SOUTH BRUM ON TRACK FOR NEW RAIL ROUTE?

10-10-2007

The idea of reviving a traditional rail route through South Birmingham refuses to go away - and yesterday campaigners presented a 1500 signature petition to the City Council calling for the re-opening of Kings Heath station.

Kings Heath was closed in 1941 as a wartime economy measure, but the route is still used for freight and occasional long-distance passenger journeys to the South West.

It would form part of a chain of stations along with Moseley, Stirchley (Hazlewell), and Balsall Heath. Councillors of all three main political persuasions (Martin Mullaney - Lib Dem, Tim Huxtable - Conservative and Tahir Ali - Labour) jointly put forward the bid.

Earlier this year, a feasibility study suggested there was a case for the line and estimated the cost at £40 million.

Doesn't sound much does it? But only yesterday on this site Len Clark, Vice Chair of the Passenger Transport Authority bemoaned the lack of interest shown in the West Midlands by central government - witness the year delay in approving the next phase of the Metro (see link here)

Nevertheless, it's a relatively simply engineering job to add in a short connecting track at Camp Hill, and campaigners reckon a 2017 completion date for the project is feasible.

Chris Williams of Birmingham Friends of the Earth commented: "If Birmingham is to meet its ambitious climate change targets, reopening the Camp Hill line to local traffic is absolutely essential.

"The Kings Heath area in particular is seriously congested with road traffic so it's no wonder our campaign has gone down so well with the business community as well as residents.

"We have the backing of the City Council but are they sufficiently keen to beat the drum for the funds to make this happen? We must keep reminding them that we want these stations reopened."