Running parallel to the low-level line is the Birmingham New Main Line canal. The high-level platform extends over the canal, and the line Northbound quickly passes over a surviving section of the higher Old Main Line.
It is an important interchange; over 600,000 people changed trains at the station during 2019/20.[1]
History
The station was opened in September 1995 at a cost of £4 million as part of the £28.5 million Jewellery Line scheme to reopen the line between Smethwick and Birmingham Snow Hill station.[2] It was built as an interchange station with the Birmingham New Street-Wolverhampton line,[2] and the platforms on both lines opened at the same time. It is named after the adjacent Galton Bridge. Upon opening, the nearby Smethwick West station became redundant and was closed soon after.[2][3] An opening ceremony took place on 24 May 1995 to mark the completion of the new station.[2]
Chiltern Railways also offers an early morning peak service to London Marylebone on the Chiltern Main Line. A return journey operates on weekdays in the other direction in the evening, usually terminating at Stourbridge Junction.[5] They formerly terminated at Kidderminster before the service to Kidderminster was withdrawn in the May 2023 timetable changes.[6][7][8] There is no Chiltern service stopping at the station on Saturdays.
On Sundays, the level of service drops to 1tph between Dorridge and Stourbridge Junction and another tph between Stratford-Upon-Avon (via Whitlocks End) and Worcester stations, providing 2tph for Smethwick Galton Bridge between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stourbridge Junction. On Sundays there is also no return Chiltern service from London to Stourbridge.
On Sunday, the level of service drops to an hourly local service between Walsall and Wolverhampton, stopping at all stations on the line, an hourly service to/from Liverpool Lime Street and an hourly service to/from Shrewsbury.[12]
The majority of people who travel towards Smethwick Galton Bridge travel via bus. The buses that travel to Smethwick Galton Bridge are the 80 travelling towards Birmingham and West Bromwich, and the 87 bus travelling towards Dudley and Birmingham.[14]
There is limited parking, as it only has a small car park, right next to the station and a bigger car park across the road.
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