... I do agree that the lack of amenities in the area around Tamworth station is sad though.
[WIBBLE]In an ideal world, Staffs CC would probably fund a regeneration project for the area (including a station revamp programme), but it seems unlikely, given that it's their most southerly town and the area nearer Stafford/Stoke would seem a higher priority in their eyes. [/WIBBLE]
I have long thought that if the place were named Tamwurth and located in Germany, the local authority would long, long ago have cooperated with business entrepreneurs and developed an office, hotel, shopping and conference centre on top of the station to take advantage of the excellent transport links offered by the two main lines.
That is transport links as operated by DB, which, unlike BR and Virgin, would have operated an hourly service (min) for half a century or more on the LNW line.
Of course, in practice, for decades until the LM service was introduced, Tamworth low level was like a forlorn lost child, so poor was the service. (I assume outside the peaks, any London, or Manchester/Liverpool travellers would be routed via New Street).
Back in the early 70s, I remember changing onto the low level one sunny morning for the one and only (I think it was only one) up Inter-city train of the day. It had new-fangled Mk IIEs (?) with guard's announcement system that needed to be tested. (I knew it would never catch on
)
