Steam locomotive 46443 from the Severn Valley Railway prepares to leave the old Moor Street Station on the evening of the last day of operation in 1987. Moor Street was opened in 1908 as a terminus to relieve capacity on Snow Hill station without having to widen the Snow Hill tunnel. There were however no platforms on the through lines to Snow Hill. When the line through the tunnel closed in 1968 all remaining services from the south terminated at Moor Street. In 1987, as part of the improvement of city rail services, Snow Hill Station and the line through the tunnel were re-opened, but this time with new platforms at Moor Street for the through services. The old terminal platforms thus became redundant and were closed and disconnected the evening that this picture was taken.
As part of the re-opening celebrations a steam shuttle ran between Moor Street and Tyseley. The penultimate train was hauled by 46443 and continued to Stratford upon Avon, hence the presence of the locomotive.
The wheel has turned full circle and Snow Hill is again congested and the terminal platforms have been renovated (
SP0786 : Birmingham Moor Street Station) ready for use, however the planners have still to agree on their re-connection! It may be too much to hope that it will coincide with the centenary of their original opening. Meanwhile another steam locomotive sits in the platforms
SP0786 : Moor St Station, post-refurbishment awaiting the celebrations.