Lichfield Trent Valley Station is on the Cross City Line to Birmingham and the West Coast Main Line to London. It also serves the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas.
The station is currently undergoing six months of work to replace the damaged platform 3 during which Cross City Line trains will terminate at Blake Street and a rail replacement bus will operate between Blake Street and Lichfield Trent Valley.
History
Lichfield Trent Valley Station was opened in 1847 by the Trent Valley Railway (TVR), which connected the London and Birmingham Railway at Rugby with the Grand Junction Railway at Stafford. The TVR was merged into the London and North Western Railway in July 1846, and the two were combined to form the West Midlands Railway in 1903.
This is one of only two stations in the city of Lichfield; the other is the much smaller Lichfield City station in the centre. It is a split-level station, with the low level platforms serving the Trent Valley section of the West Coast Main Line, while the single high level platform serves as the northern terminus of the Cross City Line.
It is served by trains to Birmingham, Crewe, Lichfield, Milton Keynes, Manchester and Stafford, as well as local services to Streethay, Fradley, Alrewas and Whittington. Services are operated by Virgin Trains, West Midlands Railway and Northern, with many services offering extra carriages during the rush hour.
The station has a car park with 228 spaces, including 10 disabled spaces. Parking at the station is free of charge.
Location
Lichfield Trent Valley Station is located on the section of the West Coast Main Line called the Trent Valley Line. The original station had two platforms – high level serving the Birmingham – Burton and Stafford routes, and low level serving the more frequent Euston to London, Shenstone and Four Oaks services – but the high level platform(s) were closed on 18 January 1965 with the withdrawal of passenger services, the low level platform remaining open until the opening of the Cross City line in 1988 when it became a single platform terminus for services to Birmingham and Shenstone only (the other platforms at the station have been demolished).
Train services to and from Lichfield Trent Valley are operated by London Northwestern Railway, using Hitachi trains. Off-peak services call at the station on the Manchester Piccadilly to Birmingham via Macclesfield route, whilst peak services go to and from London via Shenstone and Manchester.
The station has a staffed ticket office and self-service machines providing a full range of fares. The platforms have CCTV and are well lit at night. Facilities include waiting rooms, and there’s step-free access to the platforms. A Coco Meli Bakery van calls at the station during the week selling coffee and baked goods.
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Services
The station is served by West Midlands Trains and Avanti West Coast services. These operate frequent services to London Euston and other destinations in the north, as well as Liverpool and Tamworth in the south. It also offers off-peak trains to Manchester Piccadilly and Lancaster, while additional calls can be made to Glasgow Central and Carlisle.
As well as being the northern terminus of the Cross City line, Lichfield Trent Valley is a busy West Midlands Trains hub, serving passengers from across the city and beyond. There are four trains every hour in each direction. One service is direct to Birmingham New Street while the remaining two are through services which call at Lichfield City before terminating at the Trent Valley terminal.
A key service from Lichfield Trent Valley is the semi-fast hourly train to London Euston, which uses Class 350 EMUs to call at Birmingham New Street, Nuneaton, Rugby and Milton Keynes Central before heading on to Crewe. There are also two services each hour in each direction to Stafford, with some trains skipping Duddeston and calling at Shenstone.
A full range of facilities is available at the station, including a staffed ticket office and self-service ticket machines, as well as waiting rooms with seating and toilets. It is also a good place to catch buses and taxis, which can be hailed outside the station.
Facilities
The station offers a number of facilities for passengers including a cafe, a restaurant and a range of shops. It is also a stop on the Heart of England Way, a long distance path that runs through Lichfield and the surrounding countryside.
Lichfield Trent Valley station is on the northern outskirts of the city centre, and serves trains to Birmingham, Crewe, London, Milton Keynes, Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent. There are around 56 departures and arrivals at the station throughout the day. The fastest journey takes just over 50 minutes. There are also regular off-peak services to Manchester Piccadilly and Lancaster, as well as hourly calls on the Cross City Line to Liverpool Lime Street and Tamworth.
There is a level crossing at the station, and there are a number of bus routes that pass nearby. The station is also accessible to people with reduced mobility and there are several taxi ranks outside the building.
The station is due to undergo a major refurbishment of its platforms and building from 2023 to 2024. Platform 3, which sees Cross City Line trains call, will be closed during this time and rail replacement buses will operate to and from Lichfield City. This is to allow work to be carried out on the upper level structure. The closure will last for six months.
