Update on re-opening both Moseley and Kings Heath railway stations

Network Rail has published the West Midlands & Chilterns Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) Draft document which is presently been consulted on and will influence the timetable to when the Moseley and Kings Heath railway stations will re-open. Details of the document can be seen below.

According to the document, Network Rail wants to push the re-opening of these stations back to the year period 2019 to 2024. Prior to the publication of document we had been anticipating their re-opening occurring in during the years 2015 to 2019.

Both Centro and Birmingham City Council are in the process of responding to this document asking for this project to be included in the year period 2015 to 2019. Emily, Ernie and myself will be formally responding this week as well – again requesting for the project to be included in the year period 2015 to 2019.

In the meantime, both Centro and Birmingham City Council have designed the pair of chords required at Bordesley that would link railway services into Moor Street station from Moseley and Kings Heath, and from Castle Vale. The cost of the two chords is calculated to be £150million.

Linking any future service into Moor Street station from Moseley and Kings Heath is crucial. If these chords are not built, then any service from Moseley and Kings Heath would have to go into New Street station, which is cannot accept any more passenger services.

The RUS also mentions the creation of an alternative freight line through the West Midlands, via Worcester, Round Oak and Walsall – see page 147 of the report. The creation of this alternative freight route is important to any future passenger service at Moseley and Kings Heath railway stations. It will allow freight traffic to be taken off the Camp Hill railway line and allow a 15 minute passenger service, instead of a 20minute service. The cost of the alternative freight route is estimated to be £98million.

The West Midlands & Chilterns Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) Draft for Consultation can be seen at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browseDirectory.aspx?dir=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies\West%20Midlands%20and%20Chilterns&pageid=4449&root=\RUS%20Documents\Route%20Utilisation%20Strategies and then click on “West Midlands and Chilterns RUS Draft for Consultation”

Consultation ends on 4 February 2011. Consultation responses can be submitted either electronically or by post to the addresses below:

westmidlandsandchilternsrus@networkrail.co.uk

West Midlands and Chilterns RUS Consultation Response
RUS Programme Manager
Network Rail
Floor 4, Kings Place
90 York Way
London
N1 9AG

The document is very detailed, but the parts that make reference to the re-opening of a passenger service on the Camp Hill line (the railway line through Moseley and Kings Heath is called the Camp Hill line) can be seen at the following pages

page 8 - "The RUS recognises the work being developed by Centro to connect the Camp Hill lines with Birmingham Moor Street. This development would facilitate aspirations to introduce new stations along the route which would help to address wider transport requirements in the West Midlands."

page 147 - "support the Camp Hill Chords scheme - support potential new services on the Camp Hill and Tamworth line". This page outlines the relaying of the creation of an alternative freight (alternative to the Camp Hill line) through Worcester to Round Oak to Walsall. This alternative freight line is crucial, along with the Camp Hill chords, to getting a regular passenger service on the Camp Hill line.

page 155 - "One option being developed is to connect the Camp Hill lines with Birmingham Moor Street, with new station proposals at Hazelwell, Kings Heath and Moseley. " Disappointingly, this proposal is now in capital period 2019 to 2024.