Tamworth station lifts back in service

The lifts at Tamworth station have been refurbished as part of Network Rail’s West Coast South route enhancements programme.

Tamworth is a split-level station. Platforms 1 and 2, on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Scotland, are at ground level while Platforms 3 and 4, on the cross-country Birmingham to Derby line, are on a bridge over the WCML tracks. Passengers using Platform 2 have to take stairs or a lift up to Platform 4, cross the line using it as a bridge, and then descend to Platform 2. A third lift accesses Platform 3 from Platform 1.

Inconveniently, a passenger with reduced mobility or heavily luggage who wants to change from Platform 3 (arriving from Birmingham) to Platform 2 (towards London) using the lifts has to descend from Platform 3 to Platform 1, go up the other lift back to Platform 4, walk along the platform and then take the lift down to Platform 2. It’s complicated, but it is step-free access!

The £675,000 investment by Network Rail saw each of the three lifts taken out, mechanisms modernised, and new lighting installed. The improved lifts will benefit the 1.3 million passengers who use the busy interchange station each year.

Tom Wadsworth, senior asset engineer at Network Rail, said: “I understand the work on the lifts has been disruptive for passengers over the last few months and I’d like to thank people for bearing with us.

“I hope the improvements speak for themselves and the more modern, brighter lifts make a real difference to people’s journeys with better more reliable step-free access to platforms.”

The lift upgrade programme started in July and finished on 29 October 2020.

Sarah Higgins, head of stations for London Northwestern Railway, said: “I would like to thank our customers for their patience while Network Rail carried out these vital improvement works to keep our railway accessible for all.

“As well as being a valued local station, Tamworth is an important interchange for passengers heading to all corners of the country and these works will help us provide a smoother and easier travelling experience for all our customers.”