Railways around Coventry

Hi all Looking at the Coventry station departure boards, a couple of cancellations are showing up from the storm damage disruption, that might be ongoing even into Monday morning, but there are alternative services.

The Department for Transport has published the Consultation response on the West Midland franchise which will replace the current London Midland franchise from October 2017. Some of the changes planned are:

• Additional carriages to give 30% increase in peak capacity into Birmingham and 25% into Euston [incremental 2018-2022].
• London to Crewe via Nuneaton and the Trent Valley will run directly from Stafford to Crewe (to allow longer trains) [Dec 2018].
• An hourly service will operate from Birmingham to Crewe via Wolverhampton and Stoke-on-Trent [Dec 2018].
• Two Walsall-Euston services in the morning with two return services in the evening [Dec 2018].
• First train on Sunday from Coventry to Birmingham to be at least 30 minutes earlier [Dec 2018].
• The Sunday all stations Coventry to Birmingham service will be half hourly [Dec 2021].
• Hourly Coventry-Kenilworth-Leamington service [no date].
• An extra Saturday evening service Coventry-Nuneaton [Dec 2018].
• Coventry-Nuneaton service to start two hours earlier on Sunday mornings [Dec 2018].
• Free Wifi on "main line" trains [Dec 2019]
• Compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more [no date].

The franchise will operate as two "separable business units", "West Midland Rail" and "West Coast". West Midland Rail will take over all London Midland local services from Birmingham plus Nuneaton-Coventry-Leamington. Birmingham-Coventry-London and Birmingham-Liverpool will go to the West Coast unit. The document makes the following comment on an increased frequency service on the Coventry-Nuneaton Line:- "Coventry City Council is leading on the delivery of an infrastructure scheme along this line which would allow a second train per hour to operate. As the timescales for the completion of this work have not been finalised we cannot specify the increase in service in the Train Service Requirement document, however it could be delivered through an in franchise change." Peter.

The 12.27 today having left platform 4 at Coventry approaches Grosvenor Road footbridge

That was the 09.47 Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly which arrived at its destination on time at 14.34

LMS 46233 Duchess of Sutherland is due through Coventry at 13:39 next Friday (28th October) heading south (timings). Peter.

Thought I would bring back memories of the old Tile Hill station. The photo was taken during my anorak days with an old box camera, of Royal Scot class 46136 on it way towards Birmingham. Happy days!!

'The Border Regiment' Thanks, Binkey

Another photo on the same day, sign of change on the way. D5061.

Few spotters bothered to photograph the early diesels so you are to be congratulated for recording the event

It survives! My photo from 2014 at Grosmont, North Yorkshire Moors Railway

That's a bit of a coincidence, glad it survived. Thanks for info.

Quite a good day for freight around Coventry today. Westbury to Bescot spoil train approaching Bedworth Halewood to Southampton car train approaching Arena. Peter.

Hi all Fabulous autumn shades of our local railways. Your mention of Bescot reminds me of the national link freights from Banbury to Bescot. Memories of watching the Friday evening down freight through Coventry always heavier on a Friday, often hauled by a pair of class 25s that struggled up the slight climb to Tile Hill where they sometimes took refuge in the looped siding, if the train was short enough, that is. Standing in Coventry it was always evident as to what the freight was up to, as for an hour after the following commuter trains were often delayed.

Duchess of Sutherland passing London Road at lunchtime today. Peter.

A century ago there was a single track railway line that ran from Hawkesbury Halt to the Wyken Colleries. A train from Deedmore Road to Hawkesbury with say 40/50 loaded trucks of coal, if the last truck or van was at Deedmore Road the engine would be at the side of a field, here ran a man-made ditch across the width of the field, the earth from the ditch was piled along the banks. A small brick bridge for horse and cart spanned the ditch. Question - was the ditch for a suction hose for the train, or was it built earlier, as for a horse trough, for horse pulled coal trucks? Any one help please.