Network Rail has carried out major improvements at Lichfield Trent Valley station over Christmas which will improve journeys for Cross City line passengers.

Last summer, Network Rail removed the old bridge which carried trains over the West Coast main line, and since then, the Cross City line has been stopping short at Lichfield City station.

Workers installed a new platform bridge while trains were not running on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, completing the work in time for the West Coast main line’s reopening today (Wednesday 27 December). Engineers worked night and day, using a 650-tonne crane to lift the forty-metre-long bridge deck into place.

The bridge replacement is being carried out as part of a £5.8m investment to improve journeys on this route through the West Midlands.

On New Year’s Day, Network Rail will carry out upgrade work on the route between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International stations, one of the busiest stretches of railway in the West Midlands. Engineers will:

• maintain the complex web of overhead electric wires which power trains
• replace three switches and crossings
• upgrade signalling systems
• examine bridge structures.

Because of this work, train journeys on Monday 1 January will take longer, trains will be busier, and buses will replace some trains.

• Local trains between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International will not run.
• West Midlands Trains will operate rail replacement buses between Birmingham International, Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Adderley park and Birmingham Moor Street stations (instead of Birmingham New Street).
• Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry will run a significantly reduced service between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International stations.

Network Rail is advising passengers to plan ahead, but visiting the National Rail website.

Federica Labanca, principal route engineer for Network Rail, said: “We’re really grateful to passengers for bearing with us while we upgraded the bridge at Lichfield Trent Valley station as part of our Christmas improvements and look forward to reopening platform 3 on the Cross City line this weekend.

“Although the majority of our festive upgrades are complete, I want to remind passengers travelling across the Midlands to check before they travel on New Year’s Day when we will be carrying out essential track work between Birmingham and Coventry to make journeys more reliable. Our advice is to plan your journey in advance by using National Rail Enquiries.”