Soho Road Station

LMS Route: Birmingham - Soho Road - Perry Barr - Birmingham

Soho Road station opened in 1889, a year after the line was opened to goods traffic, under the LNWR on a new stretch of track laid to provide a useful link between the LNWR's New Street to Wolverhampton High Level and their New Street to Walsall (the old Grand Junction) route. Primarily envisaged for goods traffic, especially for servicing the coal mines around Perry Barr and Great Barr/Hamstead, the two passenger stations added - Soho Road and Handsworth Wood - were in competition with the GWR's more direct route between Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Consequently with the commencement of the Second World War, which required the railways to be efficient with scarce resources and labour, the two stations were closed never to re-open although the route remains open to this day.

Andy Doherty

Select an image below to view the larger version with accompanying text:

Ref: lnwrsoho1519 DJ Norton Looking towards the site of the former station with the remains of the booking office just visible on the left

Ref: lnwrsoho1519a DJ Norton Close up showing on the right part of the single freight only branch line to Soho Pool goods station

Ref: lnwrsoho1517 DJ Norton Looking towards Perry Barr on 1st June 1962 from the site of the former station's island platform

Ref: lnwrsoho1518 DJ Norton Looking along the up line towards Perry Barr beneath the bridge which carried Soho Road over the railway

Ref: lnwrsohord1521 Anon An unidentified LNWR 4-4-0 Precursor class locomotive stands at the station whilst at the head of a local service

Ref: lnwrsohord1514 M Mensing Ex-LMS 0-6-0 4F No 44444 is seen starting a down freight out of Soho station's sidings in June 1961

Ref: lnwrsohord2280 Birmingham Library Looking across the buffer stops at the near derelict site of Soho Pool goods station and yard in 1981

Ref: lnwrsohord2279 DJ Norton Map showing the location of Soho Road station in relation to the GWR's Soho & Winson Green station

Ref: soho_rd_map Andy Doherty Map showing the location of Soho Road station and its juxtaposition to the surrounding roads