Sidings at Washwood Heath on the Birmingham to Derby route were first installed in October 1877, but the hump yards were opened in 1900, with most lines being commissioned in September.

[3] Whilst the yard at Bescot retained a greater importance for freight traffic under British Rail after electrification of the West Coast Main Line in 1966, and the Rugby–Birmingham–Stafford line in 1967, the hump yard at Washwood Heath was still busy as a location for wagonload traffic, handling some 18,384 wagons over the year in 1967 (an average of 50 wagons per day).

[15] Several locations within the West Midlands generated rail-borne traffic in terms of finished cars for delivery/export, or inwards deliveries of parts and windscreens.

[17] The yard was remodelled in the 1990s with the building of the A47 on the northern side, and in anticipation of gaining Channel Tunnel traffic, high-security fencing was installed around the same time.

[18] In January 2020, Tarmac opened a new aggregates and asphalt facility on the site of the old up sidings, leaving just one line on serving the new terminal.