View source for Perry Barr railway station

{{Short description|Railway station in the West Midlands, England}}
{{For|the parliamentary constituency|Birmingham Perry Barr}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2017}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox station
| name                = Perry Barr
| symbol_location     = gb
| symbol              = rail
| image               = Perry Barr station after refurbishment.jpg
| caption             = The redeveloped station building in 2022
| borough             = [[Perry Barr]], [[Birmingham]]
| country             = England
| coordinates         = {{coord|52.516|-1.902|type:railwaystation_region:GB-BIR_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}
| grid_name           = [[Ordnance Survey National Grid|Grid reference]]
| grid_position       = {{gbmapscaled|SP066909|25|SP066909}}
| manager             = [[West Midlands Railway]]
| platforms           = 2
| code                = PRY
| zone                = 2
| classification      = [[United Kingdom railway station categories|DfT category]] E
| transit_authority   = [[Transport for West Midlands]]
| years               = 4 July 1837
| events              = Opened by [[Grand Junction Railway]]
| years1              = 
| events1             = 
| mpassengers =
<!-- {{Rail pass box |pass_year=2018/19 |passengers={{increase}} 0.694 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2019/20 |passengers={{decrease}} 0.648 million}} -->
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2020/21 |passengers={{decrease}} 46,830}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2021/22 |passengers={{decrease}} 30,362}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2022/23 |passengers={{increase}} 0.139 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2023/24 |passengers={{increase}} 0.176 million}}
{{Rail pass box |pass_year=2024/25 |passengers={{increase}} 0.185 million}}
| footnotes           = Passenger statistics from the [[Office of Rail and Road]]
|mapframe=yes
|mapframe-zoom = 13
}}

'''Perry Barr Railway Station''' is a [[railway station]] in [[Perry Barr]], [[Birmingham]], England, and is one of the oldest continuously operated railway station sites in the world, having first opened in 1837. The station has been rebuilt several times, including electrification of the line in the 1960s, and most recently in 2021-2022.

== History ==

The original station was built by the [[Grand Junction Railway]] in 1837, and so the station is the oldest one on its original site in the city, and one of the oldest continuously operated station sites in the world.<ref>[https://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/perry_barr.php Perry Barr Station] ''Rails Around Birmingham''</ref> At that time Perry Barr was an [[Perry Barr Urban District|urban district]] in [[Staffordshire]], being absorbed into Birmingham in 1911. 

The Grand Junction became part of the [[London and North Western Railway]] (LNWR) in 1846, thence the [[London, Midland and Scottish Railway]] (LMS) in 1923, and each owned the station in turn. Together with the rest of Britain's railways it was nationalised in 1948.

=== 1960s redevelopment ===
[[File:Perry Barr station - 2009-01-17.jpg|thumb|left|The 1960s station entrance in 2009]]
The station was rebuilt when the line was [[Railway electrification in Great Britain#National Rail: 25 kV, 50 Hz AC overhead|electrified in 1966]] as part of the London Midland Region's electrification programme.<ref>{{cite book| last=Nock| first=O.S.| title=Britain's New Railway| location=London| publisher=Ian Allan| year=1966| pages=147–159}}</ref> The actual energization of the line from Coventry to Walsall through Aston took place on 15 August 1966.<ref>{{cite book| last=Gillham| first=J.C.| title=The Age of the Electric Train - Electric trains in Britain since 1883| location=Shepperton| publisher=Ian Allan| year=1988| page=169}}</ref> This version of the station included a number of retail units.

=== 2020s redevelopment ===
[[File:Perry Barr railway station reconstruction - 2021-11-08 - Andy Mabbett - 04.jpg|thumb|The part-complete new station building, 8 November 2021]]

In 2019, the [[West Midlands Rail Executive]] and [[Transport for West Midlands]] put forward proposals to redevelop Perry Barr station, along with a new bus interchange, in time for the Birmingham [[2022 Commonwealth Games]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Plans to transform One Stop Shopping Centre bus interchange and Perry Barr railway station |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/plans-transform-one-stop-shopping-17206703 |work=[[Birmingham Mail]] |date=5 November 2019 |access-date=7 November 2019}}</ref> Proposed designs were revealed in September 2020.<ref name="WMCA-2020-09">{{cite web |title=New designs for Perry Barr Railway Station unveiled |url=https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/new-designs-for-perry-barr-railway-station-unveiled/ |publisher=[[West Midlands Combined Authority]] |access-date=28 September 2020 }}</ref> Further revisions were proposed in December.<ref>{{cite web |title=Designs for new Perry Barr railway station revised following feedback |url=https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/designs-for-new-perry-barr-railway-station-revised-following-feedback/ |publisher=West Midlands Combined Authority |access-date=8 December 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The designs were approved and the station was closed on 10 May 2021 for redevelopment, with the station reopened on 29 May 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Designs for new Perry Barr railway station revised following feedback |publisher= West Midlands Rail Executive |url=https://www.wmre.org.uk/news/designs-for-new-perry-barr-railway-station-revised-following-feedback/ |access-date=2021-07-05 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Anjum |first=Husna |date=2021-04-27 |title=Alternative travel routes ahead of Perry Barr station closure|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/perry-barr-station-closure-alternative-20470570 |access-date=2021-07-05 |website=BirminghamLive }}</ref><ref name="BBC-61605232">{{cite web |title=Perry Barr station to open to passengers after rebuild |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-61605232 |website=BBC News |access-date=29 May 2022 |date=29 May 2022}}</ref> The new building has a bronze-coloured [[frieze]] depicting athletes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Roger |date=2022-03-14 |title=Frieze depicting athletes added as Perry Barr station nears completion |url=https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2022/03/frieze-depizting-athletes-added-as-perry-barr-station-nears-completion.html |access-date=2022-03-15 |website=RailAdvent }}</ref> Retail units were not included.

== Features ==

The pedestrian entrance is on the [[A34 road|A34]] Walsall Road. The station has two [[side platform]]s, one each side of the two operating lines, with no points or sidings. The ticket office is on a [[bridge]] over the tracks, which are below street level. Both platforms have step-free access, lifts replacing the former ramps. It is staffed on a part-time basis throughout the week, and has a self-service ticket and [[Permit to Travel]] machine for use when the ticket office is closed. Waiting shelters and bench seating are provided at platform level, along with customer help points. Service information is given on information displays and by automated announcements.<ref>[https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/pry/details.html Perry Barr station facilities]''National Rail Enquiries''</ref>

As well as local residents, shops and businesses, it serves:
*[[Alexander Stadium]]
*[[Perry Hall Park]]
*a number of bus services, including the [[Birmingham Outer Circle|Outer Circle]]

==Services==
The typical daytime service on weekdays and Saturdays has two trains per hour in each direction between {{rws|Walsall}} and {{rws|Birmingham New Street}} (and onwards to {{rws|Wolverhampton}} via the [[Stour Valley Line]]) that are operated by {{brc|730}} [[Electric multiple unit|EMUs]]. Services are reduced to hourly on Sundays. There are a small number of services that extend past {{rws|Walsall}} to {{rws|Rugeley Trent Valley}}. On Mondays to Saturdays one early morning train starts from Rugeley Trent Valley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/travel-information/journey-planning/timetables?station=Perry%20Barr&crs=PRY|title=Train timetables and schedules {{!}} Perry Barr|website=West Midlands Railway}}</ref><ref name=WMRBHMRUG>{{cite web|url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4318/download?inline|title=Train times {{!}} 10 December until 1 June 2024 {{!}} Rugeley to Birmingham New Street via Walsall|website=West Midlands Railway}}</ref><ref name=WMRWVHBHM>{{cite web|url=https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/media/4319/download?inline|title=Train times {{!}} 10 December 2023 until 1 June 2024 {{!}} Wolverhampton to Birmingham via Smethwick|website=West Midlands Railway}}</ref>

The line also sees occasional use for diverted passenger trains between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton (and destinations further north), usually when the Stour Valley Line is closed for engineering work.

== Incidents ==

* On 22 December 1859 one passenger jumped from a Walsall to Birmingham train and was killed, and others were injured, due to the train, using [[South Staffordshire Railway]] rolling stock, being derailed by one of its carriages shedding a [[Railway wheel|tyre]].<ref>{{cite book |author1=Col. W. Yolland (R.E.) |title=Accident Returns: Extract for the Accident at Perry Barr on 28th [SIC] December 1859 |date=16 January 1860 |publisher=Board of Trade |pages=102–103 |url=https://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/documents/BoT_Walsall-Birmingham1859.pdf}}</ref>
* On 22 December 1895, Mark Robins, a LNWR [[Train guard|guard]], was killed while his goods train was waiting in a siding at the station for a faster football excursion train from Liverpool to Birmingham to pass. Due to fog, he did not see the approaching train, and was struck by it.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Guard Killed at Perry Barr |work=Birmingham Mail |date=23 December 1895}}; see [[:File:Two press clippings - death of Mark Robins at Perry Barr Station - December 1895.jpg]]</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Fatal Accident to a Guard |work=Birmingham Mail |date=24 December 1895}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

[[File:British Rail ticket - Perry Barr to Walsall.jpg|thumb|British Rail ticket - Perry Barr to Walsall]]

{{stn art lnk|PRY|B203JE}}
*[https://www.railaroundbirmingham.co.uk/Stations/perry_barr.php Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: Perry Barr railway station]
*[https://warwickshirerailways.com/lms/perrybarr.htm Warwickshire Railways page]

{{s-rail-start|noclear=yes}}
{{s-rail|title=National Rail}}
{{s-rail-national|next=Witton|previous=Hamstead|toc=West Midlands Railway|route=[[Chase Line]]|rows1=2|rows2=2}}
{{s-rail-national|toc=West Midlands Railway|route={{rws|Walsall}}-{{rws|Birmingham New Street}}-{{rws|Wolverhampton}}|hide1=yes|hide2=yes}}
{{s-note|text=Historical railways}}
{{s-rail-national|next=Vauxhall|county2=Grand Junction|previous=Hamstead|toc=LNWR|route=|status=Historical|note2=Line open, station closed|note=Line and station open}}
{{s-end}}

{{West Midlands railway stations|open}}

[[Category:Grand Junction Railway]]
[[Category:DfT Category E stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Birmingham, West Midlands]]
[[Category:Former London and North Western Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1837]]
[[Category:Railway stations served by West Midlands Trains]]
[[Category:Perry Barr]]