A councillor has urged people to back a campaign to get the Lichfield to Burton railway line reopened.
No passenger services currently use the Cross City Line tracks beyond Lichfield Trent Valley station on a regular basis.
But Cllr Richard Henshaw, Liberal Democrat representative for Leomansley ward and a member of the Lichfield Rail Promotion Group, said reusing the route could help alleviate local transport issues.
He said:
“How many Lichfield District residents are aware of the existence of a well-maintained rail line between Lichfield and Burton parallel to the congested and dangerous A38 which is currently overwhelmed by HS2 works?
“This could – with a lot less work and effort than HS2 – be upgraded to passenger standards and relieve congestion and pollution, as well as serving the National Memorial Arboretum and Alrewas as well.
“The only blocks to this improvement of our local transport system appear to be the inertia of the county council and central government.”
Cllr Richard Henshaw
Cllr Henshaw said he hoped the issue would be a key part of the focus going forward.
“Please join us at Lichfield Rail Promotion Group to achieve this and specifically to lobby all the candidates at the forthcoming General Election.”
Cllr Richard Henshaw
We know that we have to accept that HS2 is going ahead and all that goes with that and that it will be bypassing Lichfield. The opportunity for an HS2 station at Lichfield is there to be grabbed. Together with this article’s proposal for upgrading the Lichfield to Burton line Lichfield, could become an HS2 hub for the East Midlands. But then we are dealing with Westminster, Stafford and Lichfield centres of politics so nothing will happen.
Incredible that reopening this line is still having to be debated. It’s clearly an obvious decision, especially given Arboretum
It’s really a no brainer, it would be a fantastic idea I’d happily jump on rather than run the gauntlet of the A38 which is hell……..
Yer great, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already, simply considering this would open the door to further mass housing developments
Great idea , better for the commuter and of course the environment
More expense and grossly underestimated, If you had not raised all the parking charges in Lichfield nobody would want to get to Burton!