Sutton Coldfield railway station explained

Sutton Coldfield
Symbol Location:gb
Symbol:rail
Borough:Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham
Country:England
Coordinates:52.564°N -1.824°W
Grid Name:Grid reference
Platforms:2
Code:SUT
Zone:4
Classification:DfT category D
Manager:West Midlands Railway
Transit Authority:Transport for West Midlands
Years:1862
Events:Opened
Years2:2003
Events2:Renovated
Footnotes:Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13

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 NaNmiles north east of Birmingham New Street.

The station is of Victorian architecture with red brick and elaborate ceilings and pillars. One platform is sheltered while the other is open air. The main building itself is built on a hill with a tunnel running underneath it. It is accessed via Station Street and Railway Road.

History

The station was constructed in 1862, as the northern terminus of the line from Birmingham built by the London and North Western Railway. In 1884, the line was extended north to Lichfield, and after the grouping of railway companies in 1923, it came under the control of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

The station was the location of the Sutton Coldfield train disaster on 23 January 1955 when an express from York to Bristol travelling at excessive speed derailed. A memorial to the 17 people who died was unveiled in the station concourse on 23 January 2016.[1]

From 1978, the station became one of those served by the new Cross-City Line, sponsored by the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive. As part of that scheme, there were proposals to demolish the station and rebuild it, as happened to many of the other stations on the line. However, local campaigning saved it.

2003 repairwork

Following the provision of a large sum of money in 2003, the station underwent a programme of refurbishment. Many new facilities were provided, and repair work was undertaken to the station building. The southbound platform was repainted and a former wooden ticket office removed because it had become a target for vandalism and concerns were raised about its fire safety. A new ticket vending machine was placed on the platform which reduced queues at the ticket office in the main building. A station shop and a new waiting room were provided. On the northbound platform, the small waiting room was replaced with new seats. Passenger information system boards were also installed on both platforms which provides passengers with up-to-the-minute information on train times. The interior of the station was also repainted and the ticket office in the main building was extended.

Services

The station is served by West Midlands Trains with local Transport for West Midlands branded "Cross-City" services, operated by and Electric multiple units.[2] [3]

The off-peak service pattern is as follows:

Mondays to Saturdays:

Sundays:

Services on Sundays call at all stations between Lichfield T.V. and Redditch.

The average journey time to Birmingham New Street is around 21 minutes.[4] [5]

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: 2016-01-24. Memorial plaque for Sutton Coldfield rail crash. en-GB. BBC News. 2021-06-23.
  2. Web site: Class 323 fleet . West Midlands Railway.
  3. Web site: Class 730 fleet . West Midlands Railway.
  4. Web site: Train Timetables and Schedules Sutton Coldfield. West Midlands Railway .
  5. Web site: Train Times The Cross City Line 30 December 2023 until 1 June 2024 . West Midlands Railway.