Today the Camp Hill Line is Freight only and Cross Country through trains only. But hopefully new stations will be built at the sites of the old ones at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell (in Stirchley). The stations originally opened in 1867 but closed in 1941 during the Second World War and were never reopened. But now it is possible that new stations may open by 2022.

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Reopening the Camp Hill Line at Moseley Station, Kings Heath Station and at Hazelwell Station


Reopening the Camp Hill Line at Moseley Station, Kings Heath Station and at Hazelwell Station


Today the Camp Hill Line is Freight only and Cross Country through trains only. But hopefully new stations will be built at the sites of the old ones at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell (in Stirchley). The stations originally opened in 1867 but closed in 1941 during the Second World War and were never reopened. But now it is possible that new stations may open by 2022.


Moseley Station

Moseley Station was located at a site between Woodbridge Road and St Mary's Row in Moseley from 1867 until it closed in 1941 on the Camp Hill Line. A previous station named Moseley Station was later renamed to Kings Heath Station (it's near Highbury Park). This station is close to St Mary's Church in Moseley Village.

There has been many proposals for a new station here sine 2007, but they were revised in 2016 by the West Midlands Combined Authority. In 2019 plans for the new stations gained Government funding. Construction could start later in 2020, to open in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

 

My original photos of the old Moseley Station site were taken from the Woodbridge Road Bridge near the end of April 2009. Remains of the old platforms are visible towards the tunnel.

dndimg alt="Moseley Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Moseley (April 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

I only had a compact camera at the time (having started taking photos around Birmingham in April 2009), so this was as far as I was able to zoom in to the tunnel. But you can see the overgrown platforms remains.

dndimg alt="Moseley Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Moseley (April 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The other side of the Woodbridge Road Bridge. This direction towards Birmingham New Street. The Camp Hill Line goes through Balsall Heath, before joining other lines at Proof House Junction. Freight trains and Cross Country Trains operate non stop trains down here.

dndimg alt="Moseley Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Moseley (April 2009) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

A new March 2020 photo from the bridge on the Woodbridge Road. A zoom in to the Moseley Tunnel that goes under St Mary's Row. Recently West Midlands Railway had stopping trains at Moseley and at the other sites in Kings Heath and Hazelwell. Stopping for the first time in almost 80 years.

dndimg alt="Moseley Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Moseley (March 2020).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

This is the view of the Moseley Station site from St Mary's Row during February 2018 near St Mary's Church. The view was taken from the no 1 bus. This would be an ideal site to build the new station building and car park. Although I've noticed that their's land on Woodbridge Road for a car park as well.

dndimg alt="Moseley Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Moseley (Feb 2018)(1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Kings Heath Station

Kings Heath Station on the Camp Hill Line was located near the High Street and Highbury Park. It was open from 1840 until it closed in 1941 during the Second World War. It was originally called Moseley Station, but when a new station opened in Moseley at the site between Woodbridge Road and St Mary's Row, that station was named Moseley Station, and this one renamed Kings Heath Station. The new station could be built later in 2020 to open in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

 

These views from December 2009. Now the Findlay Road Retail Park, down the bottom is Homebase. Building at the top used to have MFI and Allied Carpets. By 2009 Topp Tiles occupied some of the units. Easy Gym moved in to the upper units by 2014. That is now The Gym.

dndimg alt="Kings Heath Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Kings Heath Station (Dec 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Walking towards Highbury Park is this car park, somewhere near the old Kings Heath Station site. Bit hard to see behind the trees.

dndimg alt="Kings Heath Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Kings Heath Station (Dec 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

There is land here to build a new station, but wonder if they will have to knock down any of the retail units to the left?

dndimg alt="Kings Heath Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Kings Heath Station (Dec 2009) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

The bridge on the Kings Heath High Street is too high to look over, so got this view from the top deck of the no 50 bus during April 2015. Here you can clearly see where the old station used to be. They might have to take over some of the land in Highbury Park when they build the new station.

dndimg alt="Kings Heath Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Kings Heath Station (April 2015).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Another view from the no 50 bus on the Kings Heath High Street. Snow on the line. The line heads in this direction towards Moseley and onto Balsall Heath. This was during January 2018.

dndimg alt="Kings Heath Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Kings Heath Station (Jan 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />

Hazelwell Station

Hazelwell Station opened in 1903 and closed during 1941 (World War 2). The station was located on a site between Vicarage Road and Cartland Road. Being near Kings Heath and Stirchley. Hopefully the new station will begin construction here later in 2020, to open in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

These photos taken from the Vicarage Road Bridge between Kings Heath and Stirchley during December 2009.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Dec 2009) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

There was snow on the line at the time. Remains of the platforms were close to the Cartland Road Bridge.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Dec 2009) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

These views were taken from the Cartland Road Bridge in Stirchley during January 2015. This was the old Hazelwell Station building. It is currently Designer Bathrooms by Michael, but this building could be demolished when the new station is built here.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Jan 2015) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

There are several fenced off areas at the site, that used to lead to the platforms.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Jan 2015) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

One fence next to the Cartland Road Bridge. This could have been an old pedestrian footbridge. Now overgrown and with a large pipe to the right.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Jan 2015) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Behind this gate was the old ramp down to one of the platforms. Now grassy and had a lot of litter down there at the time.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Jan 2015) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Zooming further down to a gate. Currently no access to the public, only to Network Rail staff.

dndimg alt="Hazelwell Station" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Camp Hill Line Hazelwell Station (Jan 2015) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />

Photos taken by Elliott Brown.

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Birmingham We Are People with Passion award winner 2020