MIDLANDS

Birmingham:

March 4 was the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of local passenger services from New Street on routes to Derby and Leicester. This meant the closure of significant numbers of intermediate stations. Leicester- Nottingham locals were also taken off on the same day.

Leek:

Staffordshire Moorlands Council has received the planning application for the new Churnet Valley Railway station. The single line will require realignment of the footpath between Cornhill and Leekbrook Junction.

Loughborough:

The Brush factory is preparing for 270 redundancies, because of a downturn in orders for gas and steam- powered generators. This does not affect Wabtec’s facility.

Market Harborough:

Work has begun on Midland Main Line track realignment, which will be completed in December 2019. To speed up the project, no trains are calling at the station on Sundays during March.

Stewartby:

Demolition of the last four chimneys at the former rail- served brickworks on the BedfordBletchley line ( there were once 32) has been approved, on the condition that a replica chimney is built with the word Stewartby prominently displayed. Up to 4,000 new homes are earmarked for the site.