Map of Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Description:Today's Cross City Line between Birmingham New Street Station and Kings Norton follows the former Birmingham West Suburban Railway.^{<small>1</small>} Opened in 1876, this key route has had a significant, yet varied, impact on south-west Birmingham.

The West Suburban was a speculative development that aimed to exploit local and national markets. It provided a shorter route between central Birmingham and the Midland main line to the West Country and was aimed to capitalise on Birmingham's suburban growth. Bournbrook's 'Little Devon' typifies this dual ambition, with late Victorian terraces offering a ready commuter market. The street names (Dawlish, Exeter, Teignmouth etc)^{<small>2</small>} reflect the allure of distant places brought closer (disposable income permitting) via Selly Oak Station.

As originally constructed, the line commenced at Granville Street, near Broad Street in Birmingham City Centre. It ran adjacent to the Worcester Canal and, as with the canal, the Calthorpe Estate imposed restrictions on the railway to preserve Edgbaston's 'refined' character.^{<small>3</small>} The line then passed through Selly Oak and Stirchley Street to reach the Midland Railway at Lifford. Modern travellers might not recognise some of these names, as the line soon underwent many changes. Granville Street was abandoned with the line extended to New Street. In 1879 Cadbury Brothers developed a factory adjacent to Stirchley Street Station and connected private sidings to the West Suburban. The successful branding of this site as Bournville eventually caused the name 'Strichley Street' to be banished from the railway.^{<small>4</small>}

A more dramatic change occurred in 1885 when the track was doubled and the Stirchley Street & Bournville to Kings Norton Deviation was opened.^{<small>5</small>} Physically cutting its way through the promontory upon which Cotteridge stands, this provided a better junction with the Midland main line, offering direct access to Kings Norton Station. The original route became the Lifford Canal branch and provided useful access to canal wharves near Breedon Cross. In 1892 the Lifford Curve was forced through the 'Cotteridge headland' to strengthen the main line connections. This also facilitated circular services linking New Street, Bournville, Kings Heath and Moseley, and extended travel opportunities across south west Birmingham at a time when tram routes generally followed arterial roads and motor buses had not yet 'filled the gaps'.

Infrastructural developments included the 1892 opening of the Central Goods Depot at Suffolk Street, Birmingham (later noted for the 1913 walk-out in support of Dublin's 'locked out' workers).^{<small>6</small>} In 1895 the Bournville engine shed opened, to support operations on the West Suburban, the Central Goods Depot and freight from the Cadbury factory (see <a href="http://www.search.suburbanbirmingham.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?resource=1845">'Coal and Chocolate in Bournville'</a> and <a href="http://www.search.suburbanbirmingham.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?resource=1848">'Stirchley's Railway Infrastructure'</a>).


<font color="#666633"><small>¹ For details, see R. Christiansen, A Regional History of the Railways of Great Britain, vol.7, 'The West Midlands' (1973)
² Geographers' A-Z Map Co. Ltd., A-Z West Midlands, Third Edition (2008), p.120
³ The Calthorpe Estate was managed by agents on behalf of the Calthopre family, whose insistence on social zoning, restrictive covenants and prohibitions on industrial development helped to preserve Edgbaston's reputation as a high status residential area well into the twentieth century. See T. Slater, Edgbaston, a History (2002)
⁴ In 1876 the station was known as 'Stirchley Street', by 1880 it was called 'Stirchley Street and Bournville', in 1888 it became 'Bournville and Stirchley Street' and from 1904 just Bournville. See L. Chew, Images of Stirchley (1995)
⁵ 'Warwickshire Railways: LMS Routes', http://www.warwickshirerailways.com (viewed 26/05/2010)
⁶ J. Corbett, The Birmingham Trades Council 1866-1966 (1966), p.99