It’s an exciting time for Birmingham commuters! We are finally seeing the re-opening of the line from Kings Norton to New Street, complete with three brand new stations. This investment in our local infrastructure has been much anticipated but for those of us in Balsall Heath, the news comes with disappointment.
Despite being a key feature of the 2015 Neighbourhood Plan, the re-opening of a station in Balsall Heath was not approved. It feels like a missed opportunity for Balsall Heathans.
A Tale of Two Stations
Camp Hill Station stood at the junction of Moseley Road and Highgate
Road. Both Camp Hill station opened in 1840 when the railway was first laid through Balsall Heath. The Camp Hill site is now occupied by Logmoor, and the original stationmaster’s house can still be seen just by the bridge over the road in the picture below.
Brighton Road station was the second station on the line to Gloucester from Birmingham and was opened in 1875 by the Midland Railway. Its close proximity to the city centre meant it was always vulnerable to competition first from the trams which had a terminus nearby and later the No. 50 bus.
John Bagwell was appointed station master in 1876 and he held this position until the station was placed under the supervision of the Camp Hill station master on 15 July 1907. The station was hit by bombs in 1941, closed and never reopened.
