General information | |
---|---|
Location | Aston, Birmingham England |
Coordinates | 52°30′14″N1°52′19″W / 52.504°N 1.872°W |
Grid reference | SP087896 |
Managed by | West Midlands Railway |
Transit authority | Transport for West Midlands |
Platforms | 2 |
Other information | |
Station code | AST |
Fare zone | 2 |
Classification | DfT category E |
Passengers | |
2018/19 | 0.658 million |
Interchange | 55,357 |
2019/20 | 0.683 million |
Interchange | 51,976 |
2020/21 | 0.129 million |
Interchange | 9,141 |
2021/22 | 0.388 million |
Interchange | 16,145 |
2022/23 | 0.555 million |
Interchange | 19,387 |
Location | |
Notes | |
Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road |
Aston railway station serves the districts of Aston and Nechells in Birmingham,England. The passenger entrance is on Lichfield Road. The station is on the Cross-City Line and the Chase Line. It is one of two local stations for Aston Villa Football Club (the other being Witton) and near to the Aston Expressway and to Gravelly Hill Interchange (Spaghetti Junction).
The route of the Grand Junction Railway,sweeping in a wide arc from Perry Barr through Aston to its terminus at Vauxhall,was dictated by the refusal of James Watt the younger,the tenant of Aston Hall,to allow the railway to encroach upon Aston Park in the grounds of the Hall as planned in the Grand Junction's Act of 1833. The line was originally intended to enter Birmingham through a mile-long tunnel under the high ground on which the park is situated. [1] [2] In clause IV of a second Act of 1834,the Grand Junction was forbidden from:
In 1846,the Grand Junction was one of several railways which were merged and incorporated into the London and North Western Railway (LNWR). [4] Aston was opened by the LNWR in 1854 [5] and became a junction in 1862,when a line was opened to Sutton Coldfield by the same railway. [6] [ page needed ] [7]
In 1880,the LNWR opened a line from Aston to Stechford,on the Birmingham to Coventry line,which also gave access to the Metropolitan Carriage and Wagon Company's works (later Metro-Cammell) at Saltley. It was reached by a short private siding,known in LMS days as the Metropolitan Siding,opened in 1904; [8] this is what the LNWR termed Washwood Heath Junction,at the point where the Aston-Stechford line passed over the Midland Railway from Birmingham to Derby. [9] [10] The Metropolitan Siding descended on an incline from Washwood Heath Junction and was the subject of detailed instructions on the working of trains and prevention of what the instructions term "breakaway" wagons on the siding. [11] The new line was also used for the Wolverhampton portions of some London expresses and also to provide through carriages between Euston and Walsall. [12] In May 2022 the arched viaduct carrying the Aston-Stechford line was replaced with a new steel bridge,92 metres long with space below for the future HS2 tracks to run parallel to the Birmingham-Derby line. [13]
The first station at Aston was replaced by a new building during the construction of the Stechford line,with a booking office level with Lichfield Road. Stairs and hydraulic lifts for goods traffic gave access to each of the two platforms. [14]
Also in 1880,the LNWR opened a line for freight traffic from Aston to Windsor Street goods depot. [15] The latter line closed in 1980. [16] [ page needed ] The LNWR's Aston locomotive depot ("Aston Shed") was opened in 1883,in the area between the Aston to Birmingham and the Aston to Stechford lines;it had an entrance on Long Acre,Nechells. It was closed in 1965,by then under British Railways ownership. [17]
The line between Aston,Vauxhall and Duddeston was quadrupled in 1891. [18]
In 1900,a connection to Nechells gas works was opened from a point near Nechells Park Road bridge on the line towards Birmingham New Street. When the gas works closed in 1969,the branch was taken out of use at the same time. [19] Although the tracks have been lifted,the embankment on which it ran remains substantially intact.
The station became part of the London,Midland and Scottish Railway during the Grouping of 1923. It then passed to the London Midland Region of British Railways on nationalisation in 1948.
When sectorisation was introduced,the station was served by Regional Railways on behalf of the West Midlands PTE,for whom British Rail had been running the trains since the PTE's inception.
In 2011,London Midland,proposed a major reduction in the opening hours of the ticket office,with complete closure at weekends. [20]
Apart from the Sutton Coldfield branch,all of the routes passing through Aston,including the Windsor Street branch,were electrified in 1966 as part of the London Midland Region's electrification programme. [21] The line from Coventry to Walsall,via Aston,was energised on 15 August 1966. [22]
In preparation for electrification,Aston's two mechanical signal boxes,Aston No. 1 and No. 2, [23] were closed;semaphore signalling was replaced by multiple-aspect colour light signals and control transferred to the power signal box at Birmingham New Street. [24]
Electrification of the line to Sutton and Lichfield was completed in 1992,as part of the modernisation of the Cross-City Line. [25]
In 2017,control of the signalling at Aston was transferred to the West Midlands Signalling Centre at Saltley. [26]
The station is situated adjacent to and above the Lichfield Road (A5127),crossed by a bridge as the railway line,part of the original Grand Junction Railway,opened in 1837,is on an embankment through what was "pastoral parkland" at the time of its construction. [27] The line also crosses the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal,just south of Lichfield Road,on a bridge which is all that remains of a longer viaduct of ten arches,described as "one of the most beautiful structures on the line of the Grand Junction". [28] [29]
The section of the viaduct crossing Lichfield Road,immediately south of the station,was replaced by a steel bridge in 1906. [30]
Aston is served by West Midlands Trains with regular services on both the Cross-City Line, [31] using Class 323 Electric multiple units (EMUs),and on the Chase Line [32] [33] using Class 350 and Class 730 EMUs. [34]
The typical service pattern is as follows:
Mondays to Saturdays:
Sundays:
Preceding station | National Rail | Following station | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
West Midlands Railway | ||||
West Midlands Railway | ||||
In January 1858 there were eight trains from Aston (originating in Birmingham) to Wolverhampton via Bescot Junction and Willenhall,the first at 08:21 and the last at 21:11 on weekdays. In the opposite direction,on weekdays,nine trains from Wolverhampton arrived at Aston between 08:51 and 22:25. The Sunday service consisted of six trains in each direction. The timetable shows one "government" or Parliamentary train in each direction,running every day. Most trains provided through carriages to Derby via Walsall and Lichfield,dividing at Bescot. [35]
In the LNWR timetable dated 3 October 1921,the service to and from Lichfield City (the extension from Sutton Coldfield to Lichfield was opened in 1884) [36] is shown as roughly hourly on weekdays,with additional trains terminating at Four Oaks approximately every 30 minutes. On Sundays five trains ran to and from Sutton. Trains to Wolverhampton and Walsall ran at irregular intervals on weekdays,with service of five trains to and from Walsall on Sundays. An interesting service was the New Street to New Street "circular" via Aston,Perry Barr,Soho Road and Monument Lane,with two trains completing the full anti-clockwise circuit,but only one in the opposite direction. Most clockwise trains finished their journey at Vauxhall and Duddeston. There was no Sunday service. [37]
Trains on the circular route are shown in the Summer 1939 London,Midland and Scottish Railway timetable as taking 43 minutes for the complete New Street-New Street circuit. Otherwise,the pattern of services in the months leading up to the outbreak of the Second World War had hardly changed since 1921. [38]
The London Midland Region timetable dated 10 September 1951 shows an irregular interval service of approximately hourly trains to and from Walsall and a similar service to Lichfield City via Sutton,with some trains running only as far as Four Oaks (tables 68 and 69). In the Summer 1963 timetable,by which time diesel multiple units were operating on both routes, [39] [ page needed ] there was a regular-interval service pattern throughout the day:on weekdays every hour to Walsall and Rugeley Town,and every 30 minutes to Sutton and Lichfield,with occasional trains still terminating at Four Oaks.
After electrification,services to Walsall were operated by Class AM4 (later re-designated British Rail Class 304) electric multiple units. The 1970-1971 London Midland timetable (Table 9) shows a weekdays only service of regular-interval hourly trains throughout the day,augmented at peak periods with additional services. There was also one service,originating at Walsall,which left Aston at 0717 for Coventry via Stechford. (There was no corresponding service in the Walsall direction). The Sutton and Lichfield service was largely unchanged from 1963 on weekdays but there was now no Sunday service.
The above patterns applied also to trains to and from Birmingham New Street,where all trains from Aston to Walsall and Four Oaks or Lichfield originated.
Following the introduction of the Cross-City Line in 1978,Aston gained through trains to and from Longbridge via Birmingham New Street. The basic pattern was Lichfield to Longbridge and vice versa hourly throughout the day Monday-Saturday,with additional trains running from Four Oaks to Longbridge and vice versa at 15-minute intervals. There were also additional trains to and from Redditch at peak times. On Sundays,Aston was served by a 30-minute frequency of trains to and from Four Oaks and Longbridge. Trains were operated by British Rail Class 108 diesel multiple units. The Walsall service remained basically unchanged from 1970 to 1971,with no Sunday service. [40]
Buses 65 and 67 operated by National Express West Midlands pass the station.
The station serves:
Birmingham New Street,also known as New Street station,is the largest and busiest of the three main railway stations in Birmingham city centre,England,and a central hub of the British railway system. It is a major destination for Avanti West Coast services from London Euston,Preston,Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverley via the West Coast Main Line,the CrossCountry network,and for local and suburban services within the West Midlands;this includes those on the Cross-City Line between Lichfield Trent Valley,Redditch and Bromsgrove,and the Chase Line to Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley. The three-letter station code is BHM.
The Cross-City Line is a suburban rail line in the West Midlands region of England. It runs for 32 mi (51 km) from Redditch and Bromsgrove in Worcestershire,its two southern termini,to Lichfield,Staffordshire,its northern terminus,via Birmingham New Street,connecting the suburbs of Birmingham in between. Services are operated by West Midlands Trains.
The Chase Line is a suburban railway line in the West Midlands region of England. It runs from its southern terminus,Birmingham New Street,to Walsall,and then Rugeley Trent Valley in Staffordshire,where it joins the Trent Valley line. The name of the line refers to Cannock Chase which it runs through at its northern end.
Sutton Coldfield railway station is the main railway station for the town of Sutton Coldfield,Birmingham,West Midlands,England. It is situated on the Redditch/Bromsgrove-Birmingham New Street-Four Oaks-Lichfield Cross-City Line 7+1⁄2 miles (12.1 km) north east of Birmingham New Street.
Five Ways railway station is a railway station serving the Five Ways and Lee Bank areas of Birmingham,England. It is situated on the Cross-City Line.
Duddeston railway station is situated in the Duddeston area of Birmingham,England on the Redditch-Birmingham New Street-Four Oaks-Lichfield Cross-City Line and the Chase Line. Services on the Cross-City Line are usually operated by Class 323 electric multiple units,while Class 350 electric multiple units are commonly used on services to and from Walsall.
Wylde Green railway station is a railway station serving northern Wylde Green and Boldmere in Sutton Coldfield,Birmingham,West Midlands,England. It is on the Redditch/Bromsgrove-Birmingham New Street-Lichfield Cross-City Line 6+1⁄2 miles (10.5 km) north east of Birmingham New Street,and is in Centro fare zone 4.
Gravelly Hill railway station serves the Gravelly Hill area of Birmingham,England. It is situated on the Redditch/Bromsgrove-Birmingham New Street-Four Oaks-Lichfield Cross-City Line.
Walsall railway station is the principal railway station of Walsall,West Midlands,England and situated in the heart of the town. It is operated by West Midlands Trains,with services provided by West Midlands Railway. The main entrance is situated inside the Saddlers Shopping Centre.
Wolverhampton station is a railway station in Wolverhampton,West Midlands,England on the Birmingham Loop of the West Coast Main Line. It is served by Avanti West Coast,CrossCountry,Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains services,and was historically known as Wolverhampton High Level. It is also a West Midlands Metro tram stop.
Smethwick Galton Bridge is a split-level railway station in Smethwick,West Midlands,England. It is at a point where two railways' lines cross on two levels. It has platforms on both lines,allowing interchange between them. The two low-level platforms serve the Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton Line,while the two high-level platforms serve the Birmingham Snow Hill to Worcester Line. The high level line passes over the low level line at a right angle on a bridge. West Midlands Railway manages the station and operates most of its services,with others provided by Chiltern Railways and London Northwestern Railway.
Erdington railway station is a railway station serving the Erdington area of Birmingham,England. It is situated on the Redditch/Bromsgrove-Birmingham New Street-Four Oaks-Lichfield Cross-City Line.
Chester Road railway station serves the areas of Pype Hayes,Erdington,Wylde Green and Boldmere in north-east Birmingham,in the West Midlands county of England. It is sited on the Cross-City Line between Bromsgrove/Redditch and Lichfield Trent Valley,via Birmingham New Street. Pedestrian access to the station is via Green Lanes,near to the junction with the Chester Road (A452). It is above road level,as the line here is on an embankment.
Four 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 West Midlands Railway.
Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead,Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of Birmingham,England. It is located at the junction of Rocky Lane and Old Walsall Road,Hamstead,at Birmingham's border with the borough of Sandwell. It is situated on the Chase Line,part of the former Grand Junction Railway,opened in 1837. The station,and all trains serving it,are operated by West Midlands Trains.
Tame Bridge Parkway is a railway station in the north of the borough of Sandwell,in the West Midlands,England,close to the boundary with Walsall. The station is operated by West Midlands Railway. It is situated on the Chase Line 9 miles (14 km) north of Birmingham New Street,part of the former Grand Junction Railway,opened in 1837.
The Walsall–Wolverhampton line is a railway line in the West Midlands,England. It connects the town of Walsall to the city of Wolverhampton. The complete line does not currently have any regular scheduled passenger services:The line's local passenger service was withdrawn in 1965,it was restored in 1998,only to be withdrawn again in 2008. At present,the main use of the line is by freight trains,and it is also used as a diversionary route when engineering works are carried out on the West Coast Main Line.
The Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line is a railway line in the West Midlands of England. It is a loop off the West Coast Main Line (WCML) between Rugby and Stafford,via the West Midlands cities of Coventry,Birmingham and Wolverhampton. The direct route between Rugby and Stafford is the Trent Valley line.
The Midland Railway branches around Walsall were built to give the Midland Railway independent access to Wolverhampton,and to a colliery district at Brownhills. The Midland Railway had a stake in the South Staffordshire Railway giving it access to Walsall,and the Walsall and Wolverhampton Railway (W&WR) was opened in 1872. At first the W&WR was independent and neutral,but it was acquired by the London and North Western Railway (LNWR),and then sold by that company to the Midland Railway.
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