New passenger lifts open at Lichfield Trent Valley station

Navigating the West Midlands railway network has been made easier for passengers with mobility needs after the important opening of new lifts at Lichfield Trent Valley station this week.

The two lifts provide passengers with step-free access to easily transfer between West Coast Main Line platforms used by London Northwestern Railway trains and the Cross City Line platform for West Midlands Railway services towards Birmingham, Redditch and Bromsgrove.

The £2.3million scheme at the strategically-important station was funded under the ‘Access for All’ programme aimed at transforming the way people use the railway.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for station operator West Midlands Railway, said: “We are committed to making our railway accessible for our customers and these lifts at Lichfield Trent Valley are a welcome addition.

“With social distancing in place we are currently asking passengers to travel by train only if really necessary but this facility will enhance the travelling experience for years to come.

“Looking further ahead, passengers at Lichfield can look forward to the introduction of brand new electric trains which are currently under construction and will serve both the Cross City Line into Birmingham and London Northwestern Railway services on the West Coast Main Line.”

Dave Penney, central route director at Network Rail, which ran the project, said: “The new lifts at Lichfield Trent Valley will be a game-changer for passengers and the local community.

"Delivering this project has been tough, with the pandemic changing how we work and it’s thanks to the hard work of our of engineers and partners that we can now have step-free access to the platforms for those who need it.”