Camp Hill Line: reversing Beeching
Work on the reopening of the Camp Hill Line in south Birmingham, UK, continues in earnest as it moves closer to becoming operational in Autumn 2025. The building of three new stations will provide faster and more reliable transport to the local community, which has dramatically grown since the original stations were closed over 80 years ago as part of the Beeching Cuts.
Work on the reopening of the Camp Hill Line in south Birmingham, UK, continues in earnest as it moves closer to becoming operational in Autumn 2025. The building of three new stations will provide faster and more reliable transport to the local community, which has dramatically grown since the original stations were closed over 80 years ago as part of the Beeching Cuts.
Part of the West Midlands Rail Programme (WMRP), the project is restoring passenger rail services to Mosely Village, Kings Heath and Pineapple Road, and is predicted to shorten travel times into central Birmingham by up to 31 minutes.
Costing over £60m, which has been invested by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), Department for Transport (DfT) and the Birmingham City Council’s clean air zone fund, the new services are predicted to replace up to 25% of local car journeys, also reducing congestion and pollution.
“Increasing the public transport options does a number of things – it connects communities where those connections don’t currently exist, gives people better access to education and employment, and improves journey times,” notes Kate Trevorrow, rail delivery director at Transport for West Midlands.
“This route roughly follows that of Alcester Road, one of the most congested roads in Birmingham. These congested neighbourhoods are desperate for these stations, to allow their journeys to become quicker and more reliable.”