Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway

Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway
Company type	Railway company
Industry	Rail transport
Founded	1836
Defunct	1844
Fate	Merged to form Midland Railway
Successor	Midland Railway
Headquarters	Birmingham, England
Area served	Birmingham, Derby, and surrounding areas
Key people	Robert Stephenson (engineer), George Stephenson (surveyor)
Products	Railway transport services

The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway (B&DJR) was a British rail enterprise that established a connection between Birmingham and Derby, where it intersected with the North Midland Railway and Midland Counties Railway at the Tri Junct Station. This line continues to serve as a vital segment of the principal route linking the West Country with the North East.

Origins

Despite Birmingham's growth as an engineering hub being supported by an extensive canal system, its elevated landscape presented engineering difficulties.

By 1824, entrepreneurs in Birmingham were investigating railway prospects. The London and Birmingham Railway and Grand Junction Railway secured their parliamentary approval in 1833, including plans for a line extending to Gloucester and Bristol. In the same year, the North Midland Railway was proposed, featuring a connection to its terminus at Derby.

In 1835, George Stephenson conducted a survey for the proposed route. The bill outlined a line passing through Whitacre to link with the London and Birmingham Railway at Stechford, providing access to Birmingham’s Curzon Street terminus. Additionally, a branch was planned from Whitacre to Hampton-in-Arden, connecting with the L&B for routes to London.

Initial disputes emerged with the Midland Counties Railway over competing route proposals. Eventually, the Birmingham and Derby line consented to remove its Hampton branch if the Midland Counties abandoned their intended Erewash valley line.

While the Hampton branch was eliminated, the Midland Counties bill initially retained the Erewash line before it was later withdrawn under pressure from the North Midland Railway. Samuel Carter, acting as solicitor for Birmingham and Derby, promptly issued statutory notices to secure incorporation of its branch into the act. Royal assent for the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Act 1836 (6 & 7 Will. 4. c. xxxv) was granted on 19 May 1836, supported by Prime Minister Robert Peel, MP for Tamworth. This branch subsequently became known as the Stonebridge Railway.

Construction

Engineering responsibilities were led by George’s son, Robert Stephenson, with assistance from John Birkinshaw. The railway extended roughly 42 miles, featuring gradients no steeper than 1 in 339. Major constructions included two viaducts—the Anker Viaduct (currently known as Bolehall Viaduct) and the Wichnor Viaduct (also referred to as Croxall Viaduct)—alongside seventy-eight bridges and a cutting near Derby designed to mitigate flood risks from the River Trent.

The Anker Viaduct spans 807 feet, while the Croxall Viaduct stretches 1,310 feet.

Rails were laid using single parallel design, each weighing 56 pounds per yard, fixed in chairs atop cross sleepers. Although standard gauge was adopted for compatibility with other lines, rails were spaced at 4 feet 9 inches apart to permit additional lateral movement.

History

The establishment of the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway was authorized through successive Acts of Parliament between 1837 and 1842, which sanctioned construction efforts, route amendments, financial arrangements, and other modifications. Notable legislative acts include:

Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway Act 1837: Approved initial construction.
Act of 1838: Revised sections of the railway route.
Act of 1840: Introduced further adjustments including approaches around Tamworth.
Act of 1842: Allowed for raising supplementary capital.

These legislative measures provided a legal framework essential for the railway’s development and helped secure its strategic role within Britain’s rapidly expanding rail network.

Competition

The line commenced operations on 12 August 1839, initially extending to Hampton, where trains reversed direction en route to Birmingham. Apart from Hampton and Derby, it served six additional stations: Coleshill (later renamed Maxstoke), Kingsbury, Tamworth, Walton, Burton, and Willington.

Sharing the Curzon Street terminus with the London and Birmingham Railway led to operational challenges. Consequently, on 10 February 1842, a new line was inaugurated with a terminus at Lawley Street, running through Castle Bromwich, Water Orton, and Forge Mills (later Coleshill) to Whitacre. Plans for a connecting segment from Whitacre to Stechford were abandoned, and the Hampton branch was downgraded to single track.

Fierce rivalry between the and the Midland Counties Railway (MCR) over coal transport to London nearly drove both companies into bankruptcy. The initially offered a Derby-to-London journey taking around seven hours; however, the MCR cut this time by an hour after commencing service. This led the to reduce fares, igniting a price war. In response, the MCR secured exclusive passenger agreements with the North Midland Railway (NMR), while the board of opposed MCR’s parliamentary proposals. Both railways endured financial difficulties, distributing only minimal dividends.

The North Midland Railway also experienced significant financial pressure due to high initial construction expenses. George Hudson assumed control of the NMR and, acting on Robert Stephenson’s advice, sought to merge the three railways.

Expecting opposition from MCR directors, Hudson secretly arranged for the NMR to acquire , effectively severing MCR’s access to northern customers. When this information became public, shares in surged dramatically. Hudson then persuaded MCR shareholders to override their board’s objections, paving the way for consolidation.

Midland Railway

In 1844, the Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway combined forces with the Midland Counties and North Midland Railways, forming the Midland Railway.

Following this merger, the original route to Hampton-in-Arden diminished in importance as London-bound traffic favored the shorter Midland Counties route via Rugby. Known as the Stonebridge Railway, this line operated as a minor branch with limited passenger services until 1917, when wartime economy measures ceased passenger operations. Freight services continued until 1935 when a timber bridge failure forced closure. The former Birmingham and Derby Junction station building at Hampton remains intact.

The Lawley Street line retained its strategic value for passengers traveling southwest, linking with the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway at Camp Hill or from 1841 at Curzon Street.

Present day

Currently, this corridor forms part of a mainline connecting the North East and Newcastle via Derby and Birmingham New Street extending southwest toward Bristol Temple Meads. The primary operator on this route today is CrossCountry.

References

Clinker, C.R., (1982) The Birmingham and Derby Junction Railway, Avon-AngliA Publications and Services
Williams, R., (1988) The Midland Railway: A New History, Newton Abbot: David and Charles
Whishaw, F., (1842) The Railways of Great Britain and Ireland, London: John Weale; reissued by Clinker, C.R. ed. (1969) Whishaw's Railways of Great Britain and Ireland, Newton Abbot: David and Charles
Pixton, B., (2005) Birmingham-Derby: Portrait of a Famous Route, Runpast Publishing

External links