EXCLUSIVE: Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant has vowed to continue his fight for the modernisation of Lichfield Trent Valley railway station.
Following his failure to get called by the Speaker about the poor state of Lichfield Trent Valley railway station during Transport Questions in the Commons, Mr Fabricant tabled a written Parliamentary Question about the lack of facilities there for disabled people and those with young children and heavy luggage.
He received this answer from Paul Clark MP, the Minister at the Department of Transport:
“There are currently no plans to carry out work at Lichfield Trent Valley under the Access for All or National Stations Improvement Programmes. However, London Midland are exploring options with the local authority to redevelop the whole site to improve station facilities, provide additional car parking and if possible, provide step free access to all platforms.
“If such a project can be developed, we would welcome an application for partial funding from the Access for All Small Schemes fund. An accessible ticket machine has recently been installed and improvements to the toilet and waiting facilities are due in the summer. Information points, customer information screens and a public address system are also planned.”
But Mr Fabricant has vowed this won’t be the end of the matter. He said:
“This is more or less the same answer I got years ago from another minister in that same position. Must be the same civil servants. I am now awaiting replies from Staffordshire County Council and the London Midland train company who operate the station. Watch this space… I plan to bang some heads together.”
