THE FIRST new-look ‘West Midlands Railway’ trains went into service on Monday, signalling £1billion investment into the UK rail network.
West Midlands Trains (WMT), a joint venture between Abellio, JR East and Mitsui, have now taken over the franchise from London Midland after winning the contract back in August.
WMT will run West Midlands Railway (WMR) and London Northwestern Railway (LNR). WMR will operate in and around Birmingham and LNR will operate on the Euston, Northampton, Birmingham and Liverpool corridor.
As part of the £1billion investment, £680million will go on new trains manufactured by Bombardier and CAF. By the end of the franchise the company claims there will be 25 per cent more carriages on the network than there was at the beginning.
There will also be £70million worth of investment towards new and existing depots as well as £60million on station improvements. The company said the moves were aimed at providing far more capacity for those heading into London and Birmingham during rush hour, with space for an extra 85,000 passengers at this time.
To deliver all this WMT will be putting £18million towards staff training and development at all levels. It has also committed to training 900 apprentices over the next eight and a half years.
Two launch events were held for the franchise on Monday – one in Birmingham and one in Northhampton to recognise the two different brands. Attendees included Rail Minister Paul Maynard, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, and Iain Stewart MP from the Transport Select Committee.
Mr Maynard said he was delighted to welcome the beginning of a new era for West Midland rail passengers.
“This Government is delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for over a century and we are committed to giving passengers the services they want across the country.
“The new West Midlands franchise will transform travel for tens of thousands of passengers thanks to over £1bn of investment which will mean longer, more frequent trains, faster journeys and a more reliable service for passengers.“
West Midlands Trains’ managing director Jan Chaudhry-van der Velde said: “It’s great to get started on delivering everything we’ve promised to our customers across the network.
“The £1bn of investment will allow West Midlands Trains to be one of the core drivers of faster economic growth throughout the regions in which it operates.
“We’re delighted to see so many of our new trains produced in the Midlands, stimulating the local economy.
“Along with the 900 apprenticeships put in place over the coming years, we’ll be building a legacy that will benefit the industry for decades to come.”
