Bescot Stadium railway station


Bescot Stadium railway station serves the Bescot area of Walsall in the West Midlands of England. The station, and all trains serving it are operated by West Midlands Railway with some services being operated by London Northwestern Railway.

History

The station was opened as Bescot Bridge in 1837 by the Grand Junction Railway but was later renamed Bescot.
The line through the station was as part of the London Midland Region's electrification programme. The actual energization of the line from Coventry to Walsall through Aston took place on 15 August 1966.
It was renamed in Bescot Stadium in 1990 in order to serve Bescot Stadium, the newly built home of Walsall Football Club.
The station was re-opened on 11 September 2007 after a short period where it was closed for refurbishment. Whilst closed, no services called at the station, but trains continued to pass through.

Services

Bescot Stadium station is on the Walsall Line between Birmingham New Street and Walsall. The typical Monday-Saturday daytime service sees three trains per hour in each direction. Southbound via Birmingham New Street there is one service per hour to London Euston and two stopping services per hour to Wolverhampton; with some services extended to/from Shrewsbury. Northbound, three trains per hour operate to Walsall with one continuing to Rugeley Trent Valley.
On Sundays and during the evenings, services are reduced.
Services are usually operated by Class 350 EMU or Class 323 EMU. Services to/from Shrewsbury are operated using Class 170 DMU.
The station footbridge offers views of Bescot Yard, and its freight movements. Bescot TMD is adjacent to the station.
Access to the station is via Bescot Crescent and then a footpath which passes underneath the M6 motorway and over the River Tame, then an overbridge.
London Midland proposed the closure of the ticket office, but this request was overruled in September 2012 by the Transport Minister.