Minutes of Meeting Monday 7.30 pm Monday 9th February 26, Kings Head, Lichfield
ATTENDEES Richard Henshaw, Paddy Martin, David Bathurst, John Woodcock, David James, Roger Hartley, Ian Jackson, Matthew Bentley, Roger Hockney, Peter King, John Adams
APOLOGIES RECEIVED
Geoff Lusher, Jane Arnstein, David Dundas
MINUTES OF 12th JANUARY MEETING AND MATTERS ARISING
The minutes of the meeting were approved. All matters arising covered below.
SHENSTONE STATION ADOPTION & FACILITIES
Nothing to currently report. Jane is wondering whether transition from West Midlands Railway to state ownership will have any impact on Station Adoption.
LICHFIELD STATION ADOPTION & FACILITIES
Nothing to currently report from Station Adoption Group. Lift was out of action for at least a week but repaired on 4th February. Richard has been promised a response from Geoff Grant (West Midlands Trains) by 20th February on lack of defibrillator at Lichfield City station and request for additional seating.
LICHFIELD TO BURTON
Planned (but not yet approved) housing development along the route would strengthen the case for reopening. The Lichfield District Local Plan would identify areas for housing development, but an up-to-date plan does not currently exist. Fradley / Alrewas area has been identified as a potential site for a new town but no firm proposals yet.
LICHFIELD TO WALSALL
Greenway is proving popular with walkers but not many cyclists are using it, as the surface is not that suitable.
HS2
Rail Minister, Lord Hendry launched The Tunnel Boring Machine for the first bore of the tunnel from Old Oak Common to Euston on 27th January.
HS2 is proposing to close the A38 between Swinfen Interchange & Hilliards Cross in both directions from 27th March to 7th April. The proposed northbound & southbound diversions use Upper St. John Street & Birmingham Road. Members were concerned that the diversions will cause congestion in Lichfield. John Adams was surprised the Southern Bypass was not being used for the diversions. Although a slightly longer distance, this would keep congestion away from City Centre. The north bound slip road to A38 at Streethay will be closed for a year.
Apart from crossing of A5 and A38, all work north of Delta Junction near Coleshill is paused for 4 years, to allow work to be concentrated on completing London Old Oak Common to Birmingham Curzon Street. Members feel the part completed work around Lichfield needs
tidying up.
Government has announced a plan to build a new rail link between Birmingham and Manchester, but as Northern Powerhouse Rail will take precedence, completion will be after 2040. The new line will run from Handsacre to west of Manchester Airport, where it will join the Northern Powerhouse Route to reach Manchester Picadilly. It is expected that between Handsacre and Crewe the rote will use the land previously purchased for HS2. Although the announcement is welcome, it is disappointing that completion is many years away.
REVENUE PROTECTION
There seems to be more ticket checks by Revenue Protection teams. David James had his ticket checked on the 9.42 from Lichfield City on 2 consecutive Wednesday’s. David Bathurst had his ticket checked on recent journeys from New St. to Sutton and Witton to Walsall.
TREASURERS REPORT
Richard Patching has completed audit of 2025 Accounts, and they will be distributed to members prior to the AGM. Membership subscriptions slow in coming in.
ANY OTHER BUSINESS
West Midlands Trains has now transferred to public ownership.
A green recycling bin has been installed at Trent Valley Station. John Woodcock had taken a recent photo, showing it to be overflowing. There needs to be more or bigger bins.
David Bathurst had recently been on a visit with The Branch Line Society to the Birmingham Rail Resilience Centre. It is based in a unit on a modern Industrial Estate about 15 minutes’ walk from Witton Railway Station and has only been open a few months. It is one of several centres in the U.K. and trains people (Rail Staff and Emergency Services) to deal with emergencies on the Rail Network.
Richard had attended an East Midlands Railway Stakeholder Conference at the Nottingham Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. East Midlands Railway are pleased the new Bi Mode Class 810 Aurora’s are now entering service, but they are frustrated that electrification of the Midland Main Line north of Wigston Junction has been paused by the government.