birmingham. Not everyone travelling right through to Cardiff, but plenty of passengers travelling to Cheltenham and especially Gloucester which is not served by other XC trains.

Nottingham, Derby, Burton and Tamworth to University's 63 passengers per day, 51 to Cheltenham (of which Derby accounts for 22), 23 to Gloucester and 40 to Cardiff.

Are the two extra platforms necessary for Chiltern's desired Oxford – Birmingham service, which I'm guessing would be an extension / replacement of existing Birmingham – Leamington Spa services?