West Midlands Trains ________________________________________________________________________________________

The biggest transformation is yet to come , with the forthcoming introduction of our Class 350 / 2 electric trains onto the West Coast Main Line to and from London Euston

◀ Ian McConnell , MD of West Midlands Trains

providing reliable journeys is at the heart of West Midlands Trains ’ identity .

“ Our services carry more than one million passengers every week , with routes connecting some of the UK ’ s biggest cities including London , Birmingham , and Liverpool . With a service departing roughly every 90 seconds , 363 days a year , our business is one of delivery , with our 3000 employees fully dedicated to keeping the country moving . We operate under two distinct brands – West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway – with each brand having its own identity , routes and customer base ,” Ian shares .

“ For London Northwestern Railway , much of the focus is on providing capacity for the tens of millions of journeys we provide into London Euston each year . For West Midlands Railway , our focus is on connecting dozens of population centers and being at the heart of our community . We are proud to be part of Transport UK Group , an award-winning public transport provider which has been serving customers for more than 20 years , previously as Abellio UK . Our company has a strong track record of modernization and cost efficiency and is leading the way in creating a low carbon transport system .”

Rail travel in the UK is on the rise once again , following the severe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on passenger numbers . While the numbers of people traveling by train are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels due to the increase in hybrid working patterns , leisure markets are performing strongly , with services in the evenings and at weekends very popular .

“ To cater for this increasing demand , we are bringing forward a significant £ 1 billion investment in new trains and associated infrastructure , such as depot enhancements . We have already rolled out one brand new train fleet – the Class 196 – serving communities across the Midlands including Shrewsbury , Worcester and Coventry ,” he elaborates .

Innovative investment

The fleet , manufactured by CAF in Spain and the UK , is made up of 80 carriages and entered passenger service in 2022 . Its increased capacity and comfort continue to prove popular with passengers and the trains are now in operation on three routes as their rollout continues .

“ Part of our commitment to our customers is for every single passenger to travel on either a new or upgraded train and already

56