This important stretch of railway line through the Midlands connects England’s second city with the strategically important railway centre of Derby. The area is served by local passenger services as well as forming part of the strategically important cross-country route linking Scotland and the North East of England with Bristol and the South West. However, it is the variety of freight traffic that draws the rail enthusiast to this area. The frequent passing of coal trains may have ceased, but this key stretch of railway still has a lot to offer. From oil and steel to aggregates and container traffic, all the country’s main freight operators are regular visitors to the area. This rail enthusiast popularity extends to the intermediate stations of Burton-on-Trent and Tamworth. The latter’s split-level platforms are particularly busy as the town sits at the crossroads of this cross-country route and the West Coast Main Line, which passes below. Less well-known outside of the enthusiast circle is the important junction at Water Orton, where services towards Leicester and the east of England leave the main Derby line.

In this publication, John Jackson examines the 40 miles of railway from Birmingham to Derby in detail. The selection of photographs includes a nostalgic look back at the now-closed diesel depot at Saltley, close to the heart of Birmingham, as well as demonstrating the railway’s importance to Derby that continues to the present day.