Last call for thoughts on £200m Midlands rail scheme

Rail passengers and residents are being asked for their final opinions on a £200 million scheme that will improve reliability and see more trains on the West Coast Main Line.

The aim is to relieve a bottleneck at Norton Bridge near Stafford.

Network Rail's preferred option is a flyover to take Birmingham to Manchester trains over the existing main line. A final series of consultations starts this week. Rail chiefs say separating the path of services will improve the reliability of them and allow more to run on the route.

One additional train per hour will run between Manchester and Birmingham via Stone, while there will also be an additional freight train through Stafford.

But concerns have been raised over the disruption to nearby residents, as well as the potential knock-on effects for property prices.

John Green, chairman of Chebsey Parish Council, who lives in Shallowford, the next hamlet down from Norton Bridge, said the new line would be a "big upheaval".

He added: "All those in Norton Bridge and myself are in an island of trains under the new plans but fortunately we are in a cutting through Shallowford which has been let off.

"The new line will be 200 metres behind us, while the present one is 50 metres in front. It's a disturbing factor for residents. The plans will see the train lines rise by 8.5 metres."

The fourth and last consultation event will give residents their last chance to comment ahead of Network Rail submitting the plans in December.

An exhibition was taking place at Chebsey Village Hall today between 3 and 7pm, followed by St Luke's Church in Station Road, Norton Bridge, tomorrow between 11am and 3pm, and Stafford railway station between 4and 7pm on Wednesday. There will also be an event at Great Bridgeford Village Hall on Thursday between 2 and6pm.

Visit www.networkrail.co.uk/Stafford-NortonBridge

By Richard Woodall