Passengers urged to check train times over Christmas

People are being urged to check before they travel with amended timetables to be in place on West Midlands Trains services between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day.

In addition, Network Rail will be carrying out planned improvement works during the Christmas period.

It follows months of criticism aimed at West Midlands Trains over delays, cancellations and overcrowding after the introduction of a new timetable.

The train operator said customers should plan ahead and allow plenty of time for their journeys, as services are likely to be busier than usual.

Commercial director Andy Camp said: “A lot of people will be travelling over Christmas and New Year and we want everyone to get where they need to be as smoothly as possible.

"We advise our passengers to leave plenty of time to make their journey and to check their train times before setting out. We don’t want anyone to get caught out by amended timetables or to miss their last train home.”

On Christmas Eve, reduced timetables will operate on some routes from 3pm onwards, with services finishing earlier than usual.

Trains will continue to run from Wolverhampton through the Black Country to Birmingham but will end earlier before 11pm.

As usual there will be no trains operating on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Services will then resume slightly later than normal on Friday, December 27.

Planned improvement works are taking place at some locations between December 27 and New Year's Day, affecting services across the network.

In the West Midlands, improvement works on the Cross City Line will see the stretch of track between Blake Street and Lichfield Trent Valley closed on December 27 and 28, with rail replacement buses in operation.

Revised timetables will be in operation on December 27, December 30 and New Year's Eve on London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Watford Junction, Tring, Milton Keynes Central and Northampton.