LMS Route: Birmingham West Suburban Railway

Bournville Station: mrb476

The railway bridge over Bournville Lane and main station entrance, photographed on Monday 10th June 1963. The small van seen passing under it seems to belong to Cadburys. The tunnel like bridge obviously has very limited headroom. Whatever the reason for it being so low, the cost of rebuilding it to give greater clearance must have been too great. So, in the 1930s, single decked buses had to be specially built to operate the '27' route along Bournville Lane past the factory, as they still do today. The original Birmingham West Suburban Line station had wooden buildings. The brick built ones date from 1885 when the line was doubled, the station then being known as Stirchley Street and Bournville. It was renamed Bournville in 1904. The steps and pedestrian tunnel lead to the down platform. The up platform was accessed from the path to Maryvale Road, which passed behind the ticket office on the right of the photo. The building was replaced in the 1970s as part of the modernisation and upgrading of the station.

John Dews

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