Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station
Encyclopedia
Smethwick Galton Bridge is a railway station in Smethwick
, West Midlands
, England
.
The station is situated where two lines cross at different levels: the line from Birmingham Snow Hill
to Stourbridge Junction
crosses over the Stour Valley Line by means of a bridge. There are four platforms, two on each line. London Midland
manage the station and operate the majority of its services, with others provided by Chiltern Railways
and Arriva Trains Wales
.
The present station, named for the adjacent Galton Bridge
, opened in 1995 when the line from Birmingham Snow Hill reopened, replacing the nearby Smethwick West
station. In 2005/6, 481,000 people changed trains at Smethwick Galton Bridge, 4.7 times the amount that began or ended journeys at the station, making it the busiest station in Smethwick. Excluding interchanges it is normally slightly less busy than the more centrally located Smethwick Rolfe Street
, though that was not the case in the 2006/07 statistics.
& London Midland
.
Services by Chiltern Railways are run by the Class 168
to London Marylebone, but this service only runs during the weekday peak time and the Kidderminster
to London Marylebone
route, with 6 trains to London in the morning and 5 from London in the evening.
London Midland
services - the "Snow Hill lines" - run much as the former Central Trains did, with Class 172
units; running every 10 minutes during the daytime, and every 30 minutes on sundays & evenings to Stourbridge Junction and Birmingham Snow Hill
and Moor Street
. Some trains to Stourbridge run on to Kidderminster
, the Worcester triangle (Worcester Shrub Hill
and/or Worcester Foregate Street
) and Great Malvern
. Trains to Birmingham split off and either go on to Dorridge
, with some trains from Dorridge extending onto Leaminghton Spa
or Whitlocks End
and Stratford-upon-Avon
.
The low level platforms 3 & 4 are served by:
Smethwick
Smethwick is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands of England. It is situated on the edge of the city of Birmingham, within the historic boundaries of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire....
, West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, 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...
.
The station is situated where two lines cross at different levels: the line from Birmingham Snow Hill
Birmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
to Stourbridge Junction
Stourbridge Junction railway station
Stourbridge Junction railway station is a railway station on the Birmingham, Worcester and Kidderminster Line in West Midlands, England. Stourbridge Town Branch Line runs from the station to Stourbridge town centre...
crosses over the Stour Valley Line by means of a bridge. There are four platforms, two on each line. 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....
manage the station and operate the majority of its services, with others provided by Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
and Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
.
The present station, named for the adjacent Galton Bridge
Galton Bridge
Galton Bridge is a canal bridge in Smethwick, West Midlands, England built by Thomas Telford in 1829. It spans Telford's Birmingham Canal Navigations New Main Line carrying Roebuck Lane. When it was constructed, its single span of 151 feet was the highest in the world . Originally a road bridge...
, opened in 1995 when the line from Birmingham Snow Hill reopened, replacing the nearby Smethwick West
Smethwick West railway station
Smethwick West was a railway station on the Great Western Railway between Stourbridge Junction station and Smethwick Junction. It was opened as Smethwick Junction railway station in 1867....
station. In 2005/6, 481,000 people changed trains at Smethwick Galton Bridge, 4.7 times the amount that began or ended journeys at the station, making it the busiest station in Smethwick. Excluding interchanges it is normally slightly less busy than the more centrally located Smethwick Rolfe Street
Smethwick Rolfe Street railway station
Smethwick Rolfe Street railway station serves the town of Smethwick, West Midlands, England. It is situated on the Stour valley line 5 km north west of Birmingham New Street...
, though that was not the case in the 2006/07 statistics.
Services
The High Level platforms 1 & 2 are served by Chiltern RailwaysChiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways is a British train operating company. It was set up at the privatisation of British Rail in 1996, and operates local passenger trains from Marylebone station in London to Aylesbury and main-line trains on the Chiltern Main Line to Birmingham Snow Hill with its associated branches...
& 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....
.
Services by Chiltern Railways are run by the Class 168
British Rail Class 168
The Class 168 Clubman is a diesel multiple-unit train used on services between London and the Midlands.-Description:The units were built in several batches from 1997 onwards. The first batch of units was classified 168/0 under TOPS and resembled the Class 165 units previously built by BREL at York...
to London Marylebone, but this service only runs during the weekday peak time and the Kidderminster
Kidderminster railway station
Kidderminster railway station is the main station serving the large town of Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The station is operated by London Midland.-Facilities:...
to London Marylebone
Marylebone station
Marylebone station , also known as London Marylebone, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. It stands midway between the mainline stations at Euston and Paddington, about 1 mile from each...
route, with 6 trains to London in the morning and 5 from London in the evening.
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....
services - the "Snow Hill lines" - run much as the former Central Trains did, with Class 172
British Rail Class 172
The Class 172 is a type of diesel multiple unit of the Turbostar family, similar to the Class 168, Class 170 and Class 171.-Technical details and variants :There will be four sub-types:*Class 172/0 - two-car units in operation with London Overground...
units; running every 10 minutes during the daytime, and every 30 minutes on sundays & evenings to Stourbridge Junction and Birmingham Snow Hill
Birmingham Snow Hill station
Birmingham Snow Hill is a railway station and tram stop in the centre of Birmingham, England, on the site of an earlier, much larger station built by the former Great Western Railway . It is the second most important railway station in the city, after Birmingham New Street station...
and Moor Street
Birmingham Moor Street railway station
Birmingham Moor Street railway station is one of three main railway stations in the city centre of Birmingham, England. The Grade II listed old station building has been partially renovated to its 1930s condition at a cost of £11 million....
. Some trains to Stourbridge run on to Kidderminster
Kidderminster railway station
Kidderminster railway station is the main station serving the large town of Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The station is operated by London Midland.-Facilities:...
, the Worcester triangle (Worcester Shrub Hill
Worcester Shrub Hill railway station
Worcester Shrub Hill railway station is one of two railway stations serving the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England. It is managed by London Midland, and it is also served by First Great Western....
and/or Worcester Foregate Street
Worcester Foregate Street railway station
Worcester Foregate Street railway station, opened by the Great Western Railway in 1860, is situated in the centre of the city of Worcester, in Worcestershire, England. It is physically the smaller of the two stations serving the city, but is more centrally located...
) and Great Malvern
Great Malvern railway station
Great Malvern railway station serves the line between Worcester and Hereford. It is situated close to the centre of Great Malvern, England. It is one of two stations serving the town of Malvern, the other being Malvern Link station...
. Trains to Birmingham split off and either go on to Dorridge
Dorridge railway station
Dorridge railway station serves the village of Dorridge in the West Midlands of England. The station is served by Chiltern Railways, who manage the station, and also by London Midland.-History:...
, with some trains from Dorridge extending onto Leaminghton Spa
Leamington Spa railway station
Leamington Spa railway station serves the town of Leamington Spa, in Warwickshire, England. It is situated on Old Warwick Road towards the southern edge of the town centre.-History:...
or Whitlocks End
Whitlocks End railway station
Whitlocks End railway station serves the village of Whitlock's End in the West Midlands of England. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.-Services:...
and Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon railway station
Stratford-upon-Avon railway station is a railway station that serves the town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. It was once a through station on the Great Western Railway route from Birmingham to Cheltenham, but has been the terminus of the line since 1976.There are plans for a new...
.
The low level platforms 3 & 4 are served by:
- A half-hourly local service between WalsallWalsall railway stationWalsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall, West Midlands, England and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by London Midland, who run all of its train services...
and WolverhamptonWolverhampton railway stationWolverhampton railway station in Wolverhampton, West Midlands is on the West Coast Main Line. It is served by London Midland, CrossCountry, Virgin Trains and Arriva Trains Wales.-History:...
, via Birmingham New StreetBirmingham 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,...
. - An hourly Arriva Trains Wales service from Birmingham InternationalBirmingham International railway stationBirmingham International railway station is located in the borough of Solihull, just east of the city of Birmingham in England.The station is on the Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line 14 km east of Birmingham New Street and serves both Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition...
to ChesterChester railway stationChester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
(some extending to HolyheadHolyhead railway stationHolyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
) or AberystwythAberystwyth railway stationAberystwyth railway station is a railway station serving the seaside and university town of Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales. It is served by passenger trains operated by Arriva Trains Wales, being situated at the terminus of the Cambrian Line and also by the narrow-gauge Vale of Rheidol Railway.-...
. - An hourly service to Liverpool Lime Street, operated by 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....
.