Query on birmingham new street?

Question

i got on a train yesterday from reading to newcastle on arrival at birmingham new street the train came into the station for the reading line and then went back out in the same direction form which it came heading towards derby and north

i was wondering if the train kept going through the station without turning round to contniue north where would o could train go would it end up going towards bristol or london or where would or could it go

Answer 1

If it had headed out in the same direction you would have ended up travelling either towards Bristol, or to the north-west. Birmingham New Street is a hub and lines of many of the old, pre nationalisation companies, lines meet there. From Reading you followed the line of the old  Great Western Railway via Oxford and Banbury taking Bordesley Junction in Birmingham to gain the Midland Railway tracks and then via St. Andrews Junction and Gloucester Junction, to gain Birmingham New Street. To travel to Newcastle, the train travelled back the way you had come, again via Gloucester Junction and then Aston Junction to gain the old Midland Railway tracks to Burton, Derby and Sheffield.