Page 7 - Railway History

Railway History Redditch Heritage

The Redditch to Birmingham Railway

The Need for a Railway Line to Redditch

In 1845 the Worcester and Birmingham Canal Company had begun to feel the effect of
competition from the newly opened Birmingham and Gloucester Railway and, probably as a
political ploy, presented a scheme for their own railway line, the Birmingham and Direct Railway,
broadly following the route of the canal.

Such was the initial support that an engineer, Richard Boddington, was employed to make a
survey.

Included in the remit was a branch railway from Scar Fields to Redditch. Sadly nothing came of
the scheme, so the impressive sounding Scarfields Junction never materialised and it was another
14 years before the impecunious little Redditch Railway was built, partly following the route
planned out by Boddington.
In the intervening years Alvechurch was linked to the outside world by a variety of horse buses,
carriers and two "flagship" coaches. The Tally Ho, based in Birmingham, was advertised to run
daily, except Sundays, from the Swan Hotel, New Street, to Alcester where it connected with
the Cheltenham coach before returning to Birmingham in the late afternoon.
The Quicksilver ran from Alcester, possibly for a time from Evesham, and called at the Red Lion,
Alvechurch, at about 11am before heading off up Hopwood Hill towards its terminus in
Birmingham the Black Boy and Woolpack, St Martins Lane. The return journey from Birmingham
started at about 4.45pm. It is interesting that these coaches could survive well after the
introduction of the main line train service through Barnt Green.
There is no doubt there was regret at the demise of the coaches after the local railway arrived,
and the cold, wet journeys "on top" seem to have been forgotten.
Then off from the Fox and away through the village went the old Tally Ho and the four spanking
greys. Yes those were the days when to ride was a pleasure By Homesteads and orchards and
green standing corn And in place of the ear bustin' screech of the whistle was the smack of the
whip and the sound of the horn.

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