Birmingham New Street Station: lnwrbns_str397a

Close up of image 'lnwrbns_str397' showing platform 1 was accessed via steps down from the hotel off Stephenson place and not via steps from the footbridge. To the left of the photographer is the Stour Valley bays which lay to the West of the passenger footbridge whilst also on the left but beyond the footbridge a wisp of steam can be seen rising from a locomotive standing in the South Staffordshire bays. Many non-railway visitors are frequently puzzled as to how the station could provide bay platforms accessed from opposite directions could cater for two railway companies both of whom operate from the West of the station. The answer is that the South Staffordshire Railway used the original Grand Junction route into Birmingham via Aston, Bescot and Willenhall and Bushbury whilst the Stour Valley line was built later and ran from Birmingham New Street to Bushbury via Soho and Wolverhampton.

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