Michael Fabricant MP
Michael Fabricant MP

The Government’s new ‘railway station champions’ have been invited to view the state of facilities at Lichfield Trent Valley.

The invite has come from Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant, who yesterday admitted he was sceptical about the appointment of  by Transport Minister Lord Adonis.

Mr Fabricant has long campaigned about both the poor levels of service at Lichfield Trent Valley and the lack of disabled facilities at the station which mean two of the three platforms are inaccessible to disabled passengers.

The Lichfield MP said:

“With Network Rail, London Midland Trains, and the Department of Transport all making excuses about not upgrading Lichfield Trent Valley railway station, I am taking a further step.

“The latest wheeze announced by the Government is the appointment of two ‘Stations Champions’ or ‘Tsars’ by the Department of Transport.  I am unconvinced they will make any difference and that this is but Gordon Brown window dressing. Nevertheless, I have written today in good faith to Lord Andrew Adonis, the Minister of State at the Department of Transport inviting one of the Stations’ Champions to visit me in Lichfield where I will show him the lamentable facilities at Lichfield Trent Valley station.”

Sir Peter Hall, President of the Town and Country Planning Association, and Chris Green, a non-executive director of Network Rail and a former Chief Executive of Virgin Trains, have been appointed by Lord Adonis to advise the Government on improving stations.

And Mr Fabricant believes the issue of disabled facilities at Trent Valley should be given a high priority. He explained:

“In my letter to Lord Adonis, I said: ‘It would be useful if the Stations’ Champion could see at first hand the lack of facilities at the station with two of the three platforms inaccessible to disabled passengers’.

“With an hourly service available down to our nation’s capital, it is a disgrace that disabled people are unable, and those with luggage or young children have to struggle, to reach the train.  This is all in stark contrast to the promises the Labour Government made to help the disabled back in 1997.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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Lichfield MP joins debate over plans for region’s railways
14 years ago

[…] Mr Fabricant invited one of the newly appointed ‘Station Tsars’ to visit Lichfield. Tagged with: Lichfield Trent Valley    Michael […]

George Slade
14 years ago

Perhaps Sir Peter Hall would like to join the Mind that Gap campaign that we started after our Son Simon was killed at Gidea Park station

Lichfield MP joins debate over plans for region’s railways
14 years ago

[…] Recently, Mr Fabricant invited one of the newly appointed ‘Station Tsars’ to visit Lichfield. […]