Brighton Road railway station explained

Brighton Road
Status:Disused
Borough:Balsall Heath, Birmingham
Country:England
Coordinates:52.4554°N -1.8835°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Original:Midland Railway
Pregroup:Midland Railway
Postgroup:London, Midland and Scottish Railway
Years:1875
Events:Opened[1]
Years1:27 January 1941
Events1:Closed

Brighton Road railway station is a former railway station in Balsall Heath, Birmingham. It was originally opened in 1875 before being closed to passengers in 1941.

History

The station was built on the Midland Railway operated former Birmingham and Gloucester Railway main line (now the Camp Hill line) near the border of Balsall Heath and Moseley in 1875. John Bagwell was appointed station master in 1876 and he held this position until the station was placed under the supervision of the Camp Hill station master on 15 July 1907.[2]

The station finally closed to passengers on 27 January 1941[3] due to Second World War economy measures, along with the other passenger stations on the Camp Hill line.[4]

Planned Reopening

Since the late 2000s, proposals have been made to re-open the station, along with others on the Camp Hill line, for passenger use.[5] [6]

In July 2017, it was proposed that the station could reopen as part of the plans to reopen the line through the site for passengers after the new metro mayor revised plans for the reopening of the line with a stop in Balsall Heath as well as those at Moseley, Kings Heath, and Hazelwell.[7]

In 2019, the project to reopen the Camp Hill line stations received £15 million in Government funding, with construction due to start in 2020 and aimed for completion in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[8] This was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, and in March 2021 it was announced that additional funding had been found for the project.[9] Though Moseley Village, Kings Heath, and Pineapple Road stations are due to reopen in December 2023, plans for a station in Balsall Heath did not materialise at this time.

In February 2023 it was announced that funding had been allocated to begin investigating opening a station in Balsall Heath, though any construction would rely on the building of the Bordesley Chords.[10] It is not currently known if the station would be located at the site of the former Brighton Road station, the site of the former Camp Hill station, or at a new site between the two. It is believed any station would be named Balsall Heath.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Brighton Road Station. Warwickshire Railways. 25 February 2015.
  2. . 1901-1909 Superintendent’s Staff . Midland Railway Operating Traffic and Coaching Departments . 491/996 . 440 . 29 March 2020.
  3. News: . Five Birmingham Station to Close . Coventry Evening Telegraph . England . 22 January 1941 . 28 March 2020 . British Newspaper Archive . subscription .
  4. Web site: Kings Heath Station . 2008-11-08 . Rail Around Birmingham . 2004.
  5. Web site: Rail Development Strategy. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174520/http://www.networkwestmidlands.co.uk/train/Rail%20Development%20Strategy.pdf. dead. 2016-03-03. 2008-12-30. West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority. 2008.
  6. News: Rail passenger lines considered. 2009-08-19. BBC News. 2009-08-20.
  7. News: Elkes . Neil . 6 July 2017 . This Birmingham train station is set for a revival . Birmingham Mail . 29 March 2020 .
  8. Web site: Birmingham railway station project receives £15m funding. BBC. 10 August 2019. 1 August 2019.
  9. Web site: Full steam ahead for Camp Hill line to reopen as final budget approved. West Midlands Combined Authority. 20 August 2021.
  10. Web site: Haynes . Jane . 2023-02-28 . Hopes raised for two new rail stations in key locations . 2023-03-20 . BirminghamLive . en.