Passengers thanked as Lichfield to Birmingham line reopens

The Cross City north line between Lichfield and Birmingham has fully reopened after a seven day closure for maintenance and improvement work.

Network Rail teams worked round-the-clock to carry out earthwork repairs, complete track maintenance and improvements, and cut back vegetation, all of which will help make the railway and journeys through the area safer and more reliable.

Birmingham City Council also continued its ongoing strengthening and refurbishment work on the A38(M) Tame Valley Viaduct which runs directly above the railway near Aston station.

The original closure was needed to install an HS2 viaduct, with the other work planned to make the most of the line being closed. The HS2 viaduct will now be installed at a later date.

As well as cutting back vegetation, Network Rail engineers also made essential repairs to a 10m high sandstone cutting near Lichfield. As part of the work, engineers removed loose 'at risk' blocks and trees to address ‘root jacking’ – a process where tree roots can destabilise the sandstone and increase the risk of rockfalls on to the track below.

Denise Wetton, Network Rail’s central route director, said: “This essential maintenance between Birmingham and Lichfield will help to make journeys safer and more reliable. It was carefully planned to cause the least disruption and we completed a huge amount of different improvements to make the most of the line being closed. We know there is never a good time for any closure, and I'd like to thank passengers for their patience over the last seven days."

Jonny Wiseman, West Midlands Railway customer experience director, said: “We are grateful for our passengers’ patience while important engineering works were carried out over the past week. We’re pleased the line has now reopened as planned and our normal timetable is now back in operation.”

Passengers can plan their journeys and check for the latest travel information at www.nationalrail.co.uk.