THE DEMISE of the class 323 trains working passenger services around the midlands rail network this week after 30 years’ service is set to be marked by a charity railtour which visits Barnt Green and Bromsgrove, writes Neil Gordon.
West Midlands Railway and The Branch Line Society have partnered to run the ‘The Class 323 Farewell’ railtour on Sunday (September 29) with the two remaining midlands-based 323 trains travelling around the Birmingham area before heading to Liverpool.
The tour leaves Birmingham New Street at 8.20am and stops at Barnt Green at 8.39am (Platform 2) and Bromsgrove at 8.49am. (Platform 1).
From Bromsgrove, the special heads to Liverpool Lime Street via Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe, arriving in Merseyside at 11.00am. After a break and photo opportunity the tour departs Liverpool at 1.04pm and heads to Coventry, passing through Stoke-on-Trent, Walsall and Birmingham.
The final leg sees the Farewell train leave Coventry and arrive back at Birmingham New Street at 5.42pm.
Tickets for the tour cost £64.60 for adults and £32.30 for accompanied under 18s, with proceeds from the day going to Brain Tumour Research and Scotty’s Little Soldiers. Visit branchline.uk for more details.
The class 323 trains have been a familiar sight on the midlands rail network since 1994 when they were introduced on the Cross-City line, initially between Lichfield – Longbridge and Redditch, and later at Bromsgrove after the route was extended in 2018.
The 323 trains will next operate passenger services around Manchester for Northern Trains.
