Birmingham to Derby

History:

 

The first line from Derby to London ran via Whitacre and Hampton in Arden where it joined the Birmingham to London tracks. When the line from Birmingham to Derby was built it joined this line at Whitacre, later when the line from Leicester   joined also at Whitacre was again altered to what it is today. All the old track bed can still be made out at Whitacre.

When the Midland Railway created the fast lines to by pass Whitacre they left the line at Water Orton and rejoined at Kingsbury.

In the 1950's coal traffic from from Kingsbury to Hams Hall Power Station (the power station is situated between the fast and slow lines between Coleshill and Water Orton). Also coal trains from Kingsbury went to Washwood Heath for marshalling into south bound trains.

Express trains from the North to South West used the lines, the Devonian usually pulled by a Leeds or Bristol Jubilee was the best known.