West Midlands Railway to extend trial of matchday service pattern at Bordesley for Birmingham City fixtures

A trial of a new matchday calling pattern at Bordesley station following Birmingham City football matches is to be extended for a further two fixtures, West Midlands Railway (WMR) has announced.

The station does not receive a regular service apart from matchdays, when trains make special stops. Under the trial, only Birmingham-bound trains will call at Bordesley before matches. After the game, only trains bound for Dorridge and Stratford-upon-Avon will call at the station. Passengers requiring services in the opposite direction are advised to use Birmingham Moor Street as the nearest alternative station.

The trial calling pattern was first used for the fixture against Northampton Town on Saturday 9 November. A second fixture against Stevenage on Saturday 16 November, was postponed due to international call-ups, meaning the trial could not take place. Now, WMR has confirmed the trial will be extended for a further two matches, covering Blues’ home fixtures against Stockport County (December 4) and Bristol Rovers (December 14). There is no WMR service on Boxing Day.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “The safety of our customers is our top priority. Extending our new matchday calling pattern for a further two fixtures will provide certainty for passengers and will allow us to properly assess the effectiveness of the train service.

“Due to the unusual layout of Bordesley station, queuing systems will remain in place to limit the number of passengers on the platform at one time.

“We are continuing to engage with the football club, Birmingham City Council and TfWM to support passengers travelling to and from Birmingham City football matches safely and efficiently.”