Spent some time last week watching the trains go by on this stretch of
line.


>From reference to Freightmaster, it would appear that many more trains

use the route than just the booked workings. I guess the route is
available to the signallers on an 'as needed basis' for freights that
are running late or early.

I observed a couple of trains an hour till around 2-30pm then things
went a bit quiet. This was still a lot more than I had expected to see.
I wonder how typical this is?

Seems we are a long way from the days when this line was being
considered for closure. I guess closing the Lichfield - Walsall direct
route helped. On this, have the Brownhills tanks services finished for
good?

I also took time out to explore the remains of the Stonebridge railway
managing to find what's left of the original Coleshill station.

Further down towards Stonebridge I also saw my first ever grass snake,
a quite beautiful creature.

Hi Allan
Brownhills Oil terminal no longer exists I'm afraid. The tanks were
demolished last year and I think it is now a commercial vehicle park or
something similar.

When building the M6 toll road a bridge was constructed to get the
South Staffs line over the new motorway, and the track was replaced
afterwards.

I believe a track inspection unit was supposed to visit the line after
reconstruction, but whether it ever did I am not sure.

Re the "slow lines" Kingsbury S Jn-Whitacre Jn, there is actually a
Virgin train timetabled over it late evening for traincrew route
retention purposes.

This line is used very regularly as many midlands photographers who
choose Lea Marston as a nice spot will freely admit. A friend of mine
went to Lea Marston last week hoping that the Bescot-Birch Coppice trip
might add to his tally.for the day.The trip went via Whitacre in both
directions.