VERY DISAPOINTING LEVELS OF FREIGHT THESE DAYS, NOTHING LIKE IT USED TO BE FROM MY LAST FEW VISITS HERE

Less than 4 freights an hour on both levels put together amoungst a sea of units on two wet evenings last Summer - VERY UNWORTHWHILE TO MAKE A DAY OUT OF THIS PLACE though may be worth incorporating into a day if you are already in the area

Even if you can tolerate the disguisting sewage-like smell of "muck spreading" when they do it on all the surrouding adjacent fields, bloody awful

Now £6.20 to park but there is also now a two level car park with an extra 70 odd parking spaces

The car park is now regularly patrolled by parking wardens on the look out for non paying passengers/enthusiasts who skip paying the £5 it costs to park there and judging by the amount of tickets they seem to write out there are a fair few that are not paying.

There is a car park up the road that charges £3.50 all day and its only a 2 minute walk from the station so park there instead.

If you choose to park at Tamworth then get there before 08:00am as after that time its usually full.

It now costs £5 to park at the station

Tamworth is an excellent venue never much time passes by without some action i have spent 4 whole days there recently and it hasn't dissapointed me once with an average of between 4-6 freights an hour but the place ca go mad within 1 hour i had 13 Freights there! over the course of a whole day (8am-10pm) not very much of the freight repeats and of course with the WCML comes pendolinoss and lots of them! as for the high level you get 170's / 158's and the odd 153 working along with voyagers, the busiest time for freight seems to begin at about 1pm and gradually work up to a peak at 5-6pm when it dies! until 8pm when yet again it bursts back into life, good viewing can be had from platform 3 looking down onto the WCML but you must keep your eyes peeled for stuff on the top as it often catches you out. good pictures can be taken from all platforms, there is a chip shop nearby which i nearly always go to, as you exit the station walk straight ahead over the pedestrian crossing at the traffic lights and as you get to the pub turn right up this road keep going for about 500 yards and turn into the second main road turning on your left, the chip shop is about 100 yards on your right ( a blue sign i think ?!? ) all in all a 10 minute trip, but i do reccomend it! there is a small shop on the station that sells the usual, toilet facilities are open til about 8/9 pm when they are locked, but if you are stuck for a venue to go to and have never been to Tamworth then give it a go, as for the regulars im sure you have had more good days than bad there!

Just to add parking is now £4.00 per day and it runs out at 23:59pm on the day of purchase.

Recent visits to Tamworth have been difficult. Constant checking by Railway personnel.The place was swarming with Rail Staff used to be a quite place. Reminds me of my vists to the old Eastern Europe before the wall came down. Refused access without Ticket.Tamworth seems to be tough area for Trainspotting what with the £3.50 ticket charge. Sad really because its a fantasic location.

Tamworth station car park [usually full weekdays].For nearest public car park ask for directions to police sta [only 5mins walk away] plenty of car parks there.Ticket machine on site.

FOOD
Chip shop near police sta, Mcdonalds, cafe's etc in the town less than 10mins walk from station. Also station shop[weekdays only I think]. Good pub opposite station.

Best place for spotting is on platforms 3 or 4 where the steps go down to platform 2.

As of the 4th August 2004 it is now 3 pound 50 pence to park in Tamworth station car park. DISGUSTING