Somerset Road Station

1876 - 1930

Somerset Road Station is one of two stations (the other being Church Road Station) which no longer exist on the former MR's West Suburban Railway south of New Street. Opened in 1876 the station was only in existence until 1930 when it closed due to poor patronage. Above we see Somerset Road overbridge showing the bricked-up station entrance, August 2003.

Above-left we see the site of the station today looking from the canal towpath - there appears to be no remains; something which is probably to be expected considering the considerable refurbishing of the cross-city line during the 1970s and the later electrification programme. Above-right we see the view from Somerset Road overbridge looking back towards University Station with the canal to our left. Interestingly, University Station was built in the 1970s to cater for demand around the Birmingham University site - a site that is 2 minutes walk from Somerset Road!

The above picture is also taken from the canal towpath looking up to what is identified as the bricked-up entrance to Somerset Road Station in the photograph at the top of this page (see top centre of this photograph).

As I was in the area to gain access here to the canal to walk to the site of Church Road station, I thought I'd take the opportunity to take some more shots of the Somerset Road station site. Above-left is the station site itself looking North towards Church Road from Somerset Road bridge. The now bricked-up entrance to the stairwell, the other side of which is seen immediately above this shot, was located immediately in front of me. Above-right I have descended to the canal towpath and we are looking through Somerset Road bridge to the station site itself.

Above, due to the receded foliage of Winter when I took this shot, we can get a clear picture of the station site itself from the canal towpath, looking South. As can be seen, nothing remains today of the platforms or the station.