Hamstead railway station

Hamstead railway station serves the Hamstead, Great Barr and Handsworth Wood areas of the West Midlands, England, located at the junction of Rocky Lane and Old Walsall Road, in the city of Birmingham, on its border with Sandwell. It is situated on the Birmingham-Walsall Line, part of the former Grand Junction Railway, opened in 1837. The station, and all trains serving it, are operated by London Midland.



The first station was opened by the Grand Junction Railway on 4 July 1837, and was named Hamstead and Great Barr; it was renamed Great Barr on 1 May 1875. The station was resited on the opposite side of the road bridge on 25 March 1899; this station, again known as Great Barr, was renamed Hamstead on 6 May 1974. Sidings served the adjacent Hamstead Colliery.

Services
The typical Monday-Saturday daytime service sees two trains per hour in each direction between Walsall and Birmingham New Street that are operated by Class 323 electric trains. This service is reduced to one train per hour in the evenings and on Sundays. There are a small number of early morning and late evening trains on weekdays are operated by Class 170 diesel trains and extend past Walsall to either Hednesford or Rugeley Trent Valley. All trains serving the station are operated by London Midland.

In the case of engineering work on the line (which often occurs on Sundays), Hamstead is usually the last stop for trains to Birmingham from Walsall or the Chase Line. Such services deviate from normal running at Perry Barr North Junction and enter New Street through Soho, merging with the Birmingham to Wolverhampton line just south of Smethwick Rolfe Street. A replacement bus service operates on these days to Hamstead from New Street, calling Duddeston, Aston and Witton beforehand.

Nearby
Hamstead also serves: and is close to the River Tame.
 * Perry Hall Park (west end)
 * Sandwell Valley
 * RSPB Sandwell Valley