Bromsgrove station Re-location

[rich20166]

Just read in my local rag that Bromsgrove station is to be moved completely. There was talk of extending the platforms to accomadate Virgin Voyagers but those of you who are familiar with the station could have told the local council straight away that you couldnt go up the Lickey with the platforms due to the steep rise and couldnt go south due to the freight loop immediatly south of the southern end of platform 1. Now the word is that the 'new' station will be on the site of the old oil sidings that closed in the 90's and is yet to be redeveloped. The problem with this is its off the mainline. Pushed back by the oil siding lines still there and the freight loop. Without a major re-shaping of the track which isnt going to happen it looks as though things will stay the same at the foot of the Lickey for some time to come.

[salopiangrowler]

This could be the planned 1980's work.

They were on about diverting all freight service's off the lickey all together if they did that then the loops would not be needed.

interestingly some service's in the early 80's used to stop there ie a class 45 or 46 on 11 - 13 coaches. Then again the H&SE dont allow over hangs on station's using trains with CDL (Central door locking)

[Hymek]

This could be the planned 1980's work.

They were on about diverting all freight service's off the lickey all together if they did that then the loops would not be needed.

interestingly some service's in the early 80's used to stop there ie a class 45 or 46 on 11 - 13 coaches. Then again the H&SE dont allow over hangs on station's using trains with CDL (Central door locking)

i presume on the case of the freight that more of it would go via stourbridge jct then on its way through birmingham (considering that there is a freight loop just off the viaduct at kidderminster as well as the round oak side of stourbridge jct (where if your lucky sometimes there is a 60 or 66 sitting there on round oak duty)

[mattvince]

The troubles with going via Kidderminster are the long signal sections, then squeezing a path on the 6tph, double-track Snow Hill line through to Bordesley. Then all trains headed for the East Midlands/North East/Washwood Heath would have to reverse - unless a chord was built, which would be a cost which the FOCs would not be willing to bear. Going up The Lickey is a better bet - at least that gains an Up Goods at Barnt Green, and a Down Goods at Cofton, then it's four-track to Kings Norton. The only other route from Stourbridge is up to Bescot, then Sutton Park - which will be single-track between Round Oak and Bescot when the Metro goes in.

The existing platforms at Bromsgrove could take a power-door four, if HMRI were to be proactive about Selective Door Opening. Moving the exit for the Up loop further south is one option worth investigating - mind you I'd extend the Up loop all the way back to Stoke Works Jn, link it to the Droitwich line and upgrade to passenger spec, allowing for trains to come off the Droitwich line at line speed whilst a Voyager speeds past on the Up Main.

[spartacus]

The only other route from Stourbridge is up to Bescot, then Sutton Park - which will be single-track between Round Oak and Bescot when the Metro goes in.

You had me worried for a mo, until I realised its 0 track in use now between Round Oak and Bescot!

[salopiangrowler]

I was thinking more or less them diverting the trains with the less priorty via Shrewsbury which is where the freight seem to go when the lickey's shut (Well the Bridgwater - sellafield flask's did)


As nearly all traffic up the lickey goes to either Bescot or Washwood Heath to wouldnt be a problem However pathing through wolverhampton station is scarce at the best of time's during the day.

in the 80's alot of freight was taken off shrewsbury and sent up the lickey as Bescot was an "important nerve cetre" for freight and crew change's Saying the there were less passenger trains on the marches line then than there is now. 1 working i can think of was the Baglan Bay - Humber Ammonium tank's. Shrewsbury can quite easily accomidate a couple of freight here and there and would provide a vantage point for drop off's and pick up's with the Donnington Park freight depot reaching the Climax of construction track and 95% of the signal's in. most the depot and ground works near completion ready for june next year.

DRS could easily shave an hour or so off the Bridgwater flask's and EWS could easily do the same with the Stoke Gifford Powder clay.

Dont know why EWS took the Silver bullet's off us and shove them up the lickey but saying that the silver bullet's could be in there last year next year if ECC's contract stop's as the slurry can be produced near irvine and be transported by road apparently.

[Hymek]

The troubles with going via Kidderminster are the long signal sections, then squeezing a path on the 6tph, double-track Snow Hill line through to Bordesley. Then all trains headed for the East Midlands/North East/Washwood Heath would have to reverse - unless a chord was built, which would be a cost which the FOCs would not be willing to bear. Going up The Lickey is a better bet - at least that gains an Up Goods at Barnt Green, and a Down Goods at Cofton, then it's four-track to Kings Norton. The only other route from Stourbridge is up to Bescot, then Sutton Park - which will be single-track between Round Oak and Bescot when the Metro goes in.

The existing platforms at Bromsgrove could take a power-door four, if HMRI were to be proactive about Selective Door Opening. Moving the exit for the Up loop further south is one option worth investigating - mind you I'd extend the Up loop all the way back to Stoke Works Jn, link it to the Droitwich line and upgrade to passenger spec, allowing for trains to come off the Droitwich line at line speed whilst a Voyager speeds past on the Up Main.

also as well as the shrewsbury getting lickey freight, the stourbridge line gets alot of lickey freight when its shut, as well as all the voyagers, albeit at weekends

[mattvince]

Shrewsbury is only useful for those trains headed up to the North West - anything for the East Midlands and North East would have to go up the Lickey - the NE trains would otherwise have to take the congested Trans-Pennine routes (a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, some would say).

Spartacus - well, someone seems to think some freight may run on there eventually, at some point, in an as-yet indeterminate timescale - probably when the freights and 323s end up running signal-to-signal on a near-permanent basis.

[salopiangrowler]

They could of course re install the bridge at bescot and have the Stourbridge - Dudley Port low level - Walsall branch reinstated to keep traffic off the Stourbridge - Birmingham section and the short section from perry bar - Bescot.

The "West Bromwich Albion" tanks ran through shrewsbury from Cardiff to West Bromwich because it was too heavy for the lickey as it was near enough the same length as the Immingham - Langley tank's near on 31 100 ton tanks, but since that ceased to operate during the early 90's its highly unlikly we will see trains like that again especially in shrewsbury.

Ive seen plenty of freight in kidderminster with the passenger trains running hellish late trying to gain paths.

[Ghostcav]

From when I worked Stourbridge box I would say the biggest problem about routing trains Via Stourbridge is actually Old Hill bank.With the old line to Bescot Via round oak reopened as single line only would not be enough.When I worked Stourbridge PSB we used to get regular diverted freights on nights all week long (& postals then),even the average size train required banking up old hill especially if it had a 66 on the front.The need to bank,plus the fact Blakedown,kiddy & Hartlebury boxes switch out at night closing the line would make it a pain to sort out. Plus as said getting margins for freights was always tough without the need to bank.