ADDITIONAL trains serving Lichfield Trent Valley station have been welcomed.
Avanti West Coast currently operates hourly trains on the West Coast Main Line between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston.
But from 15th December there will be a phased introduction of additional services which will make Lichfield Trent Valley a permanent stop.
As a result, four extra trains will run from Monday to Friday with three more on Saturdays and an additional two on Sundays.
Lichfield MP Dave Robertson said:
“Many of my constituents regularly commute to London on the train and tell me that services are overcrowded, uncomfortable and few and far between.
“I have met with Avanti West Coast in Lichfield and in Parliament to stress the need for new services to alleviate congestion and provide better connections to the capital and the north west for my constituents.
“I am delighted to see more trains coming into service, but I will keep pushing to improve public transport in Lichfield, Burntwood and the villages, as there is much more to do.”
The additional services will also call at Tamworth offering increased local connections for passengers as well.
Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth – which includes Whittington, Stonnall, Shenstone and Fazeley – said:
“I welcome the news of the new Avanti trains following their meeting with Dave and myself.
“I will continue to fight for better transport links for our towns and villages.”
Mark Osborne, regional growth manager for Avanti West Coast, said:
“In addition to our existing services we will be adding additional services to and from Lichfield Trent Valley and Tamworth from 15th December.
“Seats for these services can be booked now and up to 12 weeks in advance.”
The new trains coming into service will be see a weekday London-bound service from Lichfield Trent Valley at 10.14am and 11.15am, along with Liverpool-bound services at 2.23pm and 5.16pm.
Saturdays will see additional London-bound services at 8.15am, 10.15am and 2.15pm, while passengers travelling on Sunday can head south on an extra train from Lichfield at 1.15pm or north on the additional 3.24pm service.
I cannot for the life of me see why any MP would attempt to claim this increase in trains as a result of their actions. Clearly the more obvious explanation is that the company looked at the number of passengers, the profit potential and the feedback from customers and made a decision based on this.
This is great news! As someone who regularly commutes between Lichfield & Manchester by train, I welcome this improved service, Nice one Dave!
At least Dave you’ll be able to make a quick get away in four years once we’ve thrown you back out.
Gurt our infamous attention seeking former MP Mr Fabricant would have done this and so much more. Remember all his infamous and excruciating appearances on TV and in the media over the years? Given that Avanti had already cut the service and was in danger of loosing their franchise and needed to be seen to be doing something is probably a better reason than the ones you give. A bit of additional pressure from out local MPs in Lichfield and Tamworth probably also helped. Just glad we are getting better connections.
Now where is Dave when it comes to taking the credit for the winter fuel cut, or the death tax on farmers?
This also has nothing to do with actions from any political force, Avanti has been planning to increase the service at Lichfield for years due to exceptional demand.
Would be an achievement if the trains actually ran . Every second train on a Sunday gets cancelled. Another labour promise that’s not going to happen.
Commuter (for work) train times would be more helpful.
If you read back this has been in planning for 12 months. Sorry Labour just a good photo opportunity. Now, the real test is will the trains operate. Avanti trains from LTV have a shocking cancellation record!! Let’s review in 6 months
We have one poster telling us that Labour is responsible for cancellations and another telling us that Labour has nothing to do with extra trains or otherwise.
They can’t both be right. Which is it?
@St John’s C: I think you’ll find both pensioners and farmers have had the opportunity to meet Dave face to face to air their grievances. This is more than Michael Fabricant bothered to do for those of us impacted by Brexit.
I’m not a Labour voter, but credit where credit’s due: we now have an MP who is actually doing his job.
Good news at last.
@Clare Sholl : Clare your not a labour voter , I thought you was Dave’s spokesperson on LL. I find your post very cold towards the pensioners and farmers. They had there chance now move on. Well it’s not over most of country is behind the pensioners and farmers. Labour cannot tell the truth Starmer, Rayner and Rachel from accounts need to go. Today on the radio there was a pensioner called Teresa from Leicester who is in poor health , living in one room of her house with no heating on. Halfway through talking to the presenter she broke down. It was heart wrenching.
Positive proof that Lichfield is predominantly a commuter city. Not self contained with meaningful employment. Of course Birmingham has been the main centre for the area for many years. Many people moved here and commute to work there but it seems northern cities are now becoming a part in that trend. It is obvious that the housing expansion, with all the problems that comes with it, is not to serve local needs. Apparently this is considered desirable by the council. I just can’t see why.
Great there are extra trains in the day! I’d love to see a later service though, the last trains in both directions are too early to anccomodate evening events.