By james art 
Football fans attending Birmingham City matches by train are being urged to plan their journeys after West Midlands Rail announced it will trial new matchday calling patterns.
The trial, which starts this weekend, will affect journeys to and from Bordesley. The station does not receive regular service except on match days when trains make special stops.
Under the trial period, which applies to the Blues’ next two games, only trains to Birmingham will visit Bordesley before the game. After the match, only southbound trains to Dorridge or Stratford-upon-Avon will stop at the station. Passengers requiring services in opposite directions are advised to use Birmingham Moor Street.
The trial will apply to the home games against Northampton Town on Saturday 9 November and Stevenage on Saturday 16 November.
Jonny Wiseman, West Midlands Railway’s director of customer services, said: “This season we have seen a significant increase in the number of spectators traveling by train to and from Bordesley on match days.
“For safety reasons, we have to use a waiting system to limit the number of passengers on the platform at one time. Due to the unusual layout of the station, with access to the island platform via a single staircase, coupled with the increased headway, fans have experienced long waits on a number of occasions recently.
“We understand that the change in calling pattern may mean that some passengers have to change their travel plans. However, we believe limiting station services to one-way only before and after matches will result in a more comfortable journey for all our passengers.”
West Midlands Railway uses bespoke queuing systems and provides additional services to a number of football grounds in the region, including The Hawthorns, Aston and Witton.
The results of the trial will be assessed after the meeting with Stevenage, with an announcement regarding the future service pattern at Bordsley made before Birmingham City’s next home game.
Fans looking for alternative transport options to/from St Andrew’s can use a bus operated by the club in partnership with National Express.