2. Journey to Birmingham

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-2015 > 11. The Flame Train & trip to Birmingham-07. & 08.03.15 > 1. The Flame Train & the journey there 08.03.15 > 2. Journey to Birmingham

The afternoon trip to Birmingham was followed by my wife and son going off shopping in the city I went to Moor Street as it was such a lovely afternoon and this was preferable to being confined to the dungeon that is New Street! However, I did pop back to New Street later in the afternoon.

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Images 1-25 of 25 displayed.

221114 & 221106, VT 06.52 Edinburgh Waverley-London Euston (9M50), Milton Keynes Central station
Warning.......a repeat moan coming up! A pair of Voyager diesel units in the form of 221114 'Sir Walter Raleigh' and 221106 'Willem Barents' have just travelled all the way from Edinburgh Waverley under fully energised 25kv wiring.....why? The train is seen sweeping through Milton Keynes Central as the 06.52 Edinburgh to Euston under glorious early spring skies.
Keywords: 221114 221106, VT 06.52 Edinburgh Waverley-London Euston (9M50), Milton Keynes Central station

221115, VT 08.55 Holyhead-London Euston (1A25), Milton Keynes Central station
The uniquely branded 221115 'Polmadie Depot' slows for its stop at Milton Keynes forming the 08.55 Holyhead to Euston. The Voyager wears a co-branded livery to celebrate the partnership between Bombardier and Virgin Trains.
Keywords: 221115 08.55 Holyhead-London Euston 1A25 Milton Keynes Central station

377703, SN 12.13 Milton Keynes Central-South Croydon (2O39) & 221115, VT 08.55 Holyhead-London Euston (1A25), Milton Keynes Central station
Southern meets Virgin at Milton Keynes Central. To the left, 377703 sits at platform two with the 12.13 to South Croydon. Meanwhile, 221115 'Polmadie Depot' pauses at platform five with the 1A25 08.55 Holyhead to Euston.
Keywords: 377703 12.13 Milton Keynes Central-South Croydon 2O39 221115 08.55 Holyhead-London Euston 1A25 Milton Keynes Central station

390104, VT 11.40 London Euston-Glasgow Central (1H66), Milton Keynes Central station
390104 'Alstom Pendolino' passes through Milton Keynes Central at line speed forming the 1H66 11.40 Euston to Glasgow Central. Milton Keynes' platform six is particularly narrow being added in more recent years to boost capacity. As a driver passing through the station at line speed I should imagine that it is not a particularly pleasant thing to see passengers and their luggage waiting so close to the platform edges.
Keywords: 390104 11.40 London Euston-Glasgow Central 1H66 Milton Keynes Central station

390107, 11.43 London Euston-Glasgow Central (9S65), Milton Keynes-Central station
Our train to Birmingham New Street comes to a halt at a busy Milton Keynes station. We took this train, the 11.43 Euston to Glasgow Central for the short hop to New Street, a journey of about forty-five minutes, somewhat quicker than taking a London Midland service from Northampton.
Keywords: 390107 11.43 London Euston-Glasgow Central 9S65 Milton Keynes-Central station

168217, CR 15.12 Birmingham Snow Hill-Leamington Spa (1L64), Birmingham Moor Street station
Looking very smart in its new 'Ciltern silver bullet' livery, 168217 leaves Birmingham Moor Street with the 15.12 Snow Hill to Leamington Spa. Notice the reproduction station lighting posts that are just one feature of this superb station.
Keywords: 168217 15.12 Birmingham Snow Hill-Leamington Spa 1L64 Birmingham Moor Street station

173344, LM 14.26 Stratford-on-Avon-Stourbridge Junction (2J55) & 168214, stabled, Birmingham Moor Street station
The work undertaken near to Birmingham's Moor Sreet station has been extensive. Looking south from the platform end, 168214 is seen stabled to the right. Meanwhile, 173344 is seen arriving with the 14.26 Stratford-on-Avon to Stourbridge Junction service.
Keywords: 173344 14.26 Stratford-on-Avon-Stourbridge Junction 2J55 168214 Birmingham Moor Street station

172342, LM 14.12 Worcester Shrub Hill-Dorridge (2C48), Birmingham Moor Street station
In superb late afternoon sunshine, 172342 leaves Birmingham Moor Street with the 14.12 Worcester Shrub Hill to Dorridge working. London Midland has fifteen class 172/3 units for use exclusively on the cross-Birmingham Snow Hill routes. Along with a smaller number of 172/2s, they have gangway connections unlike the 172/1s and a further few 172/2s operated by Chiltern.
Keywords: 172342 14.12 Worcester Shrub Hill-Dorridge 2C48 Birmingham Moor Street station

Information board, Birmingham Moor Street station
On the afternoon of 31st January 2015, a huge landslip took place in the notorious Harbury cutting between Leamington Spa and Banbury. An estimated slippage of three hundred thousand tons of material slipped into the cutting causing the closure of the line between Birmingham and London Marylebone. Immediately, a team from Network Rail and their contractor, Murphy, sprang into action to get it repaired and stabilised. There has been a history of collapse in the cutting back to when Brunel engineered the route in the nineteenth century. The instability is caused by a series of Blue Lias clay beds that sit above a bed of limestone that becomes mobile an unstable during periods of heavy water infiltration.
Keywords: Information board Birmingham Moor Street station

168214, CH 15.55 Birmingham Moor Street-Leamington Spa (1L69), Birmingham Moor Street station
Sitting in the bay platform at Birmingham Moor Street station is 165214. It will soon work the 1L69 15.55 to Leamington Spa. Normally, this service would work through to London Marylebone but due to the Harbury cutting collapse, a shuttle service was in operation.
Keywords: 168214 15.55 Birmingham Moor Street-Leamington Spa 1L69 Birmingham Moor Street station

172333, LM 15.09 Dorridge-Kidderminster (2K45), Birmingham Moor Street station
Birmingham Moor Street station is has been superbly restored in the best spirit of the GWR. It is painted in traditional colours and with reproduction signage as seen in this image. 172333 is just coming to a halt at platform two with the 15.09 Dorridge to Kidderminster working. As can be seen in this image, the extreme contrast on this bright afternoon has caused some problems with the exposure.
Keywords: 172333 15.09 Dorridge-Kidderminster 2K45 Birmingham Moor Street station

172339, LM 14.57 Stourbridge Junction-Stratford-on-Avon (2S54), Birmingham Moor Street station
With the skyscape of central Birmingham in the background, London Midland's 172339 stands in Moor Street station's platform one. It is working the 14.57 Stourbridge Junction to Stratford-on-Avon and has just emerged from the tunnel that links under the city to Snow Hill station.
Keywords: 172339 14.57 Stourbridge Junction-Stratford-on-Avon 2S54 Birmingham Moor Street station

172218, LM 15.19 Whitlocks End-Worcester Foregate Street (2V38), Birmingham Moor Street station
With the former GWR water tower superbly well restored at Birmingham Moor Street dominating the scene, 172218 arrives at the station with the 15.19 Whitlocks End to Worcester Foregate Street. The station was opened in 1909 by the Great Western but over the years its use declined to the point in the 1970s when it was even facing possible closure. However, after the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive took over responsibility from BR in 1975 a gradual improvement in services took place, so much so that Moor Street is now Birmingham's second-busiest station.
Keywords: 172218 15.19 Whitlocks End-Worcester Foregate Street 2V38 Birmingham Moor Street station

172222, LM 14.52 Worcester Shrub Hill-Whitlocks End (2S96) & 172332, LM 14.52 Stratford-on-Avon-Stourbridge Junction (2W82), Birmingham Moor Street station
A busy late afternoon scene at Birmingham Moor Street station as trains arrive taking shoppers home after some hard spending around the city centre! To the left, 172222 waits with the 2S96 14.52 Worcester Shrub Hill to Whitlocks End whilst 172332 pauses at platform two with the 2W82 14.52 Stratford-on-Avon to Stourbridge Junction train.
Keywords: 172222 14.52 Worcester Shrub Hill-Whitlocks End 2S96 172332 14.52 Stratford-on-Avon-Stourbridge Junction 2W82 Birmingham Moor Street station

Class 350, reflected in new cladding, Birmingham New Street station
A class 350 is seen reflected in the new stainless steel cladding that now surrounds the re-built Birmingham New Street station. The cladding has certainly brightened up the environs of the station area but I have to question how architecturally robust the design is being very much of its time. One must wonder how it will be viewed in twenty years time?
Keywords: Class 350 reflected in new cladding Birmingham New Street station

Rebuilding, Birmingham New Street station
The platform ends of New Street station are unmistakeable down below street level in this view. However, the complete rebuilding of the upper part of the station is completely changing its appearance beyond recognition. The highly reflective cladding is being attached to the framework that itself has been fixed to the building. The redevelopment of the station is due to be completed this year having been started in 2012 .
Keywords: Rebuilding Birmingham New Street station

Class 323, reflected in new cladding, Birmingham New Street station
A view of New Street's platform ends from the pedestrian walkways that surround the station. The view shows the somewhat controversial stainless steel cladding that is being attached to the outside of the new building. Reflected in the cladding, is a class 323 leaving the station.
Keywords: Class 323 Birmingham New Street station

Rebuilding, Birmingham New Street station
An image of what will become one of the main entrances of the rebuilt Birmingham New Street. Considering that the station is due to reopen later this year, there appears to be a lot of work still to do! Security staff did not take kindly to me taking this photograph stating that they would call the police if I did not delete the image and move away. Bear in mind that I was standing in a public area and looking through a viewing space in the fence. As a fully paid-up member of the awkward squad, I was in no rush to move away and deliberately took some more pictures.
Keywords: Class 323 new cladding Birmingham New Street station

170632, LM 14.40 Hereford-Birmingham New Street (1M89), Birmingham New Street station
170632 arrives into Birmingham New Street with the 14.40 from Hereford. In this busy scene, a class 221 Voyager waits at a nearby platform and a class 323 emerges from the doom of one of the many tunnels that surround the station.
Keywords: 170632 14.40 Hereford-Birmingham New Street 1M89 Birmingham New Street station

221136, XC 08.20 Aberdeen-Exeter St. David s (1V60), Birmingham New Street station
CrossCountry's 221136 pauses at Birmingham New Street with a crew change taking place. The four-car Voyager is working the 08.20 Aberdeen to Exeter St. David's. This particular class 221 was introduced in 2001 as a Virgin Cross Country five-car unit and named 'Yuri Gagarin'. When it became a CrossCountry unit in 2007, it was reduced to a four-car unit, hardly suitable for long and heavily used inter-regional services such as this one!
Keywords: 221136 08.20 Aberdeen-Exeter St. David's 1V60 Birmingham New Street station

323207, LM 15.46 Four Oaks-Longbridge (2N62), Birmingham New Street station
323207 leaves the confines of Birmingham New Street station with the 15.46 Four Oaks to Longbridge cross-Birmingham service. There are plans to replace these ageing units in the next few years as further electrification in the Birmingham area takes place, for example down the Lickey Incline to Bromsgrove.
Keywords: 323207 15.46 Four Oaks-Longbridge 2N62 Birmingham New Street station

323201, LM 15.45 Lichfield-Redditch (2R63), Birmingham New Street station
323201 arrives at New Street station forming the 15.45 Litchfield to Redditch service. These units were the last to be introduced by the pre-privatised BR in 1992. As well as operating in the West Midlands, as seen here, they have also seen use in the north-west.
Keywords: 323201 15.45 Lichfield-Redditch 2R63 Birmingham New Street station

158834, AW 16.09 Birmingham International-Aberystwyth (1J23), Birmingham New Street station
The rear of ATW's 16.09 Birmingham International to Aberystwyth formed by 158838 pokes out from the dark confines of New Street station. This service was composed of two units with the train splitting at Machynlleth. Notice the new stainless steel cladding being applied to the rebuilt station building.
Keywords: 158834 16.09 Birmingham International-Aberystwyth 1J23 Birmingham New Street station

170104, XC 16.19 Birmingham New Street-Nottingham (1D70), Birmingham New Street station
The interior of New Street station is not a location conducive to taking photographs. This image illustrates the problem, here showing 170104 preparing to leave with the 16.19 to Nottingham. In the background, a CrossCountry Voyager is seen waiting to leave for the West Country.
Keywords: 170104 16.19 Birmingham New Street-Nottingham 1D70 Birmingham New Street station

Tickets, Milton Keynes Central-Birmingham New Street
Our tickets from Milton Keynes to Birmingham, at just under £10 for the three of us it represents pretty good value.
Keywords: Tickets Milton Keynes Central-Birmingham New Street

Images 1-25 of 25 displayed.