Kings Norton Station, as with Northfield Station to the South, is a
combination of an old station opened in 1849 on the Midland Railways's 'Camp Hill line' (originally
constructed by the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway) and from 1876 forming a junction with the MR's
West Suburban Railway, and one
built in 1978 during the reopening of the cross-city line. The current entrance, pictured
above in July 2003, is not the original entrance site for the station - if one walks through
the entrance a long walkway perched along the top of the cutting embankment has to be walked
before reaching a footbridge over the trackbed which constitutes the station proper.
Above-left we can see the covered footbridge - the long walkway to the
Station entrance is sited at the top of the staircase on the left-hand side up platform. This
view also shows the disused island platform which is now heavily covered in bushes and small
trees! Interesetingly, when originally built the station only had a double-track (being the
set seen in the above-left image) thus the area which is now the island platform was at one
time the up platform. Beyond the footbridge and the bridge carrying the Pershore Road is the
branch to Lifford. Above-right we see the view from the footbridge at the southern-end of the
station looking back towards Northfield: the area of land to the left being the old goods
yard.
Above-left we see the original station building - now boarded-up and
roofless. To the extreme left of the shot you may just be able to make-out the Stationmaster's
house: another survivor - it is now a private residence.Above-right a Virgin HST passes the site of
the old goods yard which once housed coal wagons and later car transporters. Most of the track has been lifted but in the
centre-right are two buffer-stops which are still rail connected although appearing rather
disused. The goods yard is now divided into an overspill car park (where the photographer is
standing) and 'Kings Norton On Track Plant Depot' which is the area seen in the photo.
Update: 10/03/06
Unfortunately, since my visit to Kings Norton to take photos for this page, Network Rail have decided that the time
has come to demolish the old station building and as of 25/02/06, the bulldozers moved-in to clear the site. Above-left and right we
see the partially demolished station building - presumably soon to be absorbed into the car park.
Update: 26/03/06
Above-left and right are pictures corresponding to those directly above them taken a week later - I don't feel any further comment
necessary!
