PRESENT I Jackson, J Adams, D James, V Wasdell, P Cousins, P Martin, R Hartley, R Hockney, R Henshaw, D Bathurst, P Bates, R Rathbone, G Hudson, R Patching, P Sheridan, D Dixon, P Mullarkey, J Sykes, R Marsh, P King
APOLOGIES, B Pretty , T O’Leary, A Hutchinson, M Frayn
MINUTES of January meeting had been circulated by email and were approved.
David Dixon chaired the meeting
TIMETABLE and PERFORMANCE
General dismay at the reply from WMR re LTV connections and Shenstone service. Further anomaly identified that there is no train from Shenstone (S) through Sutton Coldfield to Birmingham between 19.59 and 21.04 but three trains go through S without stopping. If either 19.59 or 21.04 is cancelled there would be no service from S for over 90 minutes. But the online planner suggests that at extra cost one can take the 21.04 from S to LTV or 20.28 to City to travel back on a non-stopper through S. We will try again to make the point that there should be certainty of connection at LTV with the LNWR service and that this can be achieved by making the xx25 and xx55 services (Shenstone stoppers) the LTV connectors. JA to write.
A CANCELLATION on the LNWR service means that LTV has no service for two hours.
DELAY/REPAY – now available as an online service but is considered laborious
WIFI – reported that this service on Cross City line is much improved.
ON-TRAIN INFORMATION – automatic announcements are indistinct. Visual displays cannot be updated if it has been necessary to change the service (eg if direct to Sutton Coldfield the auto announcements continue to let passengers know that the next station is Aston, Gravelly etc!)
STATIONS Fay Easton has obtained from Network Rail a Completion Programme which suggests that, after a series of further tests, certification, snaggings, the lifts will be usable by the public in early April. Will they be operational throughout the hours of the timetable? JA to ask
ITP World Ltd have been engaged by F Thomas of WMT to consult on the Stations as Places prospectus for LTV and City. ITP World Ltd will appraise what is feasible and deliverable over different periods of time. They seek our input and we will give them a full list JA. Further request for us to be a registered station adopter not fully discussed (next meeting/AGM??)
TREASURER advised that 33 renewal subscriptions totalling £216 received so far this year. R Patching confirmed that he has independently examined the accounts in readiness for AGM
PUBLICITY and WEBSITE – two recent additions to the petition for extending passenger services to Burton. Online membership Form needs to be updated. DJ
R Hockney advised of a fruitful meeting between Civic Society and Editor of Lichfield Mercury and recommended that we do the same. JA to arrange
FUTURE SPEAKERS – M Holmes (WMRE) confirmed attendance at AGM. JA had tried without success to get a representative from RMT – to try again.
OTHER R Hartley reported the lack of willingness for TOCs to co-operate in times of difficulty and cited a journey from Edinburgh over the weekend of Storm Dennis. He will write to MP.
RR advised that HS2 compound at Streethay will see a workforce of between 600/800
NEXT MEETING is the AGM on MONDAY 16th March at 7.30 prompt