Kings Norton (KNN)

Kings Norton is a stop on the Cross City Line in Birmingham between Bournville and Northfield.

WMR 323 211 at Kings Norton

Information
Type:	National Rail (Cross City Line)
Station code:	KNN
Opened:	1849
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Birmingham & Gloucester Railway in 1849 on what is now the Camp Hill route. A more direct route to Birmingham was added in 1885 with the opening of the Birmingham West Suburban Railway (which is now the Cross City Line), the station's platforms were extended and a large goods yard built. The line through the station was quadrupled in 1925 and two new platforms added as part of a station rebuild [1]. Passenger traffic on the Camp Hill route ceased in 1941 though the line remained open. The station was rebuilt in 1978 as part of the opening of the Cross City Line, the line was electrified in 1993.

Only two platforms are currently in use, the central island platform still exists but is unavailable. The Camp Hill route is being reopened for passenger trains (now due for the end of 2024), Kings Norton will be the terminus of these services. The disused island platforms may be bought back into use. Access between the platforms and road level is via a footbridge and ramps. The station is managed by West Midlands Railway.

Station building, typical for stations on the Cross City Line

Ramp walkway down to platform level

View down the platform

Disused island platform and in service platform beyond

WMR 323 215 with a Birmingham bound service

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Bromsgrove to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2006) Fig. 47

Beith Town

Beith Town was the terminus of a short branch line in Ayrshire, the preceding station was Barrmill.

A train arriving at Beith Town

Information
Type:	Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway
Opened:	1873
Closed:	1962
Platforms:	1

The station was opened in 1873 by the Glasgow, Barrhead and Kilmarnock Joint Railway as the terminus of a five mile long branch line from Lugton. The station was just called Beith when it was opened, even though there had already been a nearby station called that since 1840! The other station, which had been opened by the Glasgow, Paisley, Kilmarnock and Ayr Railway, was finally renamed Beith North in 1923, though the GB & KJR station did not change it's name to Beith Town until 1953.

The station was closed to passenger traffic in 1962 though remained open for freight for a couple more years until final closure. The station site has been redeveloped and the track lifted.

[1] J. Francis, "The Glasgow, Barrhead & Kilmarnock Joint Railway", The Railway Magazine p. 35

Shalford (SFR)

Shalford is a stop on the North Downs Line in Surrey between Guildford and Chilworth.

GWR 165 105 departs

Information
Type:	National Rail (North Downs Line)
Station code:	SFR
Opened:	1849
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Reading, Guildford & Reigate Railway in 1849. it later became part of the South Eastern Railway. In 1944 two goods trains collided at Shalford, one a tanker train carrying aviation spirit [1]. Despite the devastation to the line and nearby buildings, the line was reopened quickly. Earlier in the war Shalford was a sub-control centre for evacuation trains after Dunkirk.

The station has been unstaffed since 1967, the station has also lost it's original station buildings. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge. The station is managed by GWR, with at least one service in each direction per hour.

Current facilities are the basic and ubiquitous

Footbridge

Platform view from the footbridge

Preparing to depart

GWR 165 104 arrives

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Guildford to Redhill (Middleton Press, 1989) Fig. 25

Oxford (OXF)

Oxford station is a stop on the Cotswold Line in Oxfordshire between Hanborough and Didcot Parkway. It is also on the Cherwell Valley Line between Tackley and Radley and the terminus of services from London Paddington and Marylebone.

GWR 800 302 departs the station

Information
Type:	National Rail (Cotswold & Cherwell Valley Lines plus others)
Station code:	OXF
Opened:	1852
Platforms:	4

The first Oxford station was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1844. This was followed by a station opened by the Oxford & Rugby Railway (though owned by the GWR by the time it opened) in 1852 [1] on it's line from Oxford to Banbury, this replaced the original GWR station. For a time the station was known as Oxford General to distinguish it from Oxford Rewley Road.

The station was rebuilt in 1890s with new wooden buildings which lasted until the early 1970s [2] when the buildings were replaced by standard CLASP structures [3]. A new main building and footbridge was built in 1990. The station has two through platforms and two bays.

Oxford is managed by GWR and served by them as well as Chiltern Railways and Cross Country.

A surviving pre-GWR First Great Western sign

View down the bay platforms

Chiltern 165 002 arrives at Oxford

View down the platform showing the footbridge

GWR 802 102 prepares to depart

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Didcot to Banbury (Middleton Press, 2003) p. 3
[2] Ibid. Fig. 46
[3] Chris Heaps, BR Diary 1968-1977 (Ian Allan, 1988) p. 60

Rayners Lane (ZRL)

Rayners Lane is a stop on the London Underground Metropolitan and Piccadilly Lines in north west London between Eastcote and West Harrow or South Harrow.

A Piccadilly Line service arrives at Rayners Lane

Information
Type:	Transport for London (London Underground Metropolitan & Piccadilly Lines)
Station code:	ZRL
Opened:	1906
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Harrow & Uxbridge Railway in 1906, part of the growing Metropolitan Railway. The station was opened as Rayners Lane Halt (Rayner was the name of a local farmer not a place!) At the time the station was in a rural location. House building did not begin in earnest in the locality until the 1930s. Passenger usage at Rayners Lane went from 22,000 in 1930 to 4 million in 1937!

The District Railway reached the station in 1910 on an extension from South Harrow, this line is now part of the Piccadilly, some services terminate at the station. The station was rebuilt in 1938, the design by Charles Holden and Reginald Uren [1]. 

View down the platform

Approaching train

A Metropolitan Line train departs

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 151

Lace Market NET

Lace Market is a stop on the Nottingham Express Transit in the city centre between Old Square and Nottingham Station.

Lace Market

Information
Type:	Nottingham Express Transit
Opened:	2004
Platforms:	2

The tram stop is one of the original stops on the NET and opened in 2004. It derives it's name from being situated in Nottingham's historic Lace Market quarter. The tram stop shares road space with motor vehicles at this location. After the opening of Phase 2 of NET, Lace Market is one of the central stops which serves both Lines 1 and 2.

Arriving at the stop

Approaching the stop

Perry Barr (PRY)

Perry Barr is a stop on the Birmingham New Street-Walsall Line in north Birmingham between Witton and Hamstead.

LNWR 350 254 (on a WMR service) departs for Walsall

Information
Type:	National Rail (Birmingham-Walsall Line)
Station code:	PRY
Opened:	1837
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the Grand Junction Railway in 1837, as the station is still on it's original site it is one of the oldest continually operating stations in the world. However, the station has been rebuilt a number of times. The most recent rebuild was in 2021-22 to prepare the station for the Commonwealth Games in 2022, Perry Barr being close to the main stadium used in the event.

The previous rebuild was in the 1960s [1] when the line was electrified. The electrification being completed in 1966. Access down to platform level is via stairs and lifts. Other station facilities are fairly basic though there is a part-time staffed booking office. The station is managed by West Midlands Railway. The usual service is two trains an hour in each direction.

Access down to platform level

Preparing to depart

Copper/rust designed main station building

View from the footbridge

View down the platform

[1] Vic Mitchell, North of Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2014) Fig. 65

Leasowe (LSW)

Leasowe serves a village on the Wirral, it is a stop on the Merseyrail Wirral Line between Moreton and Bidston.

Merseyrail 507 028 arrives with a Liverpool bound service

Information
Type:	National Rail (Merseyrail Wirral Line)
Station code:	LSW
Opened:	1870
Platforms:	2

The original station was opened by the Hoylake Railway in 1870 as Leasowe Crossing though this station closed in 1872. [1] The Wirral Railway opened a new Leasowe station in 1894 situated on it's line from Birkenhead Park to West Kirby. [2]

The station passed into LMS ownership and the line it was on was electrified in 1938. Through trains to Liverpool Central also began. The station buildings were rebuilt at the same time in the concrete style also used elsewhere on the line to West Kirby. A footbridge was added next to the level crossing.

The station is now operated by Merseyrail. A level crossing is at one end of the station though the signalbox which once controlled it has now gone. The station has a staffed booking office.

Footbridge with the level crossing beyond

Platform waiting room

Merseyrail 507 033 departs bound for West Kirby

Alight at Leasowe for Wirral Coastal Park

Waiting room

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Birkenhead to West Kirby (Middleton Press, 2014) Map. X
[2] Jonathan Cadwallader & Martin Jenkins, Merseyside Electrics (Ian Allan, 2010) p. 70