The Hawthorns station

The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns station, the Midland Metro platforms to the left, the railway platforms to the right.
Location
Place	West Bromwich
Local authority	Sandwell
Coordinates
Grid reference	SP025897
Operations
Station code	THW
Managed by	London Midland
Number of platforms	2 (train) + 2 (metro)
DfT category	E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2004/05	97,942
2005/06	0.127 million
2006/07	0.146 million
2007/08	0.157 million
2008/09	0.314 million
2009/10	0.323 million
2010/11	0.327 million
2011/12	0.387 million
2012/13	0.406 million
2013/14	0.433 million
2014/15	0.423 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE	West Midlands
Zone	2
History
1995	Opened
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at The Hawthorns from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

The Hawthorns
Midland Metro tram stop
File:The Hawthorns tram stop - geograph.org.uk - 999434.jpg Midland Metro platforms
Location	The Hawthorns, West Bromwich Sandwell England
Line(s)	Line 1 (Birmingham – Wolverhampton)
Platforms	2
History
Opened	1995
Traffic
Passengers (2013)	Approx. 1,050 daily

The Hawthorns station is a railway station and tram stop, opened in 1995 in Sandwell, near Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The station shares its name with the local football ground, The Hawthorns, the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C., which it serves.

History

Between 1931 and 1968, The Hawthorns Halt partly occupied the site of the current station, opened by the Great Western Railway on their London (Paddington) to Birkenhead via Birmingham (Snow Hill) line. It served football specials only, and had very minimal facilities, as such it was not deemed worthy of 'station' status. It consisted of three platforms: platform 3 catering for return travel to Stourbridge, with platforms 1 and 2 being sited the other side of Halfords Lane.

The present station was opened in 1995, as part of the "Jewellery Line" project to restore services to Birmingham Snow Hill, this time it opened as a fully fledged station with regular services on the cross-city Snow Hill Lines. In 1999 the Midland Metro tram line opened between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, adding two tram platforms alongside the two railway platforms.

Its passenger numbers are assisted with free parking and its close proximity to Junction 1 of the M5. Pedestrian and vehicular access is via Halfords Lane.

• 

  The railway platforms in 2004.

• The Hawthorns railway station - general view - geograph.org.uk - 999432.jpg

  General view.

Services

Train

Most trains are operated by London Midland. The Monday to Saturday daytime service sees trains approximately every 10 minutes in each direction, operating between Stourbridge Junction, Birmingham Snow Hill, and either Dorridge or Whitlocks End. Many trains continue beyond Stourbridge to Kidderminster, Worcester Foregate Street or Great Malvern, and some continue beyond Whitlocks End to Stratford-upon-Avon. Extra services are laid on around the time of football matches to assist fans in travelling to and from the match.

Chiltern Railways services operate in peak hours only, between Kidderminster and London Marylebone. Four Chiltern trains call at The Hawthorns in each direction.

Metro

Midland Metro services operate at frequent intervals, between Birmingham and Wolverhampton St Georges. Mondays to Saturdays, services in each direction run at six to eight-minute intervals during the day, and at fifteen-minute intervals during the evenings and on Sundays.

Preceding station		Midland Metro		Following station
Kenrick Park		Line 1		Handsworth, Booth Street
	National Rail
Jewellery Quarter		London Midland Snow Hill-Worcester		Smethwick Galton Bridge
Jewellery Quarter		Chiltern Railways London-Kidderminster		Smethwick Galton Bridge
	Disused railways
Handsworth and Smethwick		Great Western Railway Later British Rail Birmingham-Wolverhampton (1931–1968)		West Bromwich

External links

• Train times and station information for The Hawthorns station from National Rail
• Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: The Hawthorns station