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The Birmingham-Walsall Line through Birmingham

Overview (Top Menu)

The Birmingham-Walsall Line runs for roughly 4.5 miles through north Birmingham from Aston Junction North to Hamstead. There are stations at Aston, Witton, Perry Barr and Hamstead.

Trains travelling to and from New Street Station on the West Coast Mainline will switch between the Cross City Line and the West Coast Mainline at Curzon Street Junction in Eastside and between the Cross City Line and the Birmingham-Walsall Line at Aston Junction North.

George Stephenson and Joseph Locke surveyed the Birmingham-Walsall line in 1833-37 as part of the Grand Junction Railway which connected Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

Trains heading towards Walsall on the Birmingham-Walsall Line will pass the following landmarks:

Aston Expressway Viaduct (Top Menu)

Heading north-westwards from Aston Junction North, the Birmingham-Walsall Line travels above Aston Hall Road and beneath the Aston Expressway (A38M). It then continues past the Aston Arena and runs alongside the canalised River Tame before arriving at Witton Station.

Links: Aston

Witton Railway Station (Top Menu)

Witton Station on the Birmingham and Walsall Line sits on an embankment above Witton Road (A4040), roughly 400 metres from Villa Park.

The station, which first opened in 1876, has an annual passenger usage of around 78,000. The facilities include CCTV, a waiting room and two platforms. There is no taxi rank or car park; bus routes 7, 11A and 11C pass nearby.

There are generally two trains per hour for Walsall and two per hour for Wolverhampton via New Street. Services are less frequent at the evening and weekends. The average journey time is 47 minutes to Wolverhampton, 19 minutes to Walsall and 9 minutes to New Street.

Main Destinations: Birmingham New Street, Walsall, Wolverhampton

A34/A453 Viaduct (Top Menu)

From Witton Station, the Birmingham & Walsall Line curves westwards, running roughly parallel to Aston Lane, passing beneath Welhead Lane and skirting City Campus North (Birmingham City University).

The line then continues westwards beneath the A34/A453 Viaduct before reaching Perry Barr Station.

Perry Barr Station on the Birmingham-Walsall Line was one of the original stations on the Grand Junction Railway; it first opened in 1838 and was rebuilt in the 1960's.

The station sits in a cutting beneath the Birchfield Road (A34). It has CCTV, a waiting shelter and two platforms. There is no taxi rank or car park but the station is served by numerous bus routes being near the intersection of the A34, A453 and Outer Circle (A4040); the annual passenger footfall is 165,000.

Trains for Walsall and for Wolverhampton Via New Street generally depart at 30 minute intervals; services are less frequent during the evening and at weekends. The average journey time is 49 minutes to Wolverhampton, 17 minutes to Walsall and 11 minutes to New Street.

Perry Barr Junction (Top Menu)

Heading westwards from Perry Barr Station, the Birmingham and Walsall line runs roughly parallel to Wellington Road and skirts the One Stop Shopping Centre before reaching Perry Barr Junction.

This junction connects the Birmingham-Walsall Line to the Handsworth Linking Line.

The Handsworth Linking Line enables trains travelling on the West Coast Mainline to switch to the Birmingham and Walsall Line, and vice versa. It runs between Soho Junction on the West Coast Mainline and Perry Barr Junction on the Birmingham-Walsall Line. 

 Trains using the linking line can enter (and depart from) the west side of New Street Station and so do not have to switch to the Cross City Line at Aston Junction and the West Coast Mainline at Curzon Street Junction in order to enter New Street Station from the east.

Links: Perry Barr

Heading north-westwards from Perry Barr Junction, the Birmingham-Walsall Line runs on an embankment alongside Perry Hall Park and crosses a viaduct above the River Tame.

Links: Perry Barr

Hamstead Station on the Birmingham and Walsall Line opened as Great Barr Station in 1862 but was renamed in 1974. 

The station has an annual passenger usage of 68,000; its facilities include a waiting room and two platforms; access is from the Old Walsall Road; there is no car park or taxi rank but bus routes 16 and 654 pass nearby.

Trains generally depart at 30 minute intervals for Walsall and for Wolverhampton via New Street. Services are less frequent during the evening and at weekends. The typical journey time is 52 minutes to Wolverhampton, 15 minutes to Walsall and 13 minutes to New Street.

Forge Mill Lake (Top Menu)

Heading north-westwards from Hamstead Station, the Birmingham-Walsall Line runs through the Sandwell Valley, alongside the River Tame, and then passes Forge Mill Lake: a balancing reservoir designed to prevent the river valley from flooding.

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