The Hawthorns station

The Hawthorns station is a railway station and tram stop, opened in 1995 in Sandwell, near Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The station shares its name with the local football ground, The Hawthorns, the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C., which it serves.

The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns station, the Midland Metro platforms to the left, the railway platforms to the right.
Location
PlaceWest Bromwich
Local authoritySandwell
Coordinates52.505°N 1.964°W / 52.505; -1.964
Grid referenceSP025897
Operations
Station codeTHW
Managed byWest Midlands Trains
Number of platforms4
2 (train) + 2 (tram)
DfT categoryE
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2014/15 0.423 million
2015/16 0.440 million
2016/17 0.437 million
2017/18 0.435 million
2018/19 0.502 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTETransport for West Midlands
Zone2
History
1931Opened as The Hawthorns Halt
27 April 1968Closed
24 September 1995Reopened as The Hawthorns
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at The Hawthorns from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
The Hawthorns
West Midlands Metro tram stop
Midland Metro platforms
LocationThe Hawthorns, West Bromwich
Sandwell
England
Line(s)Line 1 (Birmingham – Wolverhampton)
Platforms2
History
Opened1999
Traffic
Passengers (2015/16)Approx. 1,100 daily[1]

History

Between 1931 and 1968, The Hawthorns Halt partly occupied the site of the current station, opened by the Great Western Railway on their London (Paddington) to Birkenhead via Birmingham (Snow Hill) line. It served football specials only, and had minimal facilities, as such it was not deemed worthy of 'station' status. It consisted of three platforms: platform 3 catering for return travel to Stourbridge, with platforms 1 and 2 being sited the other side of Halfords Lane.[2]

The present station was opened in 1995, as part of the "Jewellery Line" project to restore services to Birmingham Snow Hill, this time it opened as a fully fledged station with regular services on the cross-city Snow Hill Lines. In 1999 the Midland Metro tram line opened between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, adding two tram platforms alongside the two railway platforms.[2]

Its passenger numbers are assisted with free parking and its close proximity to Junction 1 of the M5. Pedestrian and vehicular access is via Halfords Lane.

  • The railway platforms in 2004.
  • General view.

Services

Train

Most trains are operated by West Midlands Railway. The Monday to Saturday daytime service sees trains approximately every 10 minutes in each direction, operating between Stourbridge Junction, Birmingham Snow Hill, and either Dorridge or Whitlocks End. Many trains continue beyond Stourbridge to Kidderminster, Worcester Foregate Street or Great Malvern, and some continue beyond Whitlocks End or Dorridge to Stratford-upon-Avon.[3] Extra services are laid on around the time of football matches to assist fans in travelling to and from the match.

Chiltern Railways services operate in peak hours only, between Kidderminster and London Marylebone. Four Chiltern trains call at The Hawthorns in each direction.

Metro

West Midlands Metro services operate at frequent intervals, between Grand Central and Wolverhampton St Georges. Mondays to Fridays, Midland Metro services in each direction between Birmingham and Wolverhampton run at six to eight-minute intervals during the day, and at fifteen-minute intervals during the evenings and on Sundays. They run at eight minute intervals on Saturdays.[4]

Preceding station   Midland Metro   Following station
Kenrick Park   Line 1   Handsworth, Booth Street
National Rail
Smethwick Galton Bridge   West Midlands Railway
Snow Hill-Worcester		   Jewellery Quarter
Smethwick Galton Bridge   Chiltern Railways
London-Kidderminster		   Jewellery Quarter
Disused railways
West Bromwich   Great Western Railway
Birmingham-Wolverhampton (1931–1968)		   Handsworth and Smethwick
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References
  1. "2016 West Midlands Travel Trends Covering Report" (PDF). West Midlands Combined Authority. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  2. "The Hawthorns Station 1931 - 1968:1995 - Present". Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
  3. Table 71 National Rail timetable, May 2016
  4. "Midland Metro timetable". Network West Midlands. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

Further reading
  • Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2007). Worcester to Birmingham. Middleton Press. figs. 99-100. ISBN 9781904474975. OCLC 263292710.
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