All you need to know about West Midlands Railway's new trains as first ones enter service
You've probably seen them parked up in sidings as your train makes its way around the Black Country, but yesterday the first of West Midlands Railway's newest trains carried its first passengers.
The Class 730 electric multiple units took customers between Bletchley, Tring and London Euston on Monday, but will be coming to a station near you within the next few months.
These trains have been a long time coming; first ordered in 2017, the original plan was for them to enter service in 2021, however the Covid pandemic delayed construction and testing of the new trains, as well as training for drivers and conductors.
However, the green signal has lit up for these units which will soon be running around the Black Country, Staffordshire and Birmingham.
Here's all you need to know about the trains:
How many Class 730 trains are there?
A total of 84, with 48 three-carriage trains and 36 five-carriage versions.
Where will they be used?
The three-carriage versions will be the ones used predominantly in the Black Country. They will be used on the Walsall-Birmingham-Wolverhampton route and the Cross City Line, which carries passengers from Lichfield to Birmingham and Redditch/Bromsgrove.
However, for now they're being borrowed by West Midlands Railway's sister company, London Northwestern Railway, for use between Milton Keynes and London Euston, while the latter's five-carriage sets are completed.
Once they are finished, they will run on Birmingham-Northampton-Milton Keynes-London Euston, Liverpool-Birmingham and Crewe-London Euston services.
When will they appear in the Black Country?
West Midlands Railway bosses have said the first class 730s will enter service in the West Midlands early next year. They'll be used on the Walsall-Wolverhampton route first, followed by the Cross City Line in the spring.
How many seats do they have?
The three-carriage versions have 199 seats while the longer versions going to London will have 463 seats in each five-carriage set.
Other features
The trains feature 2+2 seating, which West Midlands Railway says results in "open gangways providing a much more spacious feel".
They also contain:
More bike storage areas, enabling up to three bikes to be carried
At least one accessible toilet on every train
Clear luggage racks to minimise forgotten bags
Improved digital information screens
Plug and USB sockets at every seat
Underfloor heating and intelligent air conditioning reacting to carriage environment
Free WiFi
The three-car trains have a top speed of 90mph, while the five-carriage trains will be able to reach 110mph.
What will happen to the current trains?
The Class 323s, currently used on the Cross City Line, will be entirely replaced by the new trains. Most of them will go back to Northern, where they're sub-let from.
Meanwhile some the London Northwestern Railway Class 350 trains, which will be replaced on services to London and Liverpool, will also be withdrawn before the end of 2024, although others will remain with the operator.
