Golden era on track with £1bn revolution of West Midlands railways
A £1 billion revolution bringing 400 bigger trains, room for 85,000 extra passengers, more services and free wifi to West Midlands railways is on the way.
At least three extra services an hour will be introduced at Wolverhampton railway station to Stoke, Shrewsbury and Birmingham by December next year under bold new plans.
It comes after Dutch-Japanese consortium West Midlands Trains Ltd beat current provider London Midland to run the regional rail franchise until 2026.
The firm will take control at the end of the year and its plans include:
£700m for new and refurbished trains by 2021.
Compensation if services are delayed by more than 15 minutes.
20,000 more rush hour seats from Birmingham and 10,000 from London.
Standing room for 50,000 extra passengers travelling to and from Birmingham in ‘metro style’ carriages.
And £60m invested in station improvements and studies into developing new stations such as at Willenhall and Darlaston.
Wolverhampton council leader Roger Lawrence said: “This deal will help ensure we have efficient train services that connect with the rest of the wider bus and tram network and, of course, the forthcoming high speed rail line.
“That will underpin economic growth and the new jobs being created.”
There will also be 100 new carriages on the Cross City line between Lichfield and Longbridge with the route extended to Bromsgrove.
And there will be a roll out of ‘smart ticketing’ like London’s Oyster Card.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street says the huge cash injection will help create ‘a new golden era’ for the region’s trains.
WATCH Andy Street welcomes the new rail franchise
He believes the investment will improve journeys for passengers and also boost the local economy.
Mr Street said: “We want to see a new golden era for our local trains and today’s announcement is an important step towards that.
“Having the ability to use our local knowledge and understanding to shape what West Midlands Trains will deliver for passengers under this franchise has also been a game changer.
“I believe the deal secured will help create a railway that can not only improve people’s journeys but keep our economy growing and we look forward to working with West Midlands Trains in making that happen.”
Council bosses have also welcomed the move saying it will ensure that railways in the West Midlands cater for the real needs of passengers.
The trains running only in the West Midlands area will be jointly managed by the Department for Transport and West Midlands Rail (WMR), a consortium of 16 councils.
Walsall Council’s deputy leader Councillor Lee Jeavons said: “Improving the quality and increasing travel choices will help to alleviate road congestion, improve air quality and speed up journey times as well as generate better connections to our key district centres.
“I truly believe this will be a huge benefit to many people especially those commuting work every day.”
Cleaner trains, improved services and more space to grab a seat - passengers have given their wish list to new rail operators.
We’ve got a wish list for trains, say passengers
Announcing the new deal, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “This is great news for passengers using West Midlands services – with new trains, more space, more regular services and easier access for disabled people.
“We are improving the whole travelling experience with live train crowding information, compensation for people delayed by 15 minutes or more, smart ticketing and better value tickets for part-time workers.”
