Chase Line

The line from Birmingham to Walsall (sometimes referred to as the Walsall Line) has two alternative routes, both of which are electrified at 25 kV AC overhead. Of the two routes, one leaves New Street from the east, following the Cross-City Line as far as Aston, where it diverges to the west. The other route leaves New Street from the west, and travels via Soho. Beyond Walsall, the line is not electrified, and continues north to Hednesford and Rugeley. The section from Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley was previously freight-only, and reopened to passenger trains in stages between 1989 and 1998.

The line running via Aston, Perry Barr and Bescot is the former Grand Junction Railway, opened in 1837.

Places served on the route are listed below. For information on the stations, please refer to the list in the route map.

Chase Line (Walsall-Rugeley-Stafford)

Walsall Line (Birmingham-Walsall)

Walsall
Bescot (for Bescot Stadium, the home of Walsall FC)
Stone Cross (near Tame Bridge Parkway station)
Hamstead
Perry Barr
Witton
Aston
Duddeston
Birmingham

Passenger services on the line are operated by London Midland on behalf of Centro. Two types of services are operated.

Stopping trains from Birmingham New Street to Walsall are operated by Class 321 and Class 323 electrical multiple units. Some stopping trains continue to Hednesford, but use Class 150 diesel multiple units as this section of line is not electrified. Many electric trains from Walsall continue from Birmingham New Street to terminate at Birmingham International, and vice versa.
Services from New Street to Rugeley run non-stop to Tame Bridge Parkway. Many services continue beyond Rugeley to Stafford, working over the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line. These services are also operated by Class 150 units.

[edit] Re-opening

The line between Walsall and Rugeley Trent Valley closed to passengers in 1965, although it remained as a freight only line. It re-opened in stages, as follows:

10 April 1989 — Walsall to Hednesford
2 June 1997 — Hednesford to Rugeley Town
25 May 1998 — Rugeley Town to Stafford

[edit] References

A Century of Railways Around Birmingham and the West Midlands, Volume 3 1973-1999, John Boynton.
Quail Railway Track Diagrams, Volume 4: Midlands & North West (ISBN 0-9549866-0-1)

[edit] External links

The Chase Line.

v • d • e Railway lines in Central England:
InterCity lines:	Cross-Country Route · Midland Main Line · West Coast Main Line
Main lines:	Birmingham-Peterborough via Leicester Line · Birmingham-Worcester via Bromsgrove Line · Birmingham-Worcester via Kidderminster Line · Cherwell Valley Line · Chiltern Main Line · London-Aylesbury Line · Rugby-Birmingham-Stafford Line · Trent Valley Line · Welsh Marches Line · Wolverhampton-Shrewsbury Line
Commuter lines:	Birmingham-Walsall-Rugeley "Chase" Line · Birmingham-Stratford Line · Coventry-Nuneaton Line · Cross-City Line · Erewash Valley Line · Leicester-Loughborough "Ivanhoe" Line · Northampton Loop Line · Robin Hood Line · Stourbridge Junction-Stourbridge Town Line · Walsall-Wolverhampton Line
Rural lines:	Cotswold Line · Crewe-Derby Line · Derwent Valley Line · Leamington-Stratford Line · Marston Vale Line · Nottingham to Grantham Line · Nottingham-Lincoln Line · Oxford-Bicester Line · Princes Risborough-Aylesbury Line · Shrewsbury-Chester Line
Freight and disused lines:	Birmingham Snow Hill-Wolverhampton Low Level Line · Bumble Hole Line · Cheddington to Aylesbury Line · Darlaston Loop · Great Central Main Line · Harborne Branch Line · Oakham to Kettering Line · Oxford-Worcester-Wolverhampton Line · South Staffordshire Line · Sutton Park Line · Varsity Line · Wombourne Branch Line · Wolverhampton and Walsall Railway
Heritage:	Battlefield Line · Great Central Railway · Midland Railway Centre · Rutland Railway · Severn Valley Railway