Thousands of extra seats to be added by West Midlands Trains
West Midlands Trains is adding thousands of extra seats to its timetable from next week – as demand for train travel continues to increase amid the easing of lockdown measures.
The operator – which runs West Midlands Railway and London North Western Railway – is stepping up its timetable with dozens of extra services from Monday, July 6.
But bosses are reminding commuters that the advice remains the same, that trains are for essential journeys only. Passengers are being reminded to check their journeys before travelling and to bring a face covering or mask to wear on their journey in line with new regulations.
Julian Edwards, managing director at West Midlands Trains, said: "This new timetable marks an important milestone for our customers and our colleagues as the country begins to get back to work.
More Covid-19 coverage:
"Since the pandemic began, we have moved quickly to adapt our timetable based on the level of demand and availability of our own staff, who are not immune to the effects of coronavirus.
"I am pleased we are now in a position where we can run more trains with as many carriages as we possibly can to help our passengers travel with confidence."
Key changes in the timetable include increasing the frequency of trains operating between Birmingham and Wolverhampton from Monday to Saturday, while services between Crewe and Stafford, via Stoke-on-Trent, will now continue to Birmingham New Street from Monday to Saturday.
An additional 40,000 seats will also be provided on London North Western Railway services to and from London every weekday, including 10,000 at peak times.
Passengers returning to the railway for the first time since lockdown are being urged to avoid peak travel times, buy their tickets online and allow extra time as some stations may have one-way systems in operation.
The new timetables will be available to view at www.wmr.uk and www.lnr.uk this week.
