News Release

31st March 2003

NOW CROSS CITY TRAINS 'SIDELINE' LICHFIELD

Michael Fabricant is making urgent contact with Central Trains again today this time because angry Lichfield commuters have contacted their MP to tell him that many trains on the Lichfield-Redditch route are finding their trains are being terminated at Blake Street and not travelling onto Lichfield. Blake Street is the end of the West Midlands transport zone and commuters from Lichfield Trent Valley, Lichfield City, and Shenstone are being stranded. This is particularly the case with the rail strike. "Why is Lichfield being penalised?" asks Michael Fabricant. "If the trains can run to Blake Street, surely they can continue on a few stops to Lichfield Trent Valley according to the timetable. Why are Lichfield commuters being let down?"

Lichfield resident, Dominic Prentis who commutes daily to Birmingham New Street, has written to Michael Fabricant. Mr Prentis says:-

"Travellers on the cross city line from Lichfield to Redditch found that they were unable to travel at all on Friday as ALL trains from Redditch were terminated at Blake Street. The same will be the case on Monday. Blake Street marks the end of zone one from central Birmingham and as a result trains are frequently terminated there without going on to Shenstone, Lichfield City or Lichfield Trent Valley.

"Although revised timetables were posted in Lichfield City station from Tuesday night, as they often are for disruptions to Sunday services, there was no indication until you looked closely that there would be no services at all on those two days. A number of people were caught out by this as a revision does not imply cancellation of all services!

"NO replacement bus services were provided nor was there any information available to travellers about the nearest bus timetables etc (the same was the case in Blake Street). I managed to procure a lift as far as Butlers Lane station on Friday morning as my wife's school, where she is a teacher, is nearby. However, imagine my surprise when two trains travelling in the direction of Lichfield stopped at Butlers Lane within five minutes of each other! [It was 8.20 and 8.25 to be accurate]

"Why couldn't one of them have continued to Lichfield where the passengers pay MORE for their tickets!! To get home in the evening, I had to take the train as far as Butlers Lane and collect my wife's car which she left in a car park near the station. She managed to arrange a lift home with a colleague. I have no idea how other passengers got home as they are unlikely to have been as lucky as me."