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 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, 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.
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
