Having up to 100 extra trains running in the Midlands will help cut car journeys, transport chiefs say
Having up to 100 extra trains running through the Midlands each day under a £1.5 billion scheme will dramatically reduce the number of car journeys, chiefs have said.
Transport body Midlands Connect has submitted plans to the Government it says will boost the region’s economy by transforming east-west connections.
And it has been estimated the Midlands Rail Hub will lead to 29.3 million less miles travelled by car per year – with 14 million extra seats on the railway network each year.
Andy Clark, senior rail programme manager at Midlands Connect, said: "This figure shows why it’s so important the Midlands Rail Hub is built in full.
“This new research shows that we can make the train take the strain. The Midlands Rail Hub would deliver faster and more frequent journeys as well as 14 million extra seats on our railways. This key regional project will unlock the national rail network.”
The scheme includes additional hourly trains between Birmingham and stations including Bristol, Cardiff and Hereford, all stopping at Worcester.
Extra hourly trains will also run train between Redditch and Lichfield Trent Valley; and Bromsgrove and Lichfield Trent Valley.
Meanwhile access to HS2 in Birmingham will be improved, a new cross city line will see six trains per hour, and there will be platform improvements at Snow Hill station, according to the plans. Work on the scheme will start in 2025 providing it is signed off by ministers.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, previously said the scheme would unlock a “plethora of benefits” for residents across the wider Midlands region by drastically increasing capacity.
He said: “Midlands Rail Hub is a game changing scheme for our region. The benefits it can bring to local people and businesses are many – whether it’s connecting millions more people to the HS2 network; creating space for more local journeys, stations, and rail lines; or opening faster and more frequent rail links for commuters as well as business and leisure travellers.
“As we bounce back from Covid, Midlands Rail Hub will support our recovery by unlocking the bottleneck at Birmingham New Street to improve local services, whilst also better connecting the East and West Midlands.
“All of this helps open access to opportunities right across the Midlands and supports thousands of jobs during a critical period for our region. When the West Midlands succeeds, the country succeeds, and the sooner Government enables us to start delivering this project the sooner our local residents will experience a plethora of benefits.”
