Snow Hill - Smethwick Galton Bridge before reopening

[778]

The line from Snow Hill - Smethwick reopened in 1995 after being closed for 23 years. What happened to the trackbed during the 23 years it was closed? Did the rails get left in place and become overgrown, or was the track lifted? It was lucky the trackbed was not built on otherwise it could not have been reopened.

Also when did the trains from New Street - Worcester (via Stourbridge) end? I think a few trains still ran from New Street after the line reopened.

 

[Gloster]

If you look at the disused-stations.org.uk site and start with the entry for Handsworth in Closed Passenger Stations, which will lead you to the other stations on the line, you may find out more. (Sorry, I can’t do a link.)

 

[Cowley]

If you look at the disused-stations.org.uk site and start with the entry for Handsworth in Closed Passenger Stations, which will lead you to the other stations on the line, you may find out more. (Sorry, I can’t do a link.)

There’s some good photos from the site showing Hockley in the 1980s with no track in existence:

Disused Stations: Hockley Station

 

[Dave W]

SLUG have some historic timetables: http://www.stourbridgelineusergroup.info/files/Timetable---1997.pdf

1997 still shows an hourly New Street service.

I may be mistaken but I was of the impression a morning Hereford ran via Stourbridge calling at the Junction only until fairly recently (perhaps covid killed that?)

A single line remained to work into some industry - the Metro bridges over the connection to the sidings between The Hawthorns and Jewellery Quarter. I think the line ended there although others will know a lot more than me!

 

[Sprinter107]

SLUG have some historic timetables: http://www.stourbridgelineusergroup.info/files/Timetable---1997.pdf

1997 still shows an hourly New Street service.

I may be mistaken but I was of the impression a morning Hereford ran via Stourbridge calling at the Junction only until fairly recently (perhaps covid killed that?)

A single line remained to work into some industry - the Metro bridges over the connection to the sidings between The Hawthorns and Jewellery Quarter. I think the line ended there although others will know a lot more than me!

There hasn't been a scheduled train to Birmingham New Street from Stourbridge Junction since around 2004. Theres a train that was introduced about 12 months ago, 20.58 from Hereford to New Street, booked to run via Stourbridge, but runs non stop from Droitwich Spa. It returns from New Street at 22.57, again via Stourbridge, but non stop to Droitwich Spa.

The Hereford to Birmingham New Street trains were diverted via Bromsgrove in 2003, coinciding with a frequency increase of the Nottingham to Cardiff trains to hourly, under the new Central City link brand, these no longer called at Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa or Worcester Shrub Hill, running down the old road instead. The diverted Hereford trains now made the Bromsgrove stop.

The Stourbridge line was reduced to a morning train around 08 30 ish from Great Malvern which called at selected stations via Stourbridge Junction to New Street. I seem to recall a tea time train too, via Stourbridge Junction that went thro to Nottingham. Its such a long time ago ! I'm sure somebody on here will have a timetable from then who can confirm. There was also a 23 00 from Birmingham New Street to Stourbridge Junction, calling only at Rowley Regis and Cradley Heath. This was rostered for a 153, which when it got to Stourbridge Junction, it was put onto the Chiltern depot, and woukd become the next days Town Car. I worked that particular train many times. But those three trains were soon withdrawn possibly in 2004.

 

[AJS90]

SLUG have some historic timetables: http://www.stourbridgelineusergroup.info/files/Timetable---1997.pdf

1997 still shows an hourly New Street service.

I may be mistaken but I was of the impression a morning Hereford ran via Stourbridge calling at the Junction only until fairly recently (perhaps covid killed that?)

A single line remained to work into some industry - the Metro bridges over the connection to the sidings between The Hawthorns and Jewellery Quarter. I think the line ended there although others will know a lot more than me!

That timetable was a bit of an eye opener. Why so big a gap from Dorridge towards Birmingham on a Saturday morning?

And only two Birmingham - Dorridge services on Sundays.

 

[Dave W]

That timetable was a bit of an eye opener. Why so big a gap from Dorridge towards Birmingham on a Saturday morning?

And only two Birmingham - Dorridge services on Sundays.

Don’t forget that timetable only shows services calling at Stourbridge, so any Dorridge trains starting at Birmingham are omitted.

Sprinter107‘s on the ground gen is very interesting and useful, also. Thanks for that!

 

[P Binnersley]

The line from Snow Hill - Smethwick reopened in 1995 after being closed for 23 years. What happened to the trackbed during the 23 years it was closed? Did the rails get left in place and become overgrown, or was the track lifted? It was lucky the trackbed was not built on otherwise it could not have been reopened.

Also when did the trains from New Street - Worcester (via Stourbridge) end? I think a few trains still ran from New Street after the line reopened.

The line remained open for freight from Smethwick West to the site of Handsworth and Smethwick (now Handsworth Booth Street metro stop) to access the scrap metal sidings. The line was originally retained as double track, but was singled at some point. During re-construction a long siding was laid from Snow Hill to Handsworth and Smethwick to allow for the line to be relaid.

Prior to work starting on the re-opening the track bed was opened one day for people to walk from Snow Hill to Handsworth and Smethwick (the platforms were still extant) for a (free?) DMU back to New Street (reversing at Smethwick West).

 

[rogercov]

The line from Snow Hill - Smethwick reopened in 1995 after being closed for 23 years. What happened to the trackbed during the 23 years it was closed? Did the rails get left in place and become overgrown, or was the track lifted?

The track was lifted all the way from Moor Street (which at the time did not have platforms on the through line) to somewhere beyond Hockley.
I remember walking through the tunnel between Moor Street and Snow Hill a couple of times in the 70s or early 80s. We also walked Westwards from Snow Hill once, to see how far we could get. As we approached the end of the tunnel at Hockley, the trackbed had been re-used as a scrapyard, so we turned back.
Access was very easy in those days. Nothing was fenced off. I remember the Snow Hill platforms had a number of dangerous holes which disappeared into a void below. It would be a H&S nightmare today!