Longbridge station in August 1979, still incomplete; it had opened the previous year
Two previous stations serving Longbridge have existed. The first was opened at a location just south of the current station, in either 1840 or 1841, when the original Birmingham and Gloucester Railway opened; it did not prosper and closed in 1849.[1][2]
Another Longbridge station had existed nearby, on the Halesowen Railway branch to Old Hill; this station only ever served workman's trains and operated between 1915 and 1964.[1][3] Until closure of much of the Longbridge factory, the disused track and Longbridge station building remained in situ.
The current station, on Tessall Lane, was built to the designs of the architect John Broome[4] and opened in 1978 under the auspices of British Rail, as part of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive's Cross-City Line scheme. It was built as a simple two platform station on the four-track line, with a turnback siding just south of the station for terminating services. Initially, nearly all Cross-City Line services terminated here, until 1980 when some were extended to Redditch. The line was electrified in 1993.[1]
Facilities
The station has a ticket office, staffed seven days a week; there are also ticket machines. There is a car park, with spaces for 44 bicycles. It also has a disabled toilet, accessible via a RADAR key.[5]
The station has level access from Longbridge Lane. The ticket office and footbridge are both accessible at this station. Platform 1 (for services towards Birmingham New Street) has a lift facility, whereas platform 2 (for trains towards Redditch and Bromsgrove) has a ramp to the platform from the main station building. The ramp has been criticised for being too steep, with requests calling for the lift facility to be reinstated.
Services
Platforms at Longbridge, with a Central Trains service departing towards Birmingham New StreetA West Midlands Railway train arriving at platform 1 in 2024
2 tph continue to Bromsgrove, 1 tph does not call at Barnt Green.
Sundays:
2 tph northbound to Lichfield Trent Valley
2 tph southbound to Redditch
1 tph northbound to Birmingham New Street
1 tph southbound to Bromsgrove.
Services on Sundays call at all stations between Lichfield Trent Valley and Redditch, then all stations between Bromsgrove and Birmingham New Street.
Since 29 July 2018, trains that used to terminate here were extended to Bromsgrove, except for a small number of early morning and late night trains, following the completion of a scheme to extend the Cross City electrification from Barnt Green.[8]
In 2022, Network Rail published the West Midlands Strategic Rail Advice. This guide suggested that Longbridge becomes the main "secondary hub" along the CrossCity South, having direct links to Nottingham, Cardiff, Hereford,and the South West. The station would see approximately 32 services per hour.[9]
This station could also be part of the newly reinstated Camp Hill line.[10]
References
^ abcBoynton, John (1993). Rails Across The City, The Story of The Birmingham Cross City Line. Kidderminster: Mid England Books. ISBN0-9522248-0-1.
