Grand Junction, Birmingham

Grand Junction is a railway junction in Birmingham, England. It is situated less than one mile east of Birmingham New Street[1] and is thus one of the busiest railway junctions in the UK.

A 1910 Railway Clearing House Junction Diagram showing railways in the vicinity of Birmingham. Grand Junction is just right of centre, where the two green lines diverge from the red

History

It is the junction between the former London and North Western Railway main line between Rugby and Birmingham New Street (originally the London and Birmingham Railway) and the Midland Railway's lines to Bristol (the former Birmingham and Gloucester Railway) and Derby and Leicester via Water Orton (the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway). The L&BR route was the first to open in 1838, with the B&GR line extending from Camp Hill to meet it in 1841. The line from Derby arrived in the area the following year, but initially terminated at a separate station on Lawley Street (now used as a Freightliner terminal) - the connection from Landor Street Junction to Grand Junction subsequently being made in 1851.[2] Midland Railway services from Derby could then use the LNWR terminus at Curzon Street (along with those from Gloucester) but this arrangement only lasted until the completion of the joint station at New Street and its approach lines in 1854, when both companies' services were rerouted there.

Modern Day

As of 2015, the ex-Midland routes from Landor Street & St Andrews Junctions merge at Grand Junction, the former having passed beneath what is now the Birmingham branch of the West Coast Main Line on its way in from Saltley whilst the latter is also linked to the former GWR route (and current Chiltern Main Line) towards Leamington Spa at St Andrews Junction. These then run parallel to the line from Coventry onwards towards Proof House Junction (where the former Grand Junction Railway from Aston joins) and eventually New Street, though there are connections between the two pairs of lines that allow trains to switch between routes if required.

A southbound CrossCountry HST set en route to Birmingham New Street passes Grand Junction in Birmingham in 2011. The WCML line from Coventry is to the right.

References
  1. Baker, S. K., Rail Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland, page 48, Oxford Publishing Company, 1992, ISBN 0860935027
  2. Warwickshire Railways - LMS Route: Birmingham New Street to Tamworth Warwickshire Railways; Retrieved 2015-02-22

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