Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level Line

Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level Line
Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level Line
	Soho and Winson Green station in 1967
Overview
Status	Partially reopened for heavy rail and light rail
Owner	Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Dudley Railway; British Rail
Locale	West Midlands, England
Termini	Birmingham Snow Hill; Wolverhampton Low Level;
Stations	16
Service
Type	Local rail
System	National Rail
Operator(s)	West Midlands Trains/West Midlands Metro
History
Opened	1854
Closed	1992
Technical
Track gauge	Dual 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm)/4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	link to Birmingham–Stafford line
	to Stafford
	Wolverhampton and
	Walsall Railway (Midland)
	Oxford–Worcester–
	Wolverhampton line
	OWW line
	to Stourbridge
	Jewellery line
	to Stourbridge and Kidderminster
	Chiltern Main Line and
	Birmingham–Stratford line
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton Low Level Line was part of the Great Western Railway's London Paddington to Birkenhead Woodside route. As the name suggests, it ran between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton Low Level in England. The line was dual-gauged, both 7 ft 1⁄4 in (2,140 mm) and 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge.

The line opened in 1854 and the final section was closed in August 1992, following the closure of other sections during the 1970s and 1980s. The opening was delayed for two months because a bridge collapsed near Winson Green, which caused chief engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel to order strengthening on several other bridges. Passenger services had been discontinued in 1972, although parts of the line continued to be used by goods trains.