Will electrification derail Barnt Green?

Residents are invited to a drop-in event at the Scout and Guide Centre, Blackwell Road, Barnt Green on Tuesday 9 December between 12.00 and 19.00 at which Network Rail representatives, and their contractors, will be available to discuss the impact of the rail electrification on Barnt Green, specifically the proposals for road closures, rebuilding the bridges and the station footbridge.

Please take this opportunity to find out about the impact of electrification on the village and to press for the installation of lifts at the station footbridge.

The following is an extract from Network Rail correspondence to Worcestershire County Council’s Transport Planning Officer, David Balme, dated 17 October 2014 regarding the installation of lifts at the station footbridge:

Network Rail fully recognises our obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including the principle of reasonable adjustment. The design of the new footbridge includes space for lift shafts. However, Barnt Green was not on the Department for Transport’s list of stations eligible for Access for All funding in the 2015-19 period. This means there is no automatic clear funding for providing the lifts.

Network Rail are working to close the funding gap with the intention of securing sufficient funds to provide the three lifts for the footbridge and the associated running costs, to be provided when or shortly after the bridge is built.

This is an important issue about which residents should continue to lobby our MP, the Department of Transport and Network Rail.