Birmingham Cross-City Line
Encyclopedia
The Cross-City Line is a suburb
an railway line in the West Midlands
region
of England
. It runs from Redditch
, Worcestershire
, its southern terminus, to Lichfield
, Staffordshire
, its northern terminus, via Birmingham New Street
, and services on the line are currently operated by London Midland
.
(WMPTE). It is formed out of the former Midland Railway
's Birmingham West Suburban Railway
between Redditch and Birmingham via Selly Oak, and the London and North Western Railway
Line between Birmingham and Lichfield. On opening in 1978 it included the re-opening of Five Ways station and a new station to serve the University of Birmingham
; and one at Longbridge (the original station at Longridge was on the branch line to Halesowen and Old Hill) many of the other stations were rebuilt at the same time. Of the new stations the only one to be officially opened was the one at University where the then Secretary of State for Transport William Rodgers MP formally opened the station on the 8th May 1978. There is a plaque on platform 2 marking this occasion.
The route was electrified
in the early 1990s, beginning in 1991 and completed on the 6 June 1993. The decision to electrify was made on 7 February 1990 by the then Transport Minister Cecil Parkinson during the campaign for a by-election in the Lichfield constituency. Redditch, Alvechurch, Aston and Blake Street stations were rebuilt at this time. A number of other stations including Barnt Green Station were extensively modified to accommodate the new longer electric trains.
, town
s and village
s served by the line are listed below.
A large stretch of the northern part of the line closely follows the A5127 road
.
, 115
, 116
, 117
, 118
and 121
diesel multiple unit
s. However, by the early 1990s these trains were becoming increasingly unreliable, so new trains were built to coincide with the electrification of the route in 1993. By 1995 the last of the old trains had been withdrawn, having been replaced by the current Class 323
electrical multiple units. Services are currently operated by London Midland
.
Current daytime service levels are:
(between Four Oaks and Butler's Lane) and Wychall (between Northfield and King's Norton). More ambitious plans include the re-opening of a short spur south of Longbridge to Rubery and Frankley
and the re-introduction of local trains on the Camp Hill Line (effectively a loop between Birmingham New Street and King's Norton).
Bromsgrove station will be added as an alternative southern terminus for the route when the existing electrification is extended there from Barnt Green.
There are also plans for the introduction of a passing loop at Alvechurch to allow 3 trains per hour to Redditch. Currently, the line is single-track between Barnt Green and Redditch and so it is impossible to have more than 2 trains per hour. If services are delayed, then the trains may miss out stations between Birmingham New Street and Longbridge to make up time, or the service may be curtailed at Barnt Green to prevent a knock-on effect to other services.
Nevertheless, the line's main problem is capacity on its central section. The long term aspiration is for dedicated tunnels through central Birmingham: this would either take the form of new bored tunnels (favoured by the SRA
) or a re-opening of Birmingham Curzon Street Station
to allow two of the existing four tunnels to be used for local trains only (formerly favoured by Central Trains
). With the current funding problems on Britain's railways, it is unlikely that the Cross-City Line will see any improvement.
Over the 2010 Christmas period, the line between Selly Oak
and the University
was closed for three days to allow the installation of a new railway bridge over the Selly Oak relief road which is currently under construction.
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
an railway line in the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
region
Regions of England
In England, the region is the highest tier of sub-national division used by central Government. Between 1994 and 2011, the nine regions had an administrative role in the implementation of UK Government policy, and as the areas covered by elected bodies...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It runs from Redditch
Redditch
Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
, its southern terminus, to Lichfield
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, its northern terminus, via Birmingham New Street
Birmingham New Street Station
Birmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
, and services on the line are currently operated by London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
.
History
The £7.4 million Cross City line was sanctioned in May 1975 and launched on 8 May 1978. Services initially ran between Longbridge and Four Oaks via Birmingham New Street and the project was a creation of the West Midlands Passenger Transport ExecutiveWest Midlands Passenger Transport Executive
The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive , sometimes known as Centro, is a local government organisation responsible for certain transport services in the West Midlands county in England....
(WMPTE). It is formed out of the former Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....
's Birmingham West Suburban Railway
Birmingham West Suburban Railway
The Birmingham West Suburban Railway was a suburban railway built by the Midland Railway company. Opened in 1876, it allowed both the opening of development of central southwest suburban Birmingham south into Worcestershire, and the by-passing of railway traffic via the Birmingham and Gloucester...
between Redditch and Birmingham via Selly Oak, and the London and North Western Railway
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...
Line between Birmingham and Lichfield. On opening in 1978 it included the re-opening of Five Ways station and a new station to serve the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
; and one at Longbridge (the original station at Longridge was on the branch line to Halesowen and Old Hill) many of the other stations were rebuilt at the same time. Of the new stations the only one to be officially opened was the one at University where the then Secretary of State for Transport William Rodgers MP formally opened the station on the 8th May 1978. There is a plaque on platform 2 marking this occasion.
The route was electrified
Railway electrification in Great Britain
Railway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
in the early 1990s, beginning in 1991 and completed on the 6 June 1993. The decision to electrify was made on 7 February 1990 by the then Transport Minister Cecil Parkinson during the campaign for a by-election in the Lichfield constituency. Redditch, Alvechurch, Aston and Blake Street stations were rebuilt at this time. A number of other stations including Barnt Green Station were extensively modified to accommodate the new longer electric trains.
Route description
The railway stations and citiesCity
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
, town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
s and village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
s served by the line are listed below.
- Lichfield, Trent ValleyLichfield Trent Valley railway stationLichfield Trent Valley is a split-level railway station on the outskirts of the city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, England. It is one of two stations in Lichfield, the other being in the city-centre.-History:...
- on the outskirts of LichfieldLichfieldLichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, with connections to London MidlandLondon MidlandLondon Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
services along the TrentRiver TrentThe River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
Valley line between London Euston and CreweCrewe railway stationCrewe railway station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Built in fields near to Crewe Hall, it originally served the village of Crewe with a population of just 70 residents... - Lichfield City railway stationLichfield City railway stationLichfield City railway station serves the city of Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England. It is situated towards the northern end of the Cross-City Line 28 km north east of Birmingham New Street...
- in central LichfieldLichfieldLichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham... - Shenstone railway stationShenstone railway stationShenstone railway station is a railway station on Station Road, in the village of Shenstone, in Staffordshire, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line between Redditch and Lichfield via Birmingham.-History:...
in Shenstone, StaffordshireShenstone, StaffordshireShenstone is a village and civil parish in Staffordshire, England, close to Stonnall and between Lichfield and Birmingham. In a recent survey Shenstone was found to be one of the ten worst places in England for finding single women.... - Blake Street railway stationBlake Street railway stationBlake Street railway station serves the Hill Hook area of Sutton Coldfield, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line, located on the county boundary between the West Midlands and Staffordshire...
in Hill Hook, Sutton ColdfieldHill HookHill Hook is an area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England.The area includes Hill Hook Local Nature Reserve, declared in 2003 with an area of 5.65 hectares, which is on the site of a watermill built in the 17th century. An earlier dam showed the extent of the original mill pool, which was... - Butlers Lane railway stationButlers Lane railway stationButlers Lane railway station serves the northern part of the Four Oaks district of Sutton Coldfield, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line. The station, and all trains calling there are operated by London Midland.-History:...
in Northern Four Oaks - Four Oaks railway stationFour Oaks railway stationFour Oaks railway station serves the Four Oaks area of Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-History:...
in Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield - Sutton Coldfield railway stationSutton Coldfield railway stationSutton Coldfield railway station is the main railway station for the town of Sutton Coldfield in the West Midlands. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 7½ miles north east of Birmingham New Street....
in Sutton ColdfieldSutton ColdfieldSutton Coldfield is a suburb of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Sutton is located about from central Birmingham but has borders with Erdington and Kingstanding. Sutton is in the northeast of Birmingham, with a population of 105,000 recorded in the 2001 census... - Wylde Green railway stationWylde Green railway stationWylde Green railway station is a railway station serving northern Wylde Green and Boldmere in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 6½ miles north east of Birmingham New Street, and is in Centro fare zone 4.The station was...
serving in Wylde GreenWylde GreenWylde Green is a residential area within the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, England in the West Midlands. It was in the county of Warwickshire. The area is in the Sutton Vesey ward.-History:...
and BoldmereBoldmereBoldmere is a residential area of Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is bordered by New Oscott, Sutton Park, Wylde Green and Erdington, and is in the ward of Sutton Vesey.- Toponymy :... - Chester Road railway stationChester Road railway stationChester Road railway station is a railway station serving the Pype Hayes and Erdington areas of north-east Birmingham, in the West Midlands county of England...
serving Pype HayesPype HayesPype Hayes is an area in the east of the Erdington district of Birmingham in the West Midlands, England. It is located within the Tyburn ward.-Etymology:The name of the area derives from a major landowner in Erdington called Henry de Pipe...
and northern ErdingtonErdingtonErdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee... - Erdington railway stationErdington railway stationErdington railway station is a railway station serving the Erdington area of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line.The station was opened in 1862 on Sheep Lane, later known as Station Road....
in ErdingtonErdingtonErdington is a suburb northeast of Birmingham city centre, England and bordering Sutton Coldfield. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee... - Gravelly Hill railway stationGravelly Hill railway stationGravelly Hill railway station serves the Gravelly Hill area of Birmingham, in the West Midlands county of England. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line....
in Gravelly HillGravelly HillGravelly Hill is an area of Birmingham, England.- Notability :It is best known for its motorway junction, the Gravelly Hill Interchange, popularly known as Spaghetti Junction, which provides the intersection between the A38 Aston Expressway from the centre of Birmingham to the M6 motorway. The... - Aston railway stationAston railway stationAston railway station serves the districts of Aston and Nechells in Birmingham, England. The passenger entrance is on Lichfield Road.The station is situated adjacent to and above the Lichfield Road , crossed by a bridge as the railway line, part of the original Grand Junction Railway, opened in...
in AstonAstonAston is an area of the City of Birmingham, in the West Midlands of England. Lying to the north-east of the Birmingham city centre, Aston constitutes an electoral ward within the council constituency of Ladywood.-History:...
- the Walsall LineChase LineThe Chase Line is the railway line from Birmingham New Street to Walsall and Rugeley.-Overview:The line from Birmingham to Walsall has two alternative routes, both of which are electrified at 25 kV AC overhead...
diverges here - Duddeston railway stationDuddeston railway stationDuddeston railway station is a railway station serving the Duddeston area of Birmingham. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line, and also on the Walsall line. Services on both lines are usually operated by Class 323 electrical multiple units...
in DuddestonDuddestonDuddeston is an inner-city area of the Nechells ward of Birmingham, England. It was part of the Birmingham Duddeston constituency until that ceased to exist in 1950.-Etymology:... - Birmingham New Street StationBirmingham New Street StationBirmingham New Street is the main railway station serving Birmingham, England, located in the city centre. It is an important hub for the British railway system, being served by a number of important long-distance and cross-country lines, including the Birmingham loop of the West Coast Main Line,...
in Birmingham City CentreBirmingham City CentreBirmingham city centre is the business, retail and leisure hub of Birmingham, England. Following the removal of the Inner Ring Road, the city centre is newly defined as being the area within the Middle Ring Road. Birmingham city centre is undergoing massive redevelopment with the Big City Plan... - Five Ways railway stationFive Ways railway stationFive Ways railway station is a railway station serving Five Ways and Lee Bank in Birmingham. It is situated on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line.-History:...
in Five Ways, BirminghamFive Ways, BirminghamFive Ways is an area of Birmingham, England. It takes its name from a major road junction, now a busy roundabout to the south-west of the city centre which lies at the outward end of Broad Street, where the Birmingham Middle ring road crosses the start of the A456 .-History:The name of Five Ways... - University of BirminghamUniversity (Birmingham) railway stationUniversity railway station is a railway station serving the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line which runs from Redditch to Lichfield via Birmingham New Street...
in the University of BirminghamUniversity of BirminghamThe University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus... - Selly Oak railway stationSelly Oak railway stationSelly Oak railway station is a railway station in Selly Oak in Birmingham, England on the Cross-City Line between Redditch, Birmingham and Lichfield....
in Selly OakSelly OakSelly Oak is a residential suburban district in south-west Birmingham, England. The suburb is bordered by Bournbrook and Selly Park to the north-east, Edgbaston and Harborne to the north, Weoley Castle and Weoley Hill to the west, and Bournville to the south... - Bournville railway stationBournville railway stationBournville railway station serves the Bournville area of Birmingham, England. It is on the Cross-City Line which runs from Redditch to Lichfield via Birmingham New Street.-History:...
in BournvilleBournvilleBournville is a model village on the south side of Birmingham, England, best known for its connections with the Cadbury family and chocolate – including a dark chocolate bar branded "Bournville". It is also a ward within the council constituency of Selly Oak and home to the Bournville Centre... - Kings Norton railway stationKings Norton railway stationKings Norton railway station serves the Kings Norton and Cotteridge areas of Birmingham, England. It lies on Cross-City Line from Redditch through Birmingham New Street to Lichfield. The station's main entrance is located on Pershore Road South, the A441....
in Kings NortonKings NortonKings Norton is an area of Birmingham, England. It is also a Birmingham City Council ward within the formal district of Northfield.-History:...
and CotteridgeCotteridgeCotteridge is an area of Birmingham, England and is part of the Bournville ward. It is located about 4.5 miles south of Birmingham city centre. Connected to both the Watford Road and the Pershore Road, Cotteridge is a local shopping area.- St Agnes Church :... - Northfield railway stationNorthfield railway stationNorthfield railway station serves the Northfield area of Birmingham, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-Services:...
in Northfield, Birmingham - Longbridge railway stationLongbridge railway stationLongbridge railway station serves the Longbridge area in the south-west of Birmingham, England. It is on the Cross City Line. The station and all trains calling there are operated by London Midland.-History:...
in LongbridgeLongbridgeLongbridge is an area of Birmingham, England. For local government purposes it is a ward within the district of Northfield.Since 1905, the area has been dominated by the Longbridge plant, which produced Austin, Nash Metropolitan, Morris, British Leyland, and most recently MG Rover cars... - Barnt Green railway stationBarnt Green railway stationBarnt Green railway station serves the village of Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England. It is situated at the junction of the Cross-City Line and the Cross Country Route 9½ miles south west of Birmingham New Street...
in Barnt GreenBarnt GreenBarnt Green is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire, England, located immediately south of Birmingham, with a population at the 2001 census of 1,733.-Origins:...
- branches off the main line to Cheltenham here. - Alvechurch railway stationAlvechurch railway stationAlvechurch railway station serves the village of Alvechurch in Worcestershire, England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line 18 km south west of Birmingham New Street. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland...
in AlvechurchAlvechurchAlvechurch is a large village and civil parish of Bromsgrove district, in the northeast of the county of Worcestershire, England. Lying in the valley of the River Arrow, the nearest city is Birmingham, 17 km / 11 miles to the north, with the closest towns being Redditch, 8 km / 5 miles... - Redditch railway stationRedditch railway stationRedditch railway station serves the town of Redditch, Worcestershire, England. It is the southern terminus of the Cross-City Line 23 km south of Birmingham New Street...
in RedditchRedditchRedditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...
A large stretch of the northern part of the line closely follows the A5127 road
A5127 road
The A5127 is a major road in England which runs between Birmingham and Lichfield, Staffordshire. For much of the route the road follows the old route of the A38 which has since been moved in order to by-pass places such as Erdington and Sutton Coldfield and form a relief road from Birmingham city...
.
Services
For many years, passenger services on the line were worked by elderly Class 108British Rail Class 108
The British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1958 to 1961, with a final production quantity of 333 vehicles....
, 115
British Rail Class 115
The British Rail Class 115 diesel multiple units were 41 high density sets which operated the outer-suburban services from Marylebone usually to destinations such as High Wycombe, Aylesbury and Banbury which are on the Chiltern Main Line and Great Central Main Line...
, 116
British Rail Class 116
The British Rail Class 116 diesel multiple units were built by BR Derby from 1957 to 1961.-Regular use:These units stayed in regular service until 1990, when they began to be withdrawn from traffic. They were replaced on regional services by the new "Sprinter" derivative units, or by Class 323...
, 117
British Rail Class 117
The British Rail Class 117 diesel multiple units were built by Pressed Steel from 1959 to 1961.When first introduced, these three-car units were all based with the similar Class 121 single carriage units on British Railway's Western Region for suburban work out of London Paddington, as well as...
, 118
British Rail Class 118
The British Rail Class 118 diesel multiple units were built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company and introduced from 1960....
and 121
British Rail Class 121
Sixteen Class 121 single-car driving motor vehicles were built from 1960, numbered 55020–55035. These were supplemented by ten trailer vehicles, numbered 56280–56289 . They had a top speed of 70 mph, with slam-doors, and vacuum brakes...
diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s. However, by the early 1990s these trains were becoming increasingly unreliable, so new trains were built to coincide with the electrification of the route in 1993. By 1995 the last of the old trains had been withdrawn, having been replaced by the current Class 323
British Rail Class 323
The British Rail Class 323 electric multiple units were built by Hunslet TPL from 1992-93. Forty-three 3-car units were built for inner-suburban services around Birmingham and Manchester...
electrical multiple units. Services are currently operated by London Midland
London Midland
London Midland is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. Legally named London and Birmingham Railway Ltd, it is a subsidiary of Govia, and has operated the West Midlands franchise since 11 November 2007....
.
Current daytime service levels are:
- between Redditch and Longbridge: 2 trains per hour
- between Longbridge and Four Oaks: 6 trains per hour
- between Four Oaks and Lichfield City: 4 trains per hour
- between Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley: 2 trains per hour
Future
There are long-standing proposals for improvements to the line. Extra stations have been proposed for Mere GreenMere Green, Birmingham
Mere Green is an area of Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England. It is a small commercial centre on the edge of Sutton Park. The area features a shopping area, which has a range of independent shops, along with national chain stores...
(between Four Oaks and Butler's Lane) and Wychall (between Northfield and King's Norton). More ambitious plans include the re-opening of a short spur south of Longbridge to Rubery and Frankley
Frankley
Frankley is a village and civil parish in the Bromsgrove district of Worcestershire, near the border with Birmingham. The modern Frankley estate is part of the New Frankley civil parish in Birmingham, and has been part of the city since 1995. The parish has a population of 122.-St Leonards...
and the re-introduction of local trains on the Camp Hill Line (effectively a loop between Birmingham New Street and King's Norton).
Bromsgrove station will be added as an alternative southern terminus for the route when the existing electrification is extended there from Barnt Green.
There are also plans for the introduction of a passing loop at Alvechurch to allow 3 trains per hour to Redditch. Currently, the line is single-track between Barnt Green and Redditch and so it is impossible to have more than 2 trains per hour. If services are delayed, then the trains may miss out stations between Birmingham New Street and Longbridge to make up time, or the service may be curtailed at Barnt Green to prevent a knock-on effect to other services.
Nevertheless, the line's main problem is capacity on its central section. The long term aspiration is for dedicated tunnels through central Birmingham: this would either take the form of new bored tunnels (favoured by the SRA
Strategic Rail Authority
In existence from 2001 to 2006, the Strategic Rail Authority was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom set up under the Transport Act 2000 to provide strategic direction for the railway industry....
) or a re-opening of Birmingham Curzon Street Station
Curzon Street railway station
Curzon Street railway station was a railway station in Birmingham that was used briefly for regular scheduled passenger services between 1838 and 1854 when it acted as the terminus for both the London and Birmingham Railway and the Grand Junction Railway, with lines connecting Birmingham to London...
to allow two of the existing four tunnels to be used for local trains only (formerly favoured by Central Trains
Central Trains
Central Trains was one of the original 25 train operating companies to emerge from the break-up of British Rail between 1994 and 1997. The company operated local, urban and secondary express services across central England and Mid Wales.-Overview:...
). With the current funding problems on Britain's railways, it is unlikely that the Cross-City Line will see any improvement.
Over the 2010 Christmas period, the line between Selly Oak
Selly Oak railway station
Selly Oak railway station is a railway station in Selly Oak in Birmingham, England on the Cross-City Line between Redditch, Birmingham and Lichfield....
and the University
University (Birmingham) railway station
University railway station is a railway station serving the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line which runs from Redditch to Lichfield via Birmingham New Street...
was closed for three days to allow the installation of a new railway bridge over the Selly Oak relief road which is currently under construction.
Media
- In 1990, Railscene produced a driver's eye view of the then-diesel line, featuring many of the elderly rolling stock still in operation. Many features of the line have since been changed, for example, the rebuilding of Alvechurch and Redditch stations, the abolition of Lichfield City's goods sidings and closure of the Brownhills Line and the removal of the fourth platform of Lichfield Trent Valley.
- There was a highly publicised opening ceremony to celebrate the electrificationRailway electrification in Great BritainRailway electrification in Great Britain started towards of the 19th century. A great range of voltages have been used in the intervening period using both overhead lines and third rails, however the most common standard for mainline services is now 25 kV AC using overhead lines and the...
and service enhancement at Redditch in 1993. - In 1995, Video 125 released a video of a driver's eye view of the recently electrified line, narrated by Kay Alexander. It is interesting to note on the video near Lichfield the use of an elderly Class 310British Rail Class 310The British Rail Class 310 is a slam-door, alternating current electric multiple unit introduced in 1963 as part of the West Coast Main Line electrification project. They were initially classified as Class AM10 units before the introduction of the TOPS classification system. Constructed at BR's...
unit on the opposite direction service - this was due to not all 323 units being in traffic in time for the new services starting. - There is a highly detailed reproduction of the Cross City Line (Redditch to Lichfield Trent Valley) available on Microsoft Train SimulatorMicrosoft Train SimulatorMicrosoft Train Simulator is a train simulator for Microsoft Windows, released in July 2001 and developed by UK based Kuju Entertainment, and is available for purchase through Amazon.com.-Gameplay:...
(MSTS) - There is also a highly detailed reproduction of the part between Redditch and Birmingham New Street for the free train simulators BVEBVE TrainsimBVE Trainsim is a Japanese three-dimensional computer-based train simulator. It is notable for focusing on providing an accurate driving experience as viewed from inside the cab, rather than creating a network of other trains—other trains passed along the route are only displayed as stationary...
and OpenBVE