Overview (Top Index)

The cross city railway runs through Birmingham for roughly 14 miles from Longbridge in the south-west to Butlers Lane in the north-east via New Street in the city centre.

The line was created in 1978 by combining the Midland Railway between Redditch and Birmingham and the London and North-Western Railway between Birmingham and Lichfield. It was electrified in 1991-93.

Most trains travelling to or arriving from the south-west, South Wales and Welsh borders pass through south Birmingham on the cross-city line.

There are 16 stations (from south-west): Longbridge, Kings Norton, Bournville, Selly Oak, University, Five Ways, New Street, Duddeston, Aston, Gravelly Hill, Erdington, Chester Road, Wylde Green, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks and Butlers Lane.

 Map of the Cross City Railway (Top Index)

Travelling from south-west to north-east Birmingham on the cross-city line, you will pass the following landmarks:

Longbridge Junction (Top Index)

A service line from the old Rover car factory joins the cross city railway at Longbridge Junction. This service line was formerly a branch railway to Halesowen; it closed in the 1960's. Longbridge Station is on the north side of the junction.

Longbridge Railway Station (Top Index)

Longbridge Railway Station was built in 1978; it is roughly 400 metres from Longbridge Island on Bristol Road South (A38); the station has an annual passenger footfall of around 350,000. There are two platforms, a seated area, a payphone and CCTV, but no taxi rank or car park.

 Trains bound for New Street generally stop every ten minutes in the daytime, every twenty minutes in the evening and every thirty minutes on Sunday.

Main Destinations: Stations to New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield Trent Valley, Lichfield City and Redditch.

Tel: 08457484950   Address: Longbridge Lane B31 2TU

Links: Longbridge   National Rail Enquiries

Northfield Railway Station (Top Index)

From Northfield Station, the cross city railway curves eastwards, passing above Church Hill Road, beneath Wychall Road, and above Popes Lane, before arriving at Kings Norton Station.

Kings Norton Railway Junction (Top Index)

The Camp Hill freight line joins the Cross-City railway at Kings Norton Junction in Lifford, roughly 250 metres north-east of Kings Norton Station.

Links: Lifford

Lifford Curve

After Kings Norton Junction, the cross city line swings from east to north as it negotiates a sharp, almost ninety degree bend, known as the Lifford Curve.

Heading northwards after the Lifford curve, the cross city line passes under the Pershore Road; it then skirts the east side of Cotteridge Park and runs alongside the west bank of the Birmingham and Worcester Canal through Bournville.

Bournville Railway Station (Top Index)

Bournville Railway Station first opened in 1876 and was rebuilt in 1978. It has an annual passenger footfall of around 410,000. The facilities include a payphone, seated area, CCTV and two platforms.

The station stands on an embankment above Bournville Lane which is shared with the Birmingham and Worcester Canal. It adjoins the Cadbury chocolate factory and is painted in Cadbury purple; the signage includes the Cadbury logo.

Bus route 27 passes the station which does not have a taxi rank or car park. Trains bound for New Street generally stop every ten minutes during the daytime, every twenty minutes in the evening from Monday to Saturday and at thirty minute intervals on Sunday.

Main Destinations: Stations to New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield City, Lichfield Trent Valley, Longbridge and Redditch.

Tel: 08457484950  Address: Bournville Lane B30 1LG

Links: Bournville  National Rail Enquiries

Heading northwards from Bournville, the cross city line continues on the west bank of the Birmingham and Worcester Canal until it reaches Selly Oak; it then bridges the canal, crossing from the west to the east bank and skirts the eastern boundary of Selly Oak Hospital before arriving at Selly Oak Station.

Selly Oak Railway Station on the cross city line opened in 1876 and was rebuilt in 1978; it has an annual passenger usage of around 1.3 million.  The facilities include two platforms, a seated area, toilets, shops, CCTV, a payphone, storage for 31 cycles and a car park with 376 free spaces for railway users.

Tel: 08457484950  Address: Bristol Road B29 6DW

Links: Selly Oak  National Rail Enquiries

University Station on the Cross City Line was built in 1978 in order to serve both the university and the adjoining hospital campuses; it has an annual passenger usage of 1.25 million. Facilities include CCTV, a seated area, a payphone and two platforms. There is no car park or taxi rank. However, numerous bus routes pass nearby: 21, 21A, 44, 448, 636 and 637.

Heading north-eastwards from the east side of New Street Station, cross-city services continue on the West Coast Mainline to Curzon Street Junction in Eastside where they switch to the northern section of the Cross City Line.

The monumental Curzon Street Station (1837), the original terminus of the Birmingham - Euston Line stands next to this junction; it has been disused since 1893.

Heading north-eastwards from Curzon Street, the cross city railway passes above Lawley Middleway (A4540), Saint James Place, Northumberland Street and Erskine Street before reaching Duddeston Station.

Duddeston Railway Station (Top Index)

Duddeston Station on the Cross City Line was formerly known as Vauxhall Station; it opened in 1837 as the southern terminus of the Grand Junction Railway between Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester. The terminus moved to Curzon Station in 1839 and New Street in 1854.

 Nowadays Duddeston is a little-used station with an annual passenger usage of only 56,000. The facilities include a payphone, seated area, CCTV and two platforms. The station is on bus routes 26 and 26A. Access is from Duddeston Mill Road. There is no car park or taxi rank.

 Trains bound for New Street generally stop every ten minutes during the daytime and every twenty minutes in the evening from Monday to Saturday and at thirty minute intervals on Sunday. Trains bound for Walsall generally stop every thirty minutes in the daytime and hourly in the evening.

Main Destinations: Stations to Longbridge, Redditch, Birmingham New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield City, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

Lichfield Road Viaduct (Top Index)

Heading northwards from Duddeston Station, the cross city line bridges the A47 and runs through Nechells before turning westwards into Aston where it crosses the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal and is carried above the Lichfield Road (A5127) by this viaduct.

Aston Junction (Top Index)

Aston Junction is in fact two junctions: at the first, roughly 200 metres south-east of Aston Station, the Stechford Avoiding Line joins the cross-city line, and at the second, roughly 50 metres north-west of Aston Station, the Birmingham and Walsall Line joins the cross-city line.

Aston Railway Station (Top Index)

Aston Station on the cross city line opened in 1854; it stands on an embankment overlooking the Litchfield Road (A5127). The station has an annual passenger usage of around 170,000. The facilities include CCTV, a payphone, waiting room and two platforms. There is no taxi rank or car park, but numerous bus routes pass nearby: 65, 67, 67A, 104, 104A, 105, 114 and 115.

Trains bound for New Street generally stop every ten minutes during the daytime and every twenty minutes in the evening from Monday to Saturday and at thirty minute intervals on Sunday. Trains bound for Walsall generally stop every thirty minutes in the daytime and hourly in the evening.

Main Destinations: Stations to Longbridge, Redditch, Birmingham New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield City, Lichfield Trent Valley, Wolverhampton and Walsall.

Spaghetti Junction (Top Index)

Heading north-westwards from Aston Station, the cross city line is carried above Aston Hall Road and beneath the Aston Expressway (A38M); it then turns north-eastwards and runs roughly parallel to the Aston Expressway before arriving at Spaghetti Junction.

At Spaghetti Junction, the cross city line passes above the Tame Valley Canal and beneath the M6 and four service roads; it then turns north-eastwards and crosses Slade Road before arriving at Gravelly Hill Station.

Station Road Bridge @ Erdington (Top Index)

Heading north-eastwards from Gravelly Hill, the cross city railway passes beneath Reservoir Road and above Summer Road before crossing this bridge at Erdington Station.

Erdington Railway Station (Top Index)

Erdington Station on the Cross-City Line sits on an embankment above Station Road, roughly 400 metres from Erdington town centre.

The station, which opened in 1862, has an annual passenger usage of around 300,000. The facilities include CCTV, two platforms and a payphone. There is no taxi rank or car park. Bus routes 66A, 111 and 600 pass nearby.

There are generally six trains per hour in each direction in the daytime; services are less frequent in the evening and weekends. The average journey time to Birmingham New Street is around 12 minutes.

Main Destinations: Stations to Redditch, Longbridge, Birmingham New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley.

Chester Road Bridge (Top Index)

Heading north-eastwards from Erdington Station, the cross city line is carried above Chester Road (A452) by this bridge at Chester Road Station.

Chester Road Railway Station (Top Index)

 The facilities include CCTV, waiting room, seated area, payphone and car park with 155 free spaces for railway users. There is no taxi rank. Access is from the Chester Road (A452); the station is served by bus routes 66A, 111 and 118.

There are generally six trains per hour in each direction during the daytime; three per hour in each direction during the evening, and two per hour in each direction on Sunday. The average journey time to New Street Station is around 13 minutes.

Main Destinations: Stations to Redditch, Longbridge, Birmingham New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley.

 There are generally six trains per hour in each direction during the daytime, three per hour in each direction in the evening and two per hour in each direction on Sunday. The average journey time to New Street Station is 19 minutes.

Main Destinations: Stations to Redditch, Longbridge, Birmingham New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield City and Lichfield Trent Valley.

Jockey Road Viaduct (Top Index)

Heading northwards from Wylde Green Station, the cross city railway passes under Highbridge Road and runs roughly parallel to Goldeslie Road before passing beneath Jockey Road (A453) and arriving at Sutton Coldfield Railway Station.

Sutton Coldfield Railway Station (Top Index)

Tel: 08457484950  Address: Railway Road B73 6AY

Links: Sutton Coldfield Town  National Rail Enquiries

Sutton Coldfield Tunnel (Top Index)

A 100-metre tunnel on the north side of Sutton Coldfield Station carries the cross city line beneath the High Street & environs. 17 people died in a crash at the southern portal of this tunnel in 1955.

Sutton Park Viaduct (Top Index)

Heading north-eastwards from Sutton Coldfield Tunnel, the cross city line runs beneath a viaduct that carries the Sutton Park Freight Line.

Tamworth Road Viaduct (Top Index)

After the Sutton Park Viaduct, the cross city line veers north-eastwards past the Good Hope Hospital and then curves north-westwards, crossing above the Tamworth Road (A453) on this viaduct.

Links: Sutton Coldfield Town

Heading north-westwards from the Tamworth Road Viaduct, the cross city railway crosses above Little Sutton Lane and arrives at Four Oaks Station.

Four Oaks Railway Station (Top Index)

Tel: 08457484950  Address: Lichfield Road B74 2TD

Links: Four Oaks  National Rail Enquiries

Heading north-westwards from Four Oaks Station, the cross city railway passes under the Lichfield Road and Belwell Lane, skirts the eastern boundary of Arthur Terry School, and arrives at Butlers Lane Station.

Butlers Lane Railway Station (Top Index)

Butlers Lane Railway Station on the Cross City Line sits in a cutting below Butlers Lane. The station was built in 1957 and refurbished in 1992. It contains a seated area, cycle storage, two platforms and a payphone. The annual passenger footfall is 104,000; there is no taxi rank.

Trains operate at 10-20 minute intervals between Longbridge & Litchfield via New Street from Monday to Saturday and at 30 minute intervals on Sunday.

Main Destinations: Stations to Birmingham New Street, Longbridge, Lichfield City, Lichfield Trent Valley.

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