Solihull railway station

Solihull Add→{{rail-interchange}}
General information
Location	Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
Managed by	Chiltern Railways
Platforms	2
Other information
Station code	SOL
Fare zone	4
History
Opened	1852

Solihull railway station serves the town of Solihull in the West Midlands of England. The station is served by London Midland and Chiltern Railways. CrossCountry serve the station occasionally, when replacing stops at Coventry and Birmingham International during engineering work. Solihull used to have a regular Virgin Trains service to Manchester Piccadilly, Blackpool North and Portsmouth Harbour until 2004, when all services through the station were made to run non-stop between Birmingham and Leamington Spa.

The station booking office is located underneath the trackbed in a subway, where footsteps lead up to the island platform. Services are operated by Chiltern Railways to London Marylebone via High Wycombe, London Midland to Dorridge, extending to Leamington Spa at peak times. The vast majority of Chiltern Railways services terminate at Birmingham Snow Hill, with extensions to Kidderminster at peak times. London Midland operate services to Stourbridge Junction on a 20-minute frequency.

History

The original Solihull station was opened in 1852, by the Great Western Railway on their London (Paddington) to Birmingham and Birkenhead main line. In the early 1930s, the line between Olton and Lapworth was quadrupled, and the station was rebuilt slightly south of the original. The rebuilt station had two island platforms.

The station's remaining island platform and building. The disused island platform is to the left.

The line and station underwent significant rationalisation in the 1960s and 70s. One island platform was taken out of use when the line was reduced back to double track, the overgrown remains of the disused platform can still be seen. The station also lost its original canopies, and platform buildings, being reduced to a single platform building. Platform canopies were constructed once again in 2007-08, but not to the former GWR scale.

Until 1967 the former GWR London Paddington - Birkenhead Woodside train services passed through the station but few stopped there; these services ceased with the electrification of the former LMS line from London Euston to Birmingham New Street.

Recent investment by Chiltern Railways has seen rail times into London reduced to under 90 minutes - trains now travel along the line at 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Some recent renovations under the auspices of Chiltern Railways has seen the replacement of the station signage with gilt signage inspired by that used by the Great Western Railway.

Services

London Midland run local services as part of the Snow Hill Lines:

• 3 trains per hour to Birmingham Snow Hill, continuing to either Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster or Worcester Foregate Street.
• 3 trains per hour to Dorridge, one of which continues to Stratford-upon-Avon. Some services extend to Leamington Spa in peak hours.

On Sundays, there is an hourly service between Dorridge & Stourbridge Junction.

Chiltern Railways (including Sundays):

• 2 trains per hour to either Birmingham Moor Street or Birmingham Snow Hill. In peak hours some services continue to Kidderminster.
• 2 trains per hour to London Marylebone.
• A two-hourly local service between Birmingham Moor Street and Leamington Spa.

Preceding station	National Rail			Following station
Olton		Chiltern Railways London-Birmingham		Widney Manor
Birmingham Moor Street		Chiltern Railways Chiltern Main Line fast services		Dorridge
Olton		London Midland Leamington-Worcester		Widney Manor

External links

• Train times and station information for Solihull railway station from National Rail
• Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Solihull station
• Warwickshire Railways: Solihull station - Old photographs.