A new connection from the Chiltern Main Line to the planned interchange at Old Oak Common, to provide additional capacity and access to both Crossrail and HS2, is one of the recommendations put forward by Network Rail as it looks to tackle a predicted 49% increase in capacity in the West Midlands and Chilterns.
Other infrastructure plans NR suggests include the development of a ‘Midlands Rail Hub’ that could allow more trains to run every hour into central Birmingham.
This would feature: new infrastructure at Bordesley, allowing trains from the southwest, northeast and east Midlands to access Birmingham Moor Street; additional tracks at Water Orton, to provide capacity for additional passenger trains and more freight; upgrading Kings Norton station and introducing more platforms at Birmingham Snow Hill and Moor Street; upgrading the railway around Worcester; and introducing automatic train operation (ATO) to control trains to provide more capacity.
- For more on this, read RAIL 805, published on July 20.
FrankH - 05/07/2016 13:58
Once trains have access to Moor Street/Snow Hill then what happens, reverse out via another new spur to either Washwood Heath or Kings Norton. Ok for Scotland/North East - South West/ South Coast trains. Takes pressure off New Street.