Michael Fabricant helping to inspect the track near Lichfield Trent Valley

Lichfield’s MP has been seeing first hand how work on the railways in the area is carried out.

Michael Fabricant joined Network Rail and London Midland staff to repair a fault just outside Lichfield Trent Valley station.

Michael Fabricant helping to inspect the track near Lichfield Trent Valley
Michael Fabricant helping to inspect the track near Lichfield Trent Valley

“As a chartered engineer, I was fascinated to witness track maintenance or myself,” he said. “This was a relatively simple job. Even so, precautions have to be in place to prevent any injury from oncoming trains and the line had to be blocked for a while.

“The problem that had been detected a few days earlier was that part of the track had subsided by a few millimetres. The track had to be jacked up, ballast inserted underneath and then compacted so that the line was level again.

“I was really grateful to the Network Rail site team for finding the time to explain all this to me.”

The Conservative MP also had the chance to discuss the future of the cross city line and the future of the line between the city and Burton during a visit to the nearby signal box.

“The box at Lichfield Trent Valley operates the points on the freight line that runs through Alrewas to Burton and is currently just used for freight,” he said. “It is one of the few signal boxes left that still uses traditional levers.

“I am keen that the line be instated for passenger traffic to relieve existing routes and take passengers to the National Memorial Arboretum.

“I’ve taken this up with the Department for Transport and it would relieve congestion on the A38 too.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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The Scribbler
6 years ago

Glad to see the issue of safety was taken seriously.
But surely the hard hat wasn’t necessary?
His hi-viz hair can be seen from space (true fact).

Darryl
6 years ago

“Look Michael, we line the track with minimum wage workers, who’ve died from exhaustion.”

why4ges
6 years ago

In the industry the blue hat has its own endearing term!