North Warwickshire Line

North Warwickshire Line
(Shakespeare Line)
Overview
StatusOperational
OwnerNetwork Rail
LocaleBirmingham
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
Stations20
Service
TypeSuburban rail, Heavy rail
SystemNational Rail
History
Opened1908
Technical
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) standard gauge
Route map

(Click to expand)

The North Warwickshire Line (also known as the Shakespeare Line[1]) is a suburban railway line in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom. It runs from Birmingham to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, now the southern terminus of the line, although until 1976 the line continued to Cheltenham as part of the Great Western Railway route from Birmingham to Bristol.

The line is one of the Snow Hill lines. It is not electrified and is operated by West Midlands Trains using Class 172 diesel multiple units.

The northern part of the line is suburban in nature, and has a regular and busy commuter service into central Birmingham. The southern part (south of Whitlocks End) is rural in nature, and has a less frequent service, with a number of rural request stops.

Despite the name, the line does not pass through the area commonly known as North Warwickshire, instead, the name of the line was believed to be derived from that of the local hunt.[1]

  1. ^ a b Bevan, Alan. The Story of The North Warwickshire Line 1908 – 2008. Alard Print & Reprographics Limited.