Walsall to Wolverhampton Line

For the former route via Wednesfield, see Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway.

Walsall-Wolverhampton Line
Diagram of the line (in green) in relation to the other railways in the area.
Overview
Locale	Wolverhampton Walsall West Midlands (region)
Operation
Owner	Network Rail
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge

Walsall - Wolverhampton Line
Legend
Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line to Stafford Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury Line to Shrewsbury Wolverhampton Wolverhampton Low Level Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford Line to Birmingham Wednesfield Heath to Birmingham Snow Hill Wolverhampton & Walsall Railway Wyrley and Essington Canal Portobello Willenhall Bilston Street Darlaston James Bridge Darlaston Loop Wood Green to Walsall Line Pleck South Staffordshire Line Walsall Line to Birmingham Walsall Sutton Park Line Wolverhampton & Walsall Railway South Staffordshire Line Chase Line to Rugeley

The Walsall to Wolverhampton Line is a railway line in the West Midlands, England. It connects the town of Walsall to the city of Wolverhampton. The complete line does not currently have any regular scheduled passenger services, although it has had in the past. At present, the main use of the line is by freight trains, and it is also used as a diversionary route when engineering works are carried out on the West Coast Main Line.

History

Most of the present route was opened in 1837 as part of the original Grand Junction Railway, one of the first railway trunk routes, it later came under the control of the London and North Western Railway, then the London, Midland and Scottish Railway and later British Rail in 1948.

The line's strategic use as a freight and diversionary route led to it being electrified with overhead wires in the 1960s, as an offshoot of the West Coast Main Line electrification, along with the connecting Walsall Line. However the local passenger service was withdrawn in 1965 as part of the Beeching Axe, and the line's intermediate stations at Darlaston, Willenhall and Portobello were closed.

Recent history

A passenger service was reintroduced 1998, however this was not a success and was withdrawn again in 2008. The service, which was funded by Centro and operated by Central Trains (later London Midland), operated hourly, and was reintroduced to the line on 24 May 1998. However, in 2005 the Strategic Rail Authority proposed the withdrawal of the service, citing low passenger numbers and a lack of rolling stock. Centro opposed this, and the service was given a temporary reprieve. There were also proposals to reopen the stations at Willenhall Bilston Street and Portobello to increase passenger numbers and the viability of the service. During the early-mid 2000s, the line was used as part of an hourly service between Walsall and Wellington. But these services were withdrawn in 2006 and the service was reduced to an hourly service between Walsall and Wolverhampton, with only one or two trains per day in each direction extending to Wellington in the early morning and late at night.

It was announced in July 2008 that the government was withdrawing funding for this service, and as a result the local service was mainly withdrawn as of December 2008. However the line remains open for freight trains, and the section between Wolverhampton and Darlaston Junction continues to be used by certain trains between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, and will also be used as a diversionary route when the West Coast Main Line is closed for engineering works. Between 2008–2011 this section was also used by the now defunct Wrexham & Shropshire passenger services to London.

The full service was withdrawn on 13 December 2008, although there is still a 'Parliamentary train' – initially, one train per day ran directly from Walsall to Wolverhampton on weekdays, leaving Walsall at 19:36, but this was replaced in the 19 May 2013 timetable by a Saturdays-only train from Wolverhampton to Walsall leaving Wolverhampton at 06:38. Centro still have ambitions to reinstate the service and reopen stations at Willenhall Bilston Street and Portobello, but its plans have been put on hold until the next West Midlands franchise award is made in 2016-17.

A service calling at all stations via Birmingham New street now operates, taking over 1 hour, compared with 12 minutes for the direct service, and London Midland advise passengers to use the 529 bus service instead.

External links

• Walsall Transport strategy
• London Midland website
• BBC Black Country: Have your say on the rail line closure