In this review, we take a look at The Birmingham to Derby Line, which was written by John Jackson and published by Amberley Publishing.

This book provides a photographic appreciation of the former Midland Railway line from Birmingham New Street to Derby.

As well as describing the traffic on the 40 miles of railway, John Jackson takes a nostalgic look at the now-closed diesel depot at Saltley in Birmingham and highlights the railway’s importance to Derby.

A two-page introduction provides the background to how the author came to know the line and its history since 1964.

A useful map helps the reader appreciate the line’s location relative to other lines in the area. In eight sections, the author transports the reader from Birmingham New Street and its Eastern Approach past Saltley depot, Water Orton, Tamworth High Level, Burton-on-Trent, northwards to Derby, and finally Derby itself.

The title of Section Two, Birmingham New Street and its Eastern Approach, is confusing; although the last part of the line from Derby approaches New Street from the east, geographically, the line from Derby approaches Birmingham from the north.

Much of the book is centred on Water Orton, Tamworth High Level, and Burton-on-Trent, with 29 pages devoted to Water Orton alone.

That may seem strange, as the station has a very infrequent passenger service, but for railway enthusiasts, it is a mecca, with numerous freight trains passing there each day, as the author illustrates with many examples.

In the days of steam, Tamworth was also a mecca for railway enthusiasts, and the author continues to do it justice with 18 pages illustrating freight and passenger trains.

Published in September 2025 by Amberley Publishing and written by Colin J. Howat, this soft-cover book measures around 23.4 cm x 16.5 cm, has 96 pages and 180 illustrations.

It has a published price of £15.99, but at the time of writing, it can be purchased for £14.39 from Amberley Publishing and for £12.39 from Amazon.

Titled “Setting the Scene”, the first section takes the reader from Birmingham New Street to Derby, with views of both stations.

At the top right, a view of Tamworth Low Level station on the West Coast Main Line clearly shows how it intersects the Birmingham to Derby line, with Tamworth High Level station in the distance.

The images below are from the Water Orton section and illustrate the junction of the lines to Derby and those to Nuneaton and Leicester. The container train at the bottom right is one of many to be observed from here.

A minor criticism is that the page headings do not include the section title. The images below are from the Tamworth High Level section, but there is no indication in the page heading or in the caption that is where the photos were taken.

The pages below are a fine illustration of how times change, with the top left image depicting a Class 221 which monopolises long-distance services on the line, contrasting with the first-generation diesel multiple unit at Derby seen at the top right.

In this book, John Jackson has produced a commendable volume that gives readers the feel of the great variety of traffic that traverses the line.

A fine selection of photographs provides an excellent appreciation of the many types of trains, with captions that extend beyond the basic what, when, and where, to also provide extra information about the trains depicted.

The structure of the book is well chosen, with the opening chapter setting the scene at Birmingham New Street and depicting the final destination of Derby.

The composition of the photographs is superb, and the reproduction quality cannot be faulted. Overall, a book to be recommended for anyone who has an affinity with this former Midland Railway main line, and thoroughly deserves a rating of 5/5.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon and from Amberley Publishing.

We would like to thank Amberley Publishing for providing us with a copy of the book for review.