(1) The West Coast Mainline runs on an east-west axis alongside the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Canal;

(2) the Leamington-Worcester Line and (3) Midland Metro run side-by-side on an east-west axis roughly one quarter of a mile north of the West Coast Mainline;

(4) The Handsworth Linking Line runs on a north-south axis and crosses a viaduct above the Midland Metro and Leamington-Worcester Line.

It travels on an embankment above Rotton Park Canal Junction and then enters a cutting beneath Dudley Road, passing City Hospital and a train depot on Aberdeen Street.

Heading north-west from Aberdeen Street, the line rides an embankment above Winson Green Canal Junction, next to Winson Green Prison, before continuing past Soho Rail Junction into Smethwick.

A man was hit and killed on the tracks alongside Aberdeen Street on Sunday 20/02/11 (News Archive 22/02/11).

Heading north from Soho Junction, the line rides an embankment above Wellington Street, Perrott Street and Handsworth New Road on the Outer Circle.

From Handsworth New Road, it crosses a viaduct above the Midland Metro and Leamington-Worcester Line and then bridges Bacchus Road before entering Handsworth.

Heading west from Benson Road, the lines run in a cutting beneath Bacchus Road and the Handsworth Linking Line.

They then continue westwards, beneath Handsworth New Road on the Outer Circle and into Sandwell.

Winson Green Metro Station is on Handsworth New Road.

It connects the West Coast Mainline to the Handsworth Linking Line;

And enables services running between Birmingham and Walsall to avoid the more congested east side of New Street Station.

Trains leaving from the west side of New Street Station will switch to the Handsworth Linking Line at Soho Junction and will travel through Handsworth to Perry Barr Junction on the Birmingham-Walsall Line.

By doing so they will avoid Curzon Junction, Aston Junction, Duddeston, Aston, Witton and Perry Barr railway stations.