Stonebridge Railway
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Legend
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History
The Stonebridge Railway was opened in 1839 in Warwickshire, England[1][2][3] after a year's constriction work[2] as part of the main Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway.[2][3]
The line ran from Whitacre Junction to Hampton and had an intermediate station at Coleshill (renamed Maxstoke in 1923).[2] From 1839 until 1840 it was a double track main line,[2] linking in with the London and Birmingham Railway at Derby Junction, the remains of which can still be seen north of the current LNWR station in Hampton-in-Arden.[2][3][4]
The Line to Birmingham Lawley Street opened February 10, 1842.[2][2]
In 1843, the second running line was removed, believed to be the first 'singling' in railway history.[2]
The line lost its final passenger service in 1917 as a wartime economy measure.[2]
Closure
The line was officially closed in 1935[2][3][3][4] following a bridge failure in Packington,[2] however most of the line was used for the storage of disabled wagons between the mid 1930s and 1951,[2] when the main track was finally removed. The Hampton end track had become a minor siding was lifted in 1963.[2]
Famous people
Two of the most famous men in Midland Railway history were associated with this line - Sir James Joseph Allport,[2] and Matthew Kirtley.[2]
HS2 link
During June 2013 a £240 million[4] to £280 million[5] plan was proposed to re-open the Stonebridge Railway in order to link Coventry, Birmingham Airport to the proposed HS2 line.[1][3][5][5]
Corporate research indicated in the January of 2014 that HS2 would bring 51,000 jobs and £4.1 billion per year to the regional economy.[3][4][5][5][5]
Coventry MP, Bob Ainsworth MP,[2] Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Aairport;,[4] Centro’s chief executive, Geoff Inskip,[1][5] Tamworth MP Christopher Pincher MP;[5] Transport Minister Stephen Hammond, and[1] Birmingham City Council[1][5] all gave there support for it in the January of 2014.[4][5]
The Chinese premier, Li Keqiang, pledged in January 2014 to invest directly in the £50bn HS2 project.[4] China Railway Group had offered in January 2014 to build the connections from the proposed interchange in Birmingham to the city’s airport and along to the cities including Coventry and Peterborough.[4]
The 11.7 kilometres (7.3 miles) link would run from Hampton-in-Arden, near Solihull to Whitacre Junction, in North Warwickshire.[1]
The 15-mile journey between Tamworth and Birmingham Airport takes 45 minutes by rail, but the Whitacre rail link would in theory reduce the journey time to 18 minutes.[5]
External links
- http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/lms/hamptoninardenwhitacre.htm
- http://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/coleshill.php
- http://www.photobydjnorton.com/StonebridgeRailway.html
- http://www.ishepherd.co.uk/bartys/bart/History/srailway.htm
- http://www.coventryobserver.co.uk/2013/06/14/news-MP-Bob-Ainsworth-backs-HS2-bid-to-reopen-Stonebridge-Railway-74395.html
Reflist
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "BBC News - Chinese plan HS2 link for disused Victorian rail line". Bbc.co.uk. 2013-10-29. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 "MP Bob Ainsworth backs HS2 bid to reopen Stonebridge Railway". Coventry Observer. 2013-06-14. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Graeme Brown (2014-01-08). "170-year-old rail track could be re-opened to create link to HS2 line". Birmingham Post. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Carter, Claire (2014-01-08). "China offers to invest in HS2". Telegraph. Retrieved 2014-01-12.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 "‘Remarkable’ Chinese interest in West Midlands HS2 links | Railnews | Today's news for Tomorrow's railway". Railnews. 2012-06-14. Retrieved 2014-01-12.