Marston Green

[xtradj]

Can anyone tell me why there is no fast/slow line here, as surely there are a huge amount of trains that pass this area? voyagers.. 3x pendos, plus all the london midland trains.. isnt there problems? or is the rest of the New St - International 4 tracks?

Also is it true W&S pass this way? if so do they pass Coventry to Leamington Spa without stopping?

 

[sprinterguy]

The entirety of Birmingham-Coventry via International is twin track. It's twin track as that is how it was originally constructed and no-one has seen fit to splash out on four tracking it, and there isn't the space in some areas. Birmingham to Coventry is a fairly short length of line, and Birmingham International is conveniently located right in the middle so that fast trains can overtake slow ones there if needs be.

Wrexham and Shropshire services are indeed routed that way, and pass through Coventry non stop.

 

[37401]

The trains all manage and have done for years so no need to 4 track the entire WCML, most WSMR services pass yes however one service 1P03 I think avoids the station going via Warwick and BHM

 

[Geezertronic]

If anything, I would suggest that between Birmingham International and New Street is considered for 4 tracking with a couple of extra platforms at International where Northbound trains can start/terminate (to relieve the pressure off New Street)

 

[jd]

It's 2 tracks all the way from New Street to Coventry - it was just built that way and widening it will cost too much because all the platforms would need to be moved too. Everything is just timetabled in such a way as to allow fast trains to overtake slow ones at International.

It's not ideal but it /sort of/ works.

 

[Bevan Price]

Stechford - Aston - Bushbury is an effective substitute for 4-tracking all the way between Stechford, New St. & Wolverhampton. It keeps virtually all through freight out of New St.

Bevan

 

[The Planner]

Everything is just timetabled in such a way as to allow fast trains to overtake slow ones at International.

It's not ideal but it /sort of/ works.

Im actually struggling to think of any trains that we plan to overtake at International, apart from the freight, no passenger workings come to mind at the mo.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I've seen them hold late running locals at International to allow a Voyager or a 390 to overtake using another platform, but I have to agree I haven't seen anything where this seems to be booked to happen.

 

[Old Timer]

The railway boundary between Birmingham International and Stechford is sufficiently wide as to enable it to be widenend to four track.

 

[Respite]

I was told from quite a few railway workmates over time that it was intended to be upgraded to four track by the LMS before WW2, however apparently WW2 started to kick off before it was started. If that is true or not I don't know 100%, but I will say it needs it.

The whole Coventry to Bham New st corridor is a right bottleneck. The LM stoppers are also quite badly timed that a slight delay seems to wreck everything. Also the whole concept of looping a service to allow a faster service to get past seems a concept that Network Rail bobbys (Or at least there supervisors) can't grasp these days. I've left BHam right time loads only to catch up with the local at anywhere between Berkswell at best to Adderley park at worst. Usually incurring a good delay with following it all the way to Coventry & then missing my "slot" on the WCML at Rugby & having to wait & then follow another VHF service to Euston getting held by it's stopping pattern rather than getting a good run. Chuck a freight working or W&SR in the mix & it really goes bad for anychance of getting there right time. Coming back is even worse. Euston to Coventry south at proper speeds, get to Cov & your once high speed service becomes more akin to a class 9 freight of old. Chugging along at around 25mph following red,single yellow, red, single yellow etc etc all the way to Brum.

 

[BlythPower]

There used to be a passing loop in the down direction just after Tile Hill station. I've fond memories of sitting in a 310 there waiting to be overtaken by an 86 or 87...

If you were to 4 track all the way between Coventry and Birmingham, a lot of people would lose their gardens!

 

[mumrar]

If you were to 4 track all the way between Coventry and Birmingham, a lot of people would lose their gardens!

Ah diddums. Hardly anyone these days maintains a botanic type of garden, although families with kids do use them of course. Just compensate them and tell them to not be NIMBYs

 

[Geezertronic]

4 Tracking all the way between Cov and New Street would have other issues such as the tunnel to the south of Berkswell (The Planner can advance on this if he so desires).

Also if BHI-BHM was 4 tracked, then as OT says the boundary is large enough to Stechford to accomodate this (although it would be interesting to see how the embankment to the north of Marston Green is done)

 

[The Planner]

Ive mentioned it before in several threads, the last plan was for Stechford to Beechwood Tunnel, no more than that. That would be plenty even with the current timetable as it could allow more stops in the LMs instead of the skip pattern they have now.

 

[lm321412]

I've seen them hold late running locals at International to allow a Voyager or a 390 to overtake using another platform, but I have to agree I haven't seen anything where this seems to be booked to happen.

It was booked in the 2008 timetable. A Northampton departure used to wait in Platform 5 at International? for the VT service to arrive and carry on ahead to Coventry.

 

[jd]

It was booked in the 2008 timetable. A Northampton departure used to wait in Platform 5 at International? for the VT service to arrive and carry on ahead to Coventry.

Ah, that must be what I'm thinking of. I didn't realise they stopped doing that... its theoretically a good idea.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

It was booked in the 2008 timetable. A Northampton departure used to wait in Platform 5 at International? for the VT service to arrive and carry on ahead to Coventry.

It was earlier this year when I saw the late running stopper being looped though. So while it may no longer be booked, it clearly does still happen when it needs to.