Trains at Walsall Station over the years

Walsall Station has three platforms. The Walsall to Wolverhampton via Birmingham New Street was the first one to be electrified. The line to Rugeley Trent Valley saw electrification completed by 2019. So had diesel trains before then. London Midland until 2017, then West Midlands Railway (with London Northwestern Railway trains) since then.

Birmingham New Street to Rugeley Trent Valley line

In the years before Walsall to Rugeley Trent Valley was electrified, London Midland used the Class 170 DMU's from Birmingham New Street. Mostly going via Perry Barr or sometimes via Soho and Handsworth. Trains from Birmingham stopped at platform 1, while trains from Rugeley arrived at platform 2.

London Midland 170517 seen in 2014 at Walsall Station platform 1.

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London Midland 170508 seen in 2014 at Walsall Station platform 2.

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The line was electrified between 2017 and 2019, and by the time it opened, the line was run by new franchise operator West Midlands Railway. These Class 350 EMU's would also be used by London Northwestern Railway on the lines between Birmingham New Street and London Euston or to Liverpool Lime Street. Under West Midlands Railway the trains from Rugeley Trent Valley would go beyond Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International.

London Northwestern Railway 350 266 seen in 2021 at Walsall Station platform 2.

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London Northwestern Railway 350 259 seen in 2023 at Walsall Station platform 1.

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London Northwestern Railway 350 240 seen in 2023 at Walsall Station platform 2.

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London Northwestern Railway 350409 seen in 2024 at Walsall Station platform 1.

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London Northwestern Railway 350122 seen in 2024 at Walsall Station platform 1.

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London Northwestern Railway 350409 seen in 2024 at Walsall Station platform 2.

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Wolverhampton via Birmingham New Street to Walsall line

Trains on this line always usually go via Aston, Witton and Perry Barr, and terminate at platform 3. Until 2019, it was the only platform to be electrified. Under London Midland, they used the Class 323 EMU's on the line to and from Wolverhampton via Birmingham New Street.

 London Midland 323202 seen in 2016 at Walsall Station platform 3.

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London Midland 323201 seen in 2016 at Walsall Station platform 3.

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After West Midlands Railway took over in late 2017, they replaced the Class 323's on the line with the Class 350 EMU's.

London Northwestern Railway 350 106 seen in 2018 at Walsall Station platform 3.

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From 2024 West Midlands Railway have started to introduce the new Class 730's on the line, but on my last visit to Walsall on a Sunday, they weren't running, so ended up going on the Class 350's instead (on the Birmingham New Street to Rugeley Trent Valley line). Although did travel to Smethwick Galton Bridge earlier, and caught a Class 350 to Birmingham New Street, and switched lines.

London Northwestern Railway 350 238 seen in 2024 at Smethwick Galton Bridge Station (low level) platform 4.

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Soho EMU Depot

The only place to see the Class 730's not in service in the West Midlands is at the Soho EMU depot near the Soho Loop. You can also see them from the train. Some have come into service on the Wolverhampton to Walsall via Birmingham New Street line (but I'm not sure on what days). And they are due to enter service on the Cross City Line from April 2024.

West Midlands Railway 730 006 seen at Soho EMU Depot during 2023.

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Train view of West Midlands Class 730's during 2023 from the train.

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West Midlands Railway Class 323's and Class 730's seen at Soho EMU Depot from the train in 2024.

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Photography by Elliott Brown

The Bullring presents Borealis by Dan Acher - 9th to 18th February 2024

From the 9th to 18th February 2024 at the Bullring in Birmingham was an art installation by Dan Acher called Borealis. Based on the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. It was on Central Street (St Martin's Walk) for 10 days from 5pm to 9pm each evening. Best seen after dark, as the effect didn't really work in daylight I found. Smoke machines and ambient music.

Borealis

BOREALIS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS - ANYTIME, ANYWHERE Borealis recreates one of nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomena over cities around the world. It shifts our emotional experience of familiar urban landmarks and awakens a shared conscience by creating something magical - something that shouldn’t naturally be there. Borealis is about our ancestral communion with nature and our more recent compulsion to control it. As our planet’s climate breaks down, the question arises: will technology one day replace everything that nature currently provides for us?

 

Dan Acher's Borealis was held at the Bullring on St Martin's Walk above St Martin's Square (aka Central Street) from the 9th to 18th February 2024. Time started each evening at 5pm, ended each night at 9pm. Every evening attracted a big crowd looking at the artificial Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. Personally I think they should have started it a month earlier, as between 5pm and 6pm, it's not that dark in February, although getting dark after sunset, which is getting a bit later each day now.

 

11th February 2024

First spotted one of the Borealis light towers from Edgbaston Street, after walking from Southside between buses.

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12th February 2024

Nice sunset down St Martin's Walk to St Martin in the Bullring, at approx 4:50pm, so 10 minutes before Borealis was due to start. This day I didn't wait for the lights to turn on.

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14th February 2024

This day, I waited the 5 minutes until 5pm for the multi-coloured lights to turn on, but was cloudy, and you don't really get the full Borealis effect at this time, but noticed the smoke machines going on.

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16th February 2024

That evening was when I hoped to catch Borealis after dark, I even popped to Costa Coffee in Grand Central beforehand after work, but I got there at 5:30pm and it wasn't dark yet, but got the full effect, and not much to see from St Martin's Square below.

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18th February 2024

The last evening, one more attempt, so got the bus up from home, then popped to Caffe Nero in Birmingham New Street Station (other coffee shops close at 5pm). Then got here for 6:30pm, and got a lot of photos of it, best I could, these are the best photos I took of Borealis.

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Borealis is next scheduled to go to Australia in Adelaide. It goes around the world.

 

Photography by Elliott Brown

A look around the new look University Station

The new University Station buildings were opened on Sunday 28th January 2024, and I went to have a look around two weeks later on Sunday 11th February 2024. I got a train one way up from Longbridge, then checked out the buildings inside, the went over the bridge to the campus, and walked around to Vincent Drive and Pritchatts Road. It looks good and fresh. The old building is exit only.

University Station, the new buildings at the West Gate of the University of Birmingham and at Vincent Drive was fully opened on Sunday 28th January 2024. With the ASLEF train driver strikes the following weekend (3rd and 4th February 2024), thought it was best to wait until the next weekend (10th and 11th February 2024) to come back and check out the buildings.

 

I got the 12:43 train from Longbridge to University, and to my suprise it was West Midlands Railway 323221 in the classic Regional Railways livery. I got to University shortly before 1pm on Sunday 11th February 2024.

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The waiting room on platform 1, there is also a new waiting room on platform 2. Probably useful for passengers going with Cross Country on the line between Cardiff Central and Nottingham via Birmingham New Street (if not the Cross City Line, as trains are frequent during the week).

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A look at the main concourse from platform level, toilets are to the right. Soon there will be an NHS facility to the left.

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Tickets and information near the stairs, way out to the Medical School.

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Up the steps from platform 1 concourse, there is seats to sit on near the lift.

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View out of the window on the new bridge above the tracks, platform 1 on the right, platform 2 on the left. Towards the 1978 building, now exit only.

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Steps down to the platform 2 concourse. Also a lift.

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Exiting the station over the new footbridge to the University of Birmingham campus, with a view to Old Joe, it crosses the Worcester & Birmingham Canal.

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There is also an entrance to University Station from the Worcester & Birmingham Canal towpath. I used to have to leave the canal via the steps to Westgate to get to the 1978 entrance.

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To the right is a ramp for disabled passengers (wheelchairs etc) to use, or 45 steps down to the University campus.

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Looking back at University Station from the new footbridge.

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There is some unfinished areas near the footbridge, including in this view towards the canal and new station building.

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This grassed area is currently all fenced off, awaiting completion, other than that the steps, ramp and bridge above are open.

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Following the Westgate path towards the 1978 building, as we see the 2024 building alongside the canal. This was part of the site of Metchley Roman Fort.

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Now heading to the new University Station building from the new path from Westgate.

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It is well landscaped with lampposts and a grass lawn.

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The station building is close to Vincent Drive. Bollards should prevent vehicles going beyond and parking where they shouldn't do.

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One of the many new University Station signs at the station.

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The University Station sign from Vincent Drive.

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One last look at the station from the bridges on Pritchatts Road, heading to the North Gate of the University of Birmingham, as West Midlands Railway 323218 arrived at platform 2.

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We hope you enjoyed our tour of the new University Station. Experience it yourself by buying your tickets at West Midlands Railway. We recommend using their app, which has a QR code ticket (once tickets purchased). But you can still buy tickets at the station of your choice (ticket machines or ticket office) such as Birmingham New Street. There is ticket gates at the station, on the platform level. Trains on the Cross City Line go between Redditch or Bromsgrove to Lichfield Trent Valley.

 

Photography by Elliott Brown

The Chinese lion dragon dance at The Mailbox Canalside

It was the Lunar New Year on Saturday 10th February 2024. The Year of the Wood Dragon. The Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance Team from Southside performed for about 20 minutes after 2pm at The Mailbox Canalside. Similar to what they have done around the City Centre in previous years, like in the Bullring in 2023. I was joined in getting images with Jack Babington.

CLFLion Dragon on Instagram.

The Choy Lee Fut Lion and Dragon Dance Team started the walk from The Mailbox on Royal Mail Street, then walked up Severn Street and Commercial Street to the steps up to The Mailbox Canalside.

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Enjoy this series of 20 photos of the performance, or watch my YouTube video compilation above.

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Photos and video by Elliott Brown