Much-missed Camp Hill rail line could make a return
MUCH-MISSED local train services such as Birmingham’s Camp Hill line could be reinstated under plans for the London Midland rail franchise.
The Department for Transport revealed that it was ordering rail operators to work with local councils and the new West Midlands Combined Authority to consider whether it was possible to re-open the line, which links Moseley, Kings Heath, Kings Norton and the city centre.
The Camp Hill line is still used for freight but passenger services ended in the 1940s.
However, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has already said it hopes to talk to the Government about re-opening it.
Reviving the service could also mean re-opening Moseley railway station.
And WMCA has also received £4.4 billion to deliver on plans to ensure the region’s economy grows as a result of the planned HS2 high speed rail line – which included Camp Hill and Sutton Park lines.
So the announcement that the Department for Transport (DfT) is getting behind the idea suggests it’s getting closer to becoming a reality.
The department has now said it is telling rail operators to look at whether it is possible to revive a number of old lines or open new services, including:
The Camp Hill line from central Birmingham to Kings Norton via Moseley;
The Sutton Park line, from Walsall to central Birmingham via Sutton Coldfield;
A Walsall to Stourbridge line;
A Lichfield to Burton-on-Trent line;
A Walsall to Lichfield line.
It’s a response to requests from passengers who took part in a consultation about the future of the West Midlands franchise.
This is often known as the London Midlands franchise, after the business that currently operates it.
The Government has invited bids to take over the service from 2017, and whoever gets the contract will run the franchise until March 2026.
A Department for Transport document stated: “Some respondents to the consultation asked for a number of specific new, more frequent or reinstated services to be provided.
“Many of these are only deliverable with significant investment and infrastructure work.”