50 Years of Birmingham International

[Belperpete]

Avanti have been celebrating 50 years of Birmingham International today. Big gold 50 balloons, bunting, goodies to eat, photographer for publicity purposes. In the first-class lounge (aka staff mess room) mind, nothing from Avanti for the plebs.

 

[The Planner]

Avanti have been celebrating 50 years of Birmingham International today. Big gold 50 balloons, bunting, goodies to eat, photographer for publicity purposes. In the first-class lounge (aka staff mess room) mind, nothing from Avanti for the plebs.

Not sure the outside with the big double arrow has been cleaned in that time looking at it

 

[Cross City]

It's an underappreciated station IMO.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

It's an underappreciated station IMO.

Indeed. I am also really dating myself. I vividly remember it opening and calling there. Class 87 haulage too! Cleared my locos 6 months later (sorry that is OT but just had to!)

 

[chris_in_salop]

It's an underappreciated station IMO.

It's an utterly charmless building. However it does seem to be practical for handling passenger flows.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

Just wish they'd built it with bigger lifts. The current ones are really not suitable for an airport station, even the new platform 1 has one that's relatively small, lots of fun when you get a last-minute platform change!

 

[Falcon1200]

I still regard International as a new station! IIRC there was space allowed on the Up side for an additional platform similar to that on the Down side but it was never built - Or even considered?

 

[GRALISTAIR]

However it does seem to be practical for handling passenger flows.

Exactly!

 

[Mikey C]

A good bit of planning really, a station serving both the airport and the NEC. Indeed I assume the NEC (which also opened in 1976) was as much a driver for the station as the airport, if not more so.

 

[Belperpete]

A good bit of planning really, a station serving both the airport and the NEC. Indeed I assume the NEC (which also opened in 1976) was as much a driver for the station as the airport, if not more so.

Wasn't Marston Green the airport station before International opened?

 

[Cross City]

Wasn't Marston Green the airport station before International opened?

No, the main terminal now didn't open till 1984.

Before that the passenger terminal was over the Sheldon side of the airport, where the cargo and bizjet facilities are nowadays.

 

[Magdalia]

A good bit of planning really, a station serving both the airport and the NEC. Indeed I assume the NEC (which also opened in 1976) was as much a driver for the station as the airport, if not more so.

Birmingham International was built for the National Exhibition Centre not the airport.

There is a 2 paragraph article in May 1974 Railway Magazine, entitled "Station for National Exhibition Centre" which does not mention the airport at all.

I have found this old article from the BBC website which gives some National Exhibition Centre history:

NEC Group sell-off: 40 years of events, exhibitions and concerts

Venues owned by the NEC group have staged everything from the Eurovision Song Contest to Crufts dog show.

www.bbc.co.uk

From immaculately-coiffed pop stars to immaculately-coiffed dogs - the NEC's portfolio of concert venues, a conference centre plus a massive exhibition facility has played home to the full gamut of entertainment.

But now the owner, Birmingham City Council, wants to sell the venues as it is facing a £1.1bn bill for equal pay settlements.

In 40 years the NEC group has hosted everything from the G8 summit of world leaders to the Crufts dog show.

During that time, the centres have helped propel Birmingham into the international headlines.

 

[DarloRich]

a useful if dull station!

 

[satisnek]

I've always found it intriguing why the station was built as it is. Bearing in mind that there were no scheduled terminating services (these came much later) why were the 2 Down and 1 Up platform loops provided? I can only assume that they were originally intended for excursion trains? As a result, the station seemed to be a bit of an under-utilised white elephant for its first 20-30 years.

 

[The exile]

Wasn't Marston Green the airport station before International opened?

Think Hampton-in-Arden got the extra stops, didn’t it?

 

[Ian Hardy]

I've always found it intriguing why the station was built as it is. Bearing in mind that there were no scheduled terminating services (these came much later) why were the 2 Down and 1 Up platform loops provided? I can only assume that they were originally intended for excursion trains? As a result, the station seemed to be a bit of an under-utilised white elephant for its first 20-30 years.

Firstly it allowed an extra UP and DN passing loop in the 30 mile double track stretch between Rugby & New Street in addition to the loops at Coventry, so it gave extra resilence on that busy stretch of railway. So, good on BR managing to get that enhancement included in the station construction.

The extra DN platform was because when there were big events at the NEC (i.e. The Motor Show), there would be frequent shuttle services between New Street and International, so an extra platform would be required to turn those services around without creating delays to the existing services.

 

[Magdalia]

Think Hampton-in-Arden got the extra stops, didn’t it?

A few morning Wolves-Euston and evening Euston-Wolves trains called at Hampton in Arden for business traffic to/from London. This was already happening in 1974 (the first all line timetable) and continued for a while after Birmingham International opened.

Firstly it allowed an extra UP and DN passing loop in the 30 mile double track stretch between Rugby & New Street in addition to the loops at Coventry, so it gave extra resilence on that busy stretch of railway. So, good on BR managing to get that enhancement included in the station construction.

The extra DN platform was because when there were big events at the NEC (i.e. The Motor Show), there would be frequent shuttle services between New Street and International, so an extra platform would be required to turn those services around without creating delays to the existing services.

When the new station opened there was an hourly New Street-International service in the timetable worked by 312201-204.

For big events there were lots of additional trains from/to Euston, Birmingham, and places further north, some of which ran via Stechford, Aston, Bescot and Bushbury.

The Motor Show was a good event for lots of additional trains, including places off the WCML to/from New Street with passengers then changing for an increased frequency New Street-International service worked by 312201-204.

 

[cle]

I recall when the slow services were more standard (Coventry to Wolves crossrail, ish) - and Intl was used for overtaking as well as terminating.

Today they are all a lot more eclectic, with the Liverpools and Shrewsburys doing some lifting - plus the 'Northampton Line' services on the other end.

 

[Belperpete]

No, the main terminal now didn't open till 1984.

Before that the passenger terminal was over the Sheldon side of the airport, where the cargo and bizjet facilities are nowadays.

So how did railway passengers get to the airport in those days? I thought it was by bus or taxi from Marston Green?

 

[55004]

An interesting move in the early 80s was the 13.50 ex Paddington (1M07) sat on platform 2, 16.09 - 16.13 to let a Euston - West Midlands service pass on platform 3.

 

[sheff1]

I still regard International as a new station!

Indeed. I remember a number of us being deployed there to conduct passenger counts during the opening month, doesn't seem like 50 years ago.

 

[Belperpete]

The main waiting area in the concourse can get very chilly in cold weather. The waiting rooms and toilets on the platforms are much better, but you have to know about them (and I suspect that many passengers don't, as they are not particularly well signed). Unfortunately platform 1 is very much the poor relation, there are no facilities. So if you are catching a train from platform 1 there is no heated waiting area.

 

[satisnek]

Firstly it allowed an extra UP and DN passing loop in the 30 mile double track stretch between Rugby & New Street in addition to the loops at Coventry, so it gave extra resilence on that busy stretch of railway. So, good on BR managing to get that enhancement included in the station construction.

The extra DN platform was because when there were big events at the NEC (i.e. The Motor Show), there would be frequent shuttle services between New Street and International, so an extra platform would be required to turn those services around without creating delays to the existing services.

When the new station opened there was an hourly New Street-International service in the timetable worked by 312201-204.

For big events there were lots of additional trains from/to Euston, Birmingham, and places further north, some of which ran via Stechford, Aston, Bescot and Bushbury.

The Motor Show was a good event for lots of additional trains, including places off the WCML to/from New Street with passengers then changing for an increased frequency New Street-International service worked by 312201-204.

To be fair, I don't remember the station when it was new, but only from the mid-1980s when the stock available for shuttles and specials was rapidly dwindling. I guess this period was the station's lowest ebb.

 

[JD2168]

The upstairs concourse area I find to be quite roomy & easy to get around with a large amount of well located departure screens.

The platforms I find can get a bit crowded particularly if a large event is happening at the NEC or elsewhere nearby & could do with being a bit wider in places