New station and more trains heading to Wolverhampton

A joint report issued by Britain's rail operators said an extra £20 billion would be invested in train services next year.

It said that in the Midlands, an extra 180 trains going to and from Birmingham would be put into service, creating space for an additional 50,000 passengers.

The long-awaited new Wolverhampton railway station, which would connect bus, tram and rail services, is also due to open.

Wales will benefit from the continuation of a £40m train refurbishment programme, with 186 more services running on Sundays.

The investment report builds on the industry’s long-term plan to improve passenger and freight services to benefit customers, communities and the economy.

Significant progress has been made since this plan was published two years ago with more than 2,500 brand new carriages already introduced and over 4,000 extra services running each week, improving journeys and better connecting communities across the country.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the industry, said that by the mid-2020s more than 11,300 extra trains a week would have been added to timetables across the country, an overall increase of almost 10 per cent.

This is alongside 8,000 new train carriages planned over the same period, said the report.

Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “People want a better railway and we are investing in a long-term plan to make that happen.

"Next year, our passengers and the communities that rely on rail can expect more trains to more places and new carriages with more seats and better wi-fi.

"Those improvements will drive economic growth increase productivity and help set Britain up for success in the long term."