Survey launched on Stourbridge to Brierley Hill shuttle idea

[Roy]

As I understand it, Network Rail are happy for the line from Stourbridge North Junction to Round Oak to be operated as two separate bi-directional lines - one for passenger services and one for freight.  However, the half mile from Stourbridge Junction station to North Junction is not bi-directional. 

In addition, there is no link from platform 1 onto the main line.  The line goes in front of the old signal box into the two sidings that used to be used as turnback sidings for Stourbridge terminators before the extra crossover was built to allow trains from Birmingham to go directly into platform 2.  I don't think that passenger services are allowed to use these sidings at present as I can remember a steam special with 6024 King Edward I taking on water in the sidings and the passengers had to alight at Stourbridge Junction to allow the train to run empty into the sidings, fill up and then reverse back into the station.   

[Stuharris 6360]

As I understand it, Network Rail are happy for the line from Stourbridge North Junction to Round Oak to be operated as two separate bi-directional lines - one for passenger services and one for freight.  However, the half mile from Stourbridge Junction station to North Junction is not bi-directional. 

In addition, there is no link from platform 1 onto the main line.  The line goes in front of the old signal box into the two sidings that used to be used as turnback sidings for Stourbridge terminators before the extra crossover was built to allow trains from Birmingham to go directly into platform 2.  I don't think that passenger services are allowed to use these sidings at present as I can remember a steam special with 6024 King Edward I taking on water in the sidings and the passengers had to alight at Stourbridge Junction to allow the train to run empty into the sidings, fill up and then reverse back into the station.   

@Roy if i remember correctly, the sidings could be used for passenger traffic, but only if the points from the main line were clipped and scotched. This may have been why the steam special had to disembark passengers as it would be costly to get someone to just clip the points.

[Roy]

@Roy if i remember correctly, the sidings could be used for passenger traffic, but only if the points from the main line were clipped and scotched. This may have been why the steam special had to disembark passengers as it would be costly to get someone to just clip the points.

Good point.  However, it would mean that to get from platform 1 to the Brierley Hill line, improvements to the infrastructure would be needed.  Network Rail has made it clear that platforms 2 and 3 could not be used for these services without major infrastructure changes.

[Stu]

As I understand it, Network Rail are happy for the line from Stourbridge North Junction to Round Oak to be operated as two separate bi-directional lines - one for passenger services and one for freight.  However, the half mile from Stourbridge Junction station to North Junction is not bi-directional. 

In addition, there is no link from platform 1 onto the main line.  The line goes in front of the old signal box into the two sidings that used to be used as turnback sidings for Stourbridge terminators before the extra crossover was built to allow trains from Birmingham to go directly into platform 2.  I don't think that passenger services are allowed to use these sidings at present as I can remember a steam special with 6024 King Edward I taking on water in the sidings and the passengers had to alight at Stourbridge Junction to allow the train to run empty into the sidings, fill up and then reverse back into the station.   

Thanks for that Roy, I was just going by what I could see looking down from Google Maps - it does look like there is a link from the branch line onto the mainline, but yes, it would have to go through those sidings.

So it's perhaps not as simple and straight-forward as it looks to be on the surface, unless Network Rail are really as 'onboard and sympathetic' as they say they are.