Yesterday I returned from France via Birmingham Airport. I then took the first train into New Street and walked across to Moor Street to just make it onto Platform 1 for the 2:01 p.m. train to Stratford. I was just a bit surprised that the London Midland train did not turn right after Tysleley but continued down the main line to Solihull. With limited stops the train took 40 minutes to reach Stratford. I have since studied Network Rail Timetable 71 and see that the once hourly service has been doubled by alternating trains from Birmingham to Stratford via Solihull or Shirley. Add to this the occasional direct Chiltern service to London Marylebone and Stratford's once threatened connection to the national rail network seems to be in excellent shape.

Just to look back, the now successful North Warwickshire Line (renamed the Shakespeare Line for tourism) was severely threatened during the Beeching cuts. Beeching's axe did fall on the remainder of the line to Cheltenham though the GWSR heritage line is expanding north towards Broadway.

The triangular junction at Hatton on the main line remains intact and Stratford even has a new station on the north side of town, aptly named Stratford Parkway, which offers excellent parking facilities and shuttle bus access which is lacking at the "town" station.

All this activity demonstrates that I may be on to something with my Shipston time machine!