Capacity for 20,000 additional passengers across West Midlands network

There will be space for an additional 20,000 passengers in the West Midlands to travel into London and Birmingham through the introduction of of longer trains, according to an announcement from the Department for Transport (DfT).

A new operator is scheduled to take over the franchise in October 2017 and the DfT promises that rail passengers in the West Midlands ‘are set for better journeys’ as the invitation to tender details the minimum level of improvements bidders hoping to secure the next franchise will need to include in their proposals.

Announced by Rail Minister Paul Maynard, the benefits will include space fro 20,000 additional passengers into London and Birmingham; more than 300 extra Sunday services across the franchise by 2021; free Wi-Fi on all main line services by the end of 2019; new ticket options for part time travellers which provide better value options for customers who travel fewer than 5 days a week; and a new hourly service from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Crewe via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Additionally, bidders will be required to provide at least six apprenticeships as part of the franchise.

Maynard said: “We are making the biggest investment in the railways since the Victorian era and today marks a key step forward in giving passengers better journeys across the West Midlands and beyond.

“This franchise serves both commuters and long distance passengers and these benefits will deliver extra and smoother journeys for customers using these services.”