Action Briefing December 2006 - January 2007
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

Local Railway Stations in Danger!

Polesworth, Stone, Norton Bridge, Etruria, Barlaston, Wedgewood Stations

One of our local MEPs (for the West Midlands) is Liz Lynne.  Her website is www.lizlynne.org.uk.  On that website there are some quite impressive press releases and articles including one on recycling of household waste in the west Midlands (30 August 2006).  Knowing of Liz’s track record, a number of BFOE members wrote to her about the closure or poor service at the railway stations listed above.  The response was that local railway stations are not a ‘European’ matter.  We beg to differ.

The stations listed lie on the electrified main line railway that is branded ‘West Coast Main Line’, which is part of the ‘Trans European Network’ (TEN).  The reason in most cases for the communities to lose their rail services is that train planners for this European railway are interested in long distance high-speed trains and stopping trains are merely a bit of clutter.

Take Action
Contact Liz Lynne and ask that she think again.  Local facilities and local services may be clutter – but clutter that matters.  You can contact her y email: info@lizlynne.org.uk

Thank you

John Hall