PRESENT D Dixon (Chairman), J Adams, I Jackson, R Henshaw, B Eisner, R Rathbone, R Hockney, R Hartley, A Hutchinson, T Thompson, P Martin, P Cousins, D James, D Bathurst, G Hudson, J Woodcock, P Sheridan
APOLOGIES P Bates, M Frayn, B Pretty, G Lusher, V Wasdell
MINUTES of November meeting had been circulated by e-mail.
LICHFIELD TV i) Pedestrian access – RR had written to Station Manager who had advised that any work is unlikely to happen while the construction of new lifts is under way. RR has referred to Office of Road and Rail (ORR) who have passed to their Safety team who are to discuss with WM Trains.
- ii) Meeting noted publicity for commencement of new lifts arranged by MP (publicity did not refer to our input and work has still not started), and also his announcement that he is pursuing the construction of a ramp from the car park to the southbound platform. At his suggestion we wrote to F Thomas of WM Trains to support their application for Access for All funding.
LICHFIELD CITY– i) Noted that the re-opening of the toilets, promised for October, has still not happened.
- ii) R Hartley advised that he has had no success in progressing discussions between police and WM Trains to install a ticket barrier. He is to renew contact.
STATION FOOTFALLS P Cousins circulated copies of the footfalls for the period 2009/10 to 2017/18 provided by ORR. Combined figures for Lichfield City and LTV total 1.89m (1.36m in 2009/10). Discussed the category allocated to the Lichfield stations (LTV-E and City -D) compared with Tamworth (C2 footfall 1.2m) and Nuneaton (C1 – footfall 1.3m). The meeting understands that the categories may influence funding decisions, but also that a TOC may request Network Rail to review these categories; we will ask WM Trains to do so.
LICHFIELD TO BURTON R Hockney reported that NMA management are ambivalent about a station to serve the NMA, noting that visitors will still have a journey on foot from station to NMA. But the present owners of the nearby land, currently used for extraction, are considering future sale for development – this could mean the re-opening of the line.
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OTHER BUSINESS
i)Network Rail have granted 100 hours of possession of the line south of Shortbutts Lane to happen during Christmas 2019 to allow the road and canal to be positioned below. Two shorter closures expected earlier in 2019.
- ii) Upper St John Street by City Station will be closed on Christmas Day THIS YEAR – reason not known.
iii)WM Rail have blamed staff shortages for recent delays.
- iv) Franchises for East Midlands and WCML will be announced in April and May respectively
- v) HS2 works will begin in 2019
NEXT MEETINGS
21ST January at 7.30pm 1st February (Friday) at 7pm with MP Michael Fa