West Midlands Railway to trial new service pattern at Bordesley for Birmingham City fixtures.
Football fans attending Birmingham City matches by train are being urged to plan their journeys after West Midlands Railway announced it will trial new calling patterns on matchdays.
The trial, which starts this weekend, will impact journeys to and from Bordesley. The station does not receive a regular service apart from matchdays, when trains make special stops.
Under the trial, which applies to the next two Blues fixtures, only Birmingham-bound trains will call at Bordesley before the match. After the game, only southbound trains towards Dorridge or Stratford-upon-Avon will stop at the station. Passengers requiring services in the opposite directions are advised to use Birmingham Moor Street. The trial will apply for the home fixtures against Northampton Town on Saturday 9th November and Stevenage on Saturday 16th November.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “This season we have seen a significant increase in the number of spectators travelling by train to and from Bordesley on matchdays.
“For safety reasons we must operate a queuing system to limit the number of passengers on the platform at one time. Due to the unusual layout of the station, with the island platform accessed by a single staircase, coupled with the increased footfall, fans have experienced long waits on a number of occasions recently. We recognise changing the calling pattern may mean some passengers need to change their travel plans. However, we believe limiting services at the station to one direction only before and after games will result in a more comfortable travelling experience for all our passengers.”
West Midlands Railway uses bespoke queuing systems and runs additional services at a number of football grounds across the region, including The Hawthorns, Aston and Witton.
The results of the trial will be assessed following the Stevenage fixture, with an announcement regarding future service pattern at Bordesley made ahead of the next Birmingham City home game. Fans seeking alternative transport options to/from St Andrew’s can make use of a shuttle bus operated by the club in partnership with National Express.