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The Hawthorns
The Hawthorns station: the West Midlands Metro platforms to the left, the railway platforms to the right.
General information
Location	Smethwick, Sandwell England
Coordinates	52°30′18″N 1°57′50″W / 52.505°N 1.964°W / 52.505; -1.964
Grid reference	SP025897
Managed by	West Midlands Trains
Transit authority	Transport for West Midlands
Platforms	4 2 (train) + 2 (tram)
Other information
Station code	THW
Fare zone	2
Classification	DfT category E
Key dates
1931	Opened as The Hawthorns Halt
27 April 1968	Closed
24 September 1995	Reopened as The Hawthorns
Passengers
2019/20	0.509 million
2020/21	84,980
2021/22	0.225 million
2022/23	0.266 million
2023/24	0.284 million
Location
Notes Passenger statistics from the Office of Rail and Road

The Hawthorns
West Midlands Metro tram stop
West Midlands Metro platforms
General information
Location	The Hawthorns, Smethwick Sandwell England
Line(s)	Line 1 (Edgbaston Village – Wolverhampton St George's/Wolverhampton Station)
Platforms	2
History
Opened	1999
Passengers
2015/16	Approx. 1,100 daily

The Hawthorns station is a railway station and tram stop, opened in 1995 in Smethwick, near Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The station shares its name with the local football ground, The Hawthorns, the home of West Bromwich Albion F.C., which it serves. There is a park and ride facility at the tram stop.

History

Between 1931 and 1968, The Hawthorns Halt partly occupied the site of the current station, opened by the Great Western Railway on their London (Paddington) to Birkenhead via Birmingham (Snow Hill) line. It served football specials only, and had minimal facilities, as such it was not deemed worthy of 'station' status. It consisted of three platforms: platform 3 catering for return travel to Stourbridge, with platforms 1 and 2 being sited the other side of Halfords Lane.

The present station was opened in 1995, as part of the "Jewellery Line" project to restore services to Birmingham Snow Hill, this time it opened as a fully fledged station with regular services on the cross-city Snow Hill Lines. In 1999 the Midland Metro tram line opened between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, adding two tram platforms alongside the two railway platforms.

Its passenger numbers are assisted with free parking and its close proximity to Junction 1 of the M5. Pedestrian and vehicular access is via Halfords Lane.

Outside the main station entrance is a sculpture called "Aspire" by Anuradha Patel.

• The original Hawthorns Halt in 1966
• The railway platforms in 2004.
• "Aspire" sculpture outside the station entrance

Services

Train

Most trains are operated by West Midlands Railway. The Monday to Saturday daytime service sees four trains in per hour each direction, operating westbound towards Kidderminster via Stourbridge Junction and eastbound towards Birmingham Snow Hill. Eastbound services run to either Dorridge or Whitlocks End, with one of each extending to Stratford-upon-Avon. Many trains continue beyond Kidderminster to Worcester Foregate Street and/or Shrub Hill. Extra services are laid on around the time of football matches to assist fans in travelling to and from the match.

Chiltern Railways also serve the station with one train to Stourbridge Junction on weekdays only, from London Marylebone. There is no return service from The Hawthorns.

Tram

On Mondays to Fridays, West Midlands Metro services in each direction between Edgbaston Village and Wolverhampton St George's/Wolverhampton Station run at six to eight-minute intervals during the day, and at fifteen-minute intervals during the evenings and on Sundays. They run at eight minute intervals on Saturdays.

Preceding station		Midland Metro		Following station
Kenrick Park		Line 1		Handsworth Booth Street
	National Rail
Smethwick Galton Bridge		West Midlands Railway Birmingham-Worcester via Kidderminster		Jewellery Quarter
		Chiltern Railways London-Birmingham-Stourbridge
	Disused railways
West Bromwich		Great Western Railway Birmingham-Wolverhampton (1931–1968)		Handsworth and Smethwick

References

1. "2016 West Midlands Travel Trends Covering Report" (PDF). West Midlands Combined Authority. p. 39. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
2. ^ "The Hawthorns Station 1931 - 1968:1995 - Present". Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
3. "Train timetables and schedules | The Hawthorns". West Midlands Railway.
4. "Train times | Snow Hill Lines - Worcester to Birmingham Snow Hill, Solihull and Stratford upon Avon | 21 May until 9 December 2023". West Midlands Railway. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023.
5. "Timetable | 22 May 2023 - 8 December 2023: London to High Wycombe, Bicester, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Birmingham". Chiltern Railways. Archived from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2023.
6. "Midland Metro timetable". Network West Midlands. Retrieved 11 July 2019.

Further reading

• Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (2007). Worcester to Birmingham. Middleton Press. figs. 99-100. ISBN 9781904474975. OCLC 263292710.

External links

• Train times and station information for The Hawthorns station from National Rail
• Rail Around Birmingham and the West Midlands: The Hawthorns station

v t e West Midlands Metro
Operations	Operators National Express Midland Metro Transport for West Midlands Vehicles T-69 Urbos 3
Stops	Line One Bilston Central Black Lake Bradley Lane Brindleyplace Bull Street Corporation Street Dartmouth Street Dudley Street, Guns Village Edgbaston Village Five Ways Grand Central ( New Street) Handsworth, Booth Street Jewellery Quarter Kenrick Park Library Lodge Road, West Bromwich Town Hall Loxdale Pipers Row Priestfield Soho, Benson Road St Chads (Snow Hill) St Paul's The Crescent (Bilston) The Hawthorns The Royal Town Hall Trinity Way Wednesbury, Great Western Street Wednesbury Parkway West Bromwich Central Winson Green, Outer Circle Wolverhampton Station Wolverhampton St George's
Planned extensions	Westside extension Adderley Street (2023) Birmingham Curzon Street (2023) Wolverhampton Loop Birmingham New Road (2023) Brierley Hill (2023) Canal Street (2023) Castle Hill (2023) Cinder Bank (2023) Dudley Port (2023) Dudley Town Centre (2023) Flood Street (2023) Golds Hill (2023) Great Bridge (2023) Horseley Road (2023) Merry Hill (2023) New Road (2023) Pedmore Road (2023) Sedgley Road (2023) Tipton Road (2023) Waterfront (2023)
Proposed extensions	East Birmingham extension Birmingham Airport Lea Hall Small Heath Brierley Hill Line extension Brettell Lane Stourbridge

• Railway stations in Sandwell
• Tram stops in Sandwell
• DfT Category E stations
• Former Great Western Railway stations
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1931
• Railway stations in Great Britain closed in 1968
• Railway stations opened by Railtrack
• Railway stations in Great Britain opened in 1995
• Railway stations served by Chiltern Railways
• Railway stations served by West Midlands Trains
• West Bromwich
• Reopened railway stations in Great Britain