Network Rail under fire over land

   March 2010

NETWORK Rail, the organisation which owns the railway tracks in the U.K., came under fire from a Nantwich Town Councillor minutes after a ceremony which marked a community project's efforts to give Nantwich railway station an attractive face. 

   As Nantwich in Bloom members and others were chatting after the Mayor of Nantwich (Cllr Edith Williams) had unveiled a plaque marking the award, Town Councillor John Lewis (pictured above), a member of Nantwich Transport

Group, spoke  exclusively to "A Dabber's Nantwich".

    He bemoaned the state of the station forecourt - a piece of land on the other side of the station wall which the Town Council would like to fund as a car park.

   He said: "The sad thing is the station forecourt is looking so poor, and that’s the responsibility of Network Rail.

   "The evidence where we are standing now is that there are 30 cars using it as a car park. This could be a formal car park which would help everybody.

    “The 30 cars there totally disproves what Network Rail says about access.”

   “The Town Council has put aside money to tarmac it but we can get no response from Network

Rail who seem to endlessly create problems about access.

   “It has now been nearly three years of trying to negotiate with Network Rail to get this changed to a car park. They seem to be totally negative about progressing the issue. Very strange.

   “This is the main gateway to the town, and it is such a mess. We have made the station nice but as soon as you step round the corner you are into rubble and a real mess.

   “Arriva Trains were really supportive in the station when we redesigned the layout and the flowerbeds. Network Rail are totally the opposite.”    

lNetwork Rail were invited to comment on Cllr Lewis's remarks. They didn't reply.   

The station award