Derby (DBY)

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Derby is one of the great railway centres on the network. It is still a junction of the Midland Main Line and the lines to Birmingham New Street, Nottingham and Matlock, and also adjacent to the Railway Technical Centre. One of the largest remaining British railway manufacturing centres at Bombardier Derby is also nearby.

ROG 57 312 at Derby with a special excursion

Information
Type:	National Rail (Midland Main Line)
Station code:	DBY
Opened:	1839
Platforms:	7

Derby first got a station when the Midland Counties Railway station opened in 1839, though this was only a temporary structure with the first permanent station opening the following year, which was known as Derby Station Street.

Derby, which between 1950 and 1968 was known as Derby Midland [1] (this name is still displayed on the front of the main station building), has been extended and rebuilt a number of times. The latest change being in 2018 when the station layout was remodelled to remove bottlenecks and improve line speeds, the station was also resignalled with a new gantry to the South of the station. A bay platform was removed and replaced by a new through platform which is one side of a new island. There is a seventh platform (the other side of the new island) though it is not usually in public use.

It is hoped that one day the lines will also be under the wires thanks to Midland Main Line electrification (though this project is subject to delays and may not take place for a long time).


Derby is served by East Midland Railway and Cross Country services between the North East and South West as well as links to destinations such as Crewe. There are two entrances to the station with a second entrance added at the Pride Park development in the 2001 along with a new overbridge [2].

XC 43 303 at Derby

An EMT 153 enters the station under the new signal gantry

View down the platform

An EMT 222 leaves the station

Derby is still host to interesting traction

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Derby to Stoke-on-Trent (Middleton Press, 2016) Fig. 5
[2] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Derby to Chesterfield (Middleton Press, 2017) Fig. 9

Maida Vale (ZMV)

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Information
Type:	Transport for London (Bakerloo Line)
Station code:	ZMV
Opened:	1915
Platforms:	2

Maida Vale is one of the stations built for the Bakerloo Line's extension from Paddington to Queen's Park, the station opening in 1915.

When the station opened it was the first station (and uniquely at the time) to be staffed entirely by women [1] who were being hired to roles previously reserved by men to replace men who had gone to the war.

The station building is to the common, of the time, Leslie Green design though was designed by his assistant Stanley Heaps. Inside the ticket foyer is an interesting mosaic of the London Underground "bullseye" logo, built not long before the logo changed to the one used ever since. The station is Grade II listed.

A Bakerloo Line 72ts train stands at Maida Vale 

Station exterior, with original signage

Bullseye mosaic

Analogue time keeping between the platforms

Main entrance

[1] Paul Moss, London Underground (Haynes, 2014) p. 56

Cradley Heath (CRA)

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Cradley Heath is a stop on the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester line in the West Midlands between Old Hill and Lye. 

A WMR service prepares to depart for Stourbridge Junction

Information
Type:	National Rail (Snow Hill Lines)
Station code:	CRA
Opened:	1863
Platforms:	2

The station was opened as Cradley in 1863 by the Stourbridge Railway, this was later taken over by the Great Western Railway. The station platforms were originally staggered either side of the level crossing but following a rebuild of the station in 1984 both platforms were put on the same side of the crossing [1].


Being in a heavily industrialised area the station was flanked by a large number of sidings. These have now all gone (though much industry remains). The station has gained a bus station next to the main building instead. Access between the platforms is via a footbridge (or the road).
The station is managed by West Midlands Railway. There are up to six trains an hour in each direction. Mostly by WMR though some peak time trains are by Chiltern Railways.

Main station building

Station sign, the bus station is behind

Footbridge

View down the platforms

WMR 172 333 arrives with a Birmingham bound service

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Worcester to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2007) Fig. 75

Solihull (SOL)

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Solihull is a stop on the Chiltern Main Line in the West Midlands between Olton and Widney Manor.

WMR 172 339 departs with a Birmingham bound service

Information
Type:	National Rail (Chiltern Main Line)
Station code:	SOL
Opened:	1852
Platforms:	2

The station was opened in 1852 by the Great Western Railway on it's line from London Paddington to Birmingham Snow Hill. The station originally had a pair of platforms [1] but in the 1930s the line was quadrupled between Olton and Lapworth. Solihull was rebuilt to have two island platforms. The line began to be run down in the late 1960s and one island platform was taken out of use when the line was reduced back down to a pair of lines, the disused platform still exists but is decayed and very overgrown now.

One island platform remains in use though the platform buildings have been reduced to a single structure, the original GWR canopies removed by British Rail [2]. New canopies have been restored around the building during improvements to the station in recent years.

The station platforms are on an embankment with the ticket hall and station entrance on the ground level. The station is managed by Chiltern Railway and served by them and West Midlands Railway.

Station entrance

Stairs (and lift) down to ground level

Between the platforms, the disused island platform can be seen in the background

Platform building

Chiltern 168 003 arrives with a London Marylebone service

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Banbury to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2004) Map. XXI
[2] Ibid. Fig. 76

Lambeth North (ZLN)

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Lambeth North is the penultimate stop Southbound on the Bakerloo Line and the line's original (but temporary) Southern terminus.

Information
Type:	Transport for London (Bakerloo Line)
Station code:	ZLN
Opened:	1906
Platforms:	2

Lambeth North was opened as Kennington Road in March 1906 along with the rest of the original stretch of the Baker Street & Waterloo Railway. The Southern terminus of the line was (and still is) Elephant & Castle but this was not ready for the initial opening so Kennington Road served as the Southern terminus until August [1].

The station was renamed Westminster Bridge Road in July (while still the terminus) and didn't get the name Lambeth North until 1917 [2]. In WW2 Lambeth North was badly damaged by a nearby hit of a very large German bomb and had to have parts of the tunnel and platforms rebuilt.

Access to the platforms from the Leslie Green designed surface building and ticket office is via lifts and a spiral staircase. The station is the nearest tube station to the Imperial War Museum. Just North of the station is a crossover and an access line to the Bakerloo Line's London Road depot.

A 72ts train arrives

Look down the platform

Station signs

[1] Jason Cross, London Underground Guide 2017 (Train Crazy, 2017) p. 137
[2] Mike Horne, The Bakerloo Line (Capital Transport, 2001) p. 25

Coventry Arena (CAA)

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Information
Type:	National Rail (Coventry-Nuneaton Line)
Station code:	CAA
Opened:	2016
Platforms:	2

Coventry Arena, on the line between Coventry and Nuneaton, is one of the newest railway stations on the network opening in January 2016 next to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

Although the station was officially opened to serve the stadium there have been problems with overcrowding. The station is now closed for an hour before and after any events and there is usually insufficient rolling stock on the line to meet demand. Indeed there are posters on the platform that tell spectators to drive to events at the stadium instead! Hopefully these are just temporary problems.

The station is a standard unmanned station with bus shelters and a ticket machine. Access between the two platforms is via an underpass.

LM 153 366 arrives with a Nuneaton bound service

Station sign

Ricoh Arena is next to the station

Entrance to the station

Coventry platform

Farnborough (Main) (FNB)

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Farnborough is a stop on the South Western Main Line in Hampshire betwen Brookwood and Fleet. It is the town's main station and is officially called Farnborough (Main) to distinguish it from the nearby Farnborough North though this suffix is not used on signage.

Information
Type:	National Rail (South Western Main Line)
Station code:	FNB
Opened:	1838
Platforms:	2

The station was opened by the London & Southampton Railway in 1838, later becoming a London & South Western Railway station. Originally the station had just two lines through it with an island platform inbetween. When the line was quadrupled in the early 1900s new platforms were added on the outer lines and the original island platform removed. The demolition of the original platform means there is a wide gap between the two through lines.

The station is served by four trains an hour in both directions by South Western Railway.

SWR 444 004 passes through

Station frontage

View down the platform towards London

Two SWR 450s pause at Farnborough on a South bound service

Footbridge

Tame Bridge Parkway (TAB)

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Tame Bridge Parkway is a park and ride station in Sandwell, West Midlands between Hamstead and Bescot Stadium.

Information
Type:	National Rail (Chase Line)
Station code:	TAB
Opened:	1990
Platforms:	2

The station was opened as Tame Bridge in 1990 by British Rail. The Parkway part of the name was added in 1997 [1]. The station takes it's name from the nearby river Tame plus the Tame Valley Canal which crosses the railway line just South of the platform ends on the Grand Junction Aqueduct (the line originally being built by the Grand Junction Railway).

The station has a staffed booking office and spaces for over two hundred and thirty cars in the adjacent car park. The station is managed by West Midlands Railway and there are four trains an hour in both directions operated by West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway.

Two of these trains are on the service between Wolverhampton and Walsall via Birmingham New Street. Two trains an hour also go onto Rugeley Trent Valley and Birmingham International (one of which then goes onto London Euston).

LNWR 350 372 arrives at Tame Bridge Parkway

Booking office

View down the platform, the canal aqueduct can be seen in the background

View from the road

Platform shelter

The station is served by LNWR and WMR, both present in this image

[1] Vic Mitchell, North of Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2014) Fig. 53

Birmingham Moor Street (BMO)

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Birmingham Moor Street is Birmingham's second busiest railway station, situated on the Snow Hill lines between Bordesley and Birmingham Snow Hill.

Chiltern 68 015 and 168 110 at the two bay platforms

Information
Type:	National Rail (Snow Hill Lines)
Station code:	BMO
Opened:	1908
Platforms:	4

Birmingham Moor Street was built by the Great Western Railway to relieve pressure on Birmingham Snow Hill. Local GWR services from the South terminated at Moor Street instead, the other side of the Snow Hill tunnels. Moor Street became a terminus in 1968 with the closure of Snow Hill and the tunnels.

Moor Street itself became run down and depreciated during the 1970s and was under threat of closure itself, being the poor relation compared to Birmingham New Street which is a short walk away. There is no direct rail connection between the two stations though Moor Street was built on top of the LNWR lines running into New Street. The large goods yard at Moor Street was closed in 1972. [1]

Birmingham Snow Hill (and the tunnels) reopened in the mid-1980s. Two new through platforms were built at Moor Street for these lines (and the three original terminating platforms closed). A new entrance built and canopies of the at-the-time common style of corrugated metal (as still used at stations like University). [2]

With Network South East running through services from London Marylebone to Moor Street in the early 1990s the station began to thrive again. To cope with demand, two of the terminus bay platforms were restored to service and the whole station was renovated in the early 2000s by Chiltern Railways (who manage the station) and the Birmingham Alliance. Moor Street could be further expanded in the 2020s under plans to improve West Midlands rail, with two extra bay platforms being built and services to Kings Norton and Tamworth added to the station. Moor Street will be next to the new HS2 terminus Birmingham Curzon Street.

Moor Street was restored as a GWR station using the style common in the interwar period. The original station building has been the base around which everything else has been rebuilt with the 1980s entrance demolished and new canopies and signage matching the period. Moor Street was used to represent an early 1970s London Marylebone in the BBC spy drama "The Game", the station needing little redressing.

One feature of the old station not restored were the locomotive traversers used on the original terminus lines. These allowed locomotives to be switched to an adjacent track taking up less space than a traditional cross-over [3].

The station has services to destinations like London Marylebone, Stratford-upon-Avon and Worcester Shrub Hill.

Chiltern 165 001 prepares to depart

Main concourse

In London Midland days 172 345 arrives at the station

Station exterior

Chiltern 168 322 arrives in the early morning mist

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Banbury to Birmingham (Middleton Press, 2015) fig. 107
[2] Ibid. fig. 109
[3] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham (Moor Street) (Middleton Press, 2006) fig. 116

Yardley Wood (YRD)

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Information
Type:	National Rail (Shakespeare Line)
Station code:	YRD
Opened:	1908
Platforms:	2

Yardley Wood is one of the stops on the Shakespeare (or North Warwickshire) Line out of Snow Hill. It was opened by the GWR in 1908 as Yardley Wood Platform. By the First World War the Platform part of the name had been dropped [1]. Unlike some of the other stations on this line Yardley Wood never had goods facilities and is remarkably unchanged from its earliest days.

When built Yardley Wood was built in a very rural area with few houses nearby though now is a suburb in the South East of Birmingham (though is not to be confused with Yardley in the East of the city).



Despite still having the original (and decent sized) main station building still being in place on the up platform the ticket office is on another building at road level.

A LM Class 172 pauses on a service to Whitlocks End

Main station building

Shelter on the down platform

Looking down towards Stratford

[1] Vic Mitchell & Keith Smith, Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham Moor St (Middleton Press, 2006) p. 79