The Cross-City Line is a commuter rail line in the West Midlands region of England. It runs for from Redditch and Bromsgrove in Worcestershire, its two southern termini, to Lichfield, Staffordshire, its northern terminus, via Birmingham New Street, connecting the suburbs of Birmingham in between. Services are operated by West Midlands Trains. Cross-City Line services began in 1978, as a project of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) to improve local rail services. It made use of pre-existing railways lines, which previously did not have any through services. Services were extended to in 1980, and to in 1988. The route was electrified in 1993. In 2018 services were extended to , which was added as a second southern terminus. History Constituent railways What is now the Cross-City Line was not built as a single route; it is a combination of lines opened by different companies at different times, between 1837 and 1885. On the northern half of the route (Birmingham–Lichfield): The oldest section is between (originally named Vauxhall) and , which was part of the Grand Junction Railway from Birmingham to , opened in 1837. This was extended towards the centre of Birmingham, at Curzon Street, the following year, and into Birmingham New Street in 1854. The line from Aston to was opened by the London and North Western Railway in 1862, and extended to in 1884, where it connected with the South Staffordshire Line between and , which had opened in 1849. On the southern half of the route (Birmingham–Redditch): The Birmingham and Gloucester Railway had opened in 1840, following what is now the Cross-City Line between and , although this line ran to Curzon Street (later New Street) via what is now the Camp Hill Line. The single-track branch line from Barnt Green to followed in 1859, as part of the Midland Railway's Gloucester Loop Line, which was closed south of Redditch in 1964. The Birmingham West Suburban Railway, taking the route of the Cross-City Line between and central Birmingham via , opened to its original terminus at in 1876, it was extended into Birmingham New Street in 1885, and the Granville Street terminus closed. These lines from Birmingham to Barnt Green and Redditch were operated by the Midland Railway and the line to Lichfield was operated by the London and North Western Railway, so there were no through services. This continued despite the Grouping of the