New era for train travel

A new era of rail travel through the Black Country got under way today with passengers promised tens of thousands more seats on services, including the Wolverhampton to Birmingham line.

Former Central Trains services will now be operated by Govia-owned London Midland, while Arriva Trains is running the new CrossCountry franchise after winning the contract from Virgin Trains. The new franchise holders are promising big improvements on services.

They say these will include trains which run through stations including Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Dudley, Tipton and Smethwick.

Govia's franchise, which will carry 32.8 million passengers a year, takes over from National Express-owned Central Trains, which have had their livery removed.

London Midland will combine the existing Silverlink County franchise and the major part of the current Central Trains franchise including the Snow Hill lines and the Birmingham to Liverpool route.

The agreement runs until September 2015 and will see the arrival of 64 new and refurbished trains, an £11.5 million investment in the look and feel of London Midland stations, new smartcard ticketing, improvements to passenger information, more car parking spaces and improvements to security with CCTV.

Meanwhile passengers will be sitting in rebranded carriages under Arriva Trains new CrossCountry franchise.

It won the contract from the Government for the £1.05 billion franchise from Central Trains and Virgin Trains.

Both will operate the same routes as their predecessors.

In the company's first two years, bosses have pledged to provide a 35 per cent increase in seating capacity on main routes to alleviate overcrowding during peak-time travelling.

Andy Cooper, managing director of CrossCountry, said: "Over time we will make radical improvements. Importantly we will be providing what passengers want most – more seats at busy times."