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Location notes
Widney Manor is a small, two platform station in Warwickshire, close to the border with Birmingham. The nearest large place to it is Solihull. The location is on the Chiltern Mainline, from Birmingham Snow Hill to London Marylebone.
Railway type and traffic
This railway is a mainline, and a quite heavily used one, too! On the average weekday, one can expect to see:Arriva CrossCountry with classes 220 and 221 (Newcastle to Reading and Southampton Central). London Midland with class 172s (Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Kidderminster and Stourbridge Junction to Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon Avon and Dorridge). Chiltern Railways with Class 68s with Mk3 stock and a DVT, 165s, 168s and 172s (Kidderminster, Stourbridge Junction, Birmingham Snow Hill and Birmingham Moor Street to Leamington Spa and London Marylebone).
There is also freight flows through the station. On the average weekday, expect to see a mixture of Freightliner and DB Schenker. From 0600 to 2000, there is approximately 28 workings. Not all of these are scheduled to run, however so be careful.
There is also freight flows through the station. On the average weekday, expect to see a mixture of Freightliner and DB Schenker. From 0600 to 2000, there is approximately 28 workings. Not all of these are scheduled to run, however so be careful.
Link to Real Time Trains
RTT Link Widney Manor Station Car Park
This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
This link should be close to the location, but may not be the actual location so please check the page. This link will take you to what is happening 'around now'. Dates and times can be changed at the top of the page.
Environment
Looking North, towards Birmingham, you will be near a locked gate. There is a chest-height chain link fence there which you can quite easily place your lens over, through or on. You will be behind a bush too.
Looking South, toward Dorridge, you will be near another locked gate. There is another fence but a bit higher. You will be reasonably near a golf course, which has been fenced off and is at the bottom of the embankment of which the car park station sit upon. Both areas are very safe, and there is little to no crime in the general area of which the location(s) are based.
Looking South, toward Dorridge, you will be near another locked gate. There is another fence but a bit higher. You will be reasonably near a golf course, which has been fenced off and is at the bottom of the embankment of which the car park station sit upon. Both areas are very safe, and there is little to no crime in the general area of which the location(s) are based.
Road directions
From the M42, Junction 5:
Heads south onto the A4141 and take the first right, almost immediately after the roundabout, on to Lady Byron Lane. After just over a mile at the crossroads turn right and then at the roundabout take the third exit signed towards Wideny Manor. Shortly after passing under the M42 you will see a sign for the station on a left turn. Follow the signs and you will reach the station and the car park location.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Widney Manor Station Car Park map co-ordinates
Heads south onto the A4141 and take the first right, almost immediately after the roundabout, on to Lady Byron Lane. After just over a mile at the crossroads turn right and then at the roundabout take the third exit signed towards Wideny Manor. Shortly after passing under the M42 you will see a sign for the station on a left turn. Follow the signs and you will reach the station and the car park location.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Widney Manor Station Car Park map co-ordinates
Parking
The location is a car park - decide for yourself!
Public transport
You may get the train here. Most if not all the workings that stop here are London Midland, with a service roughly every half an hour on Mondays to Saturdays, with a reduced service of 1 train stopping per hour on Sundays.
There is no bus service to this location.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
There is no bus service to this location.
Click here to set up your location for directions to this location
Amenities
The closest place to purchase food and what-not is either Dorridge or Solihull, both very short distances away by train.
Accommodation
Due to the nearly totally residential occupation of the area that the locations are situated in, again the nearest place for accommodation is either Solihull or Dorridge.
Sun Compass
Sun Compass using Suncalc by brought to you by Vladimir Agafonkin:
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Widney Manor Station Car Park
Streetmap links
Widney Manor Station Car Park general view map
Widney Manor Station Car Park close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Widney Manor Station Car Park
It might be necessary to adjust the time to suit your visit, this link should open with the current day.
Widney Manor Station Car Park
Googly map
Widney Manor Station Car Park general view map
Widney Manor Station Car Park close up map
Windows Local Live Link - image quality may vary
Widney Manor Station Car Park
Who likes this location on facebook
Photographic notes
Because of the North end being flanked tall trees and a bank either side of the line, the best time of day for photography is between 10:00 in the morning and 16:00 in the afternoon. The best idea for shooting is just when the train reaches the signal further up the line but closest to you.
Looking South, there is less restriction on times due to significant lack of trees on one side of the line. The best angle here is low, as it evokes a powerful background to the image.
There is no disruption to videographers. The only small thing worthy of note is the M42 which is around 1/4 of a mile away but doesn't cause much sound pollution.
Looking South, there is less restriction on times due to significant lack of trees on one side of the line. The best angle here is low, as it evokes a powerful background to the image.
There is no disruption to videographers. The only small thing worthy of note is the M42 which is around 1/4 of a mile away but doesn't cause much sound pollution.
General views - All photographs © Tom Cripps unless otherwise stated
Fig 1 - Looking south
Fig 2 - Looking north
Fig 3 - Looking south
Location Video
Disclaimer
All information contained within this is site is © Trainspots. The images used on this site remain the property of the original photographer, as credited at the top of the page, and are used with their kind permission.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
The information on these pages is supplied for the benefit of railway enthusiasts who carry out a harmless hobby, and through the medium of photography and video, actually promote the railway industry. Railway enthusiasts can also act as eyes and ears against railway vandalism, and as such should surely be encouraged to do so by the supply of adequate information such as is found on this website.
This site has been created to assist railway photographers in their travels around the country. It is based on the personal knowledge and experience. No liability can be held against the web site or its contributions for incorrect information. Trainspots will endeavour to check all information and corrections will be accepted and posted accordingly.
Advice as to the locations general environment is given as a guide on each page. This information is a GUIDE only. ALWAYS be careful with your equipment, Trainspots can not be held responsible for your personal security. Avoid leaving your property on display for all to see, be aware of your surroundings at all times. There are, sadly, people who will not think twice about trying to steal your equipment.
Trainspots DOES NOT condone trespass and none of the information on this site should be taken as a right to trespass on either railway or private land. To the best of our knowledge all locations are publicly accessible areas, where they are not contact information will be given to the appropriate authority for permission to be obtained.
The content of this site is created and intended for all age ranges but the content of sites linked from this site are not subject to the same intentions. Trainspots will attempt to check links for validity but as time passes and the site grows this will not always be possible. Broken, or indeed updates to, links should be submitted to the editor for inclusion in the updates. All links external to the Trainspots site are opened in a new browser window. Trainspots has been running now for over 10 years and there are imitation sites and guides to railfotspots. But we are a free site and we continue on the path we started out on over a decade ago to provide a useful guide to UK Railway Photographic Locations.
