It was being considered, but not 4 tracks from Tyseley. More like Olton towards Lapworth if I recall. That was pre COVID though.
They are on the wrong side though. The old tracks were south of the bridge.
Dig up some of the car parking spaces and convert to railway? Or is it a multi storey carpark?
Are you sure the tracks weren’t slewed to the south side to go over the bridge? No idea why but it does look a bit like it.
It happens more often than you think. The M42 over the Cov corridor is the same, enough for 4 tracks with two new on the south side. Check the new A45 bridge and its one either side!
Not sure whether you are agreeing or disagreeing whether the line has been slewed to the south to go over the motorway, as it looks in the cab ride?
It has probably been slewed, but to get 4 tracks back along there using the parapets that are there (which allow for 4) then the slew could potentially affect the line speed. I can't see anyone getting 4 tracks over Monkspath Road and there was no loop.
Indeed. This may sound outlandish, but I say either an underground station or be elevated on a building above the station. Both ideas would be costly.
Weird why they would spec a bridge as 3 track, or is that 2 track with safer walking routes?
Depends on what the perceived requirement was at the time.
Where are the freight trains going?
South Coast to the NW/NE, plenty of Intermodal along there. None of the Bournemouth/Reading services will go to Moor St. The chords will be for services from the SW/NE
Indeed, and restoring the 3rd/4th tracks and second platforms at Solihull might enable Crosscountry to stop at Solihull as Virgin Crosscountry did up to 2004.
The Solihull stops were binned as it was crowding them out as the fast services. I doubt XC will ever stop there again, even if the Reading Newcastle stays on that route. You are more likely to see a recast back to the 3tph locals to Dorridge first. Its only Olton that cannot fit a 6 car as it stands.
Correct. However, Solihull station is due for some redevelopment including a new station building which will increase capacity and could accommodate XC commuters.
This is very unlikely, the point of 4-tracking would be to allow XC to overtake while the stoppers call at Solihull!
6 or 8 would be the sensible lengths to plan for, to allow a uniform fleet of 3 or 4 car units rather than a mix.
Agreed - to me, the Snow Hill local lines services are an obvious electrification candidate, with wires potentially getting to Leamington for operational ease.
Indeed. Basically in a similar fashion to 323s on the cross city line. However, Olton station is where I am skeptical about feasibility for significant platform extensions unless the platform can be constructed over the bridges on both sides of the station.
Agreed, and I would like electrification for the whole Chiltern mainline to London Marylebone. But, I am weary about the low height of some bridges on the line, which may require their demolition and higher bridges be installed. which can get very costly. My biggest concern for electrification is the snow hill tunnel, given it's very low height, and my solution would be to have electrified flat metal bars at the tunnel's ceilings which pantographs can touch instead of overhead wires. If all challenged could be overcome, I am all for electrification!
Options exist for calling at stations with platforms shorter than the train.
Long-term yes I agree Marylebone-Birmingham should be wired, although I would focus on Birmingham suburban and inner London first, then Oxford, then joining the dots. Snow Hill tunnel is tight but other tight tunnels have been done, and fixed conductor bar solutions are a fairly proven solution. For a line with 4-6tph pre-covid and in the heart of a major urban area the benefits of electrification are substantial.
Because they've been focusing on the trams instead?
Trams are indeed taking up funding, but also, the Camp Hill line is being reopened (which should be electrified too)
The stations are, the line has never closed.