West Midlands Trains ________________________________________________________________________________________
our station buildings – recent openings include multi-million-pound schemes at Kidderminster , Wolverhampton and University ( Birmingham ) – as well as constructing brand new ones to bring rail connectivity to even more communities . Three new stations are on track to open in south Birmingham in 2025 , with more in the pipeline at strategic locations across our network .
Beyond the track
“ Our communities are at the heart of everything we do and in recent years we have invested millions of pounds in community projects to make the railway a destination for local people . Schemes have included the transformation of disused station buildings at Bricket Wood in Hertfordshire and Henleyin-Arden in Warwickshire into a tearoom and bar respectively . We work closely with a small army of community volunteers – more than
Proud operators of the Stourbridge Shuttle on behalf of WMT .
Specialists in VLR light rail and heavy rail integration .
Tel : 01384 441325 Email : info @ premetro . org Web : www . premetro . org
300 – who donate thousands of hours every year to keeping their local stations attractive , in turn improving journeys for passengers right across the network ,” he enthuses .
“ Keeping the railway accessible is another key priority for us and we are committed to improving the ease of use for our services and stations . We have a dedicated Stakeholder Equality Group whose function is to represent the views and interests of passengers with additional needs . We have also worked closely with a disabled passenger to introduce new facilities at stations with high passenger numbers to ensure customers can easily receive the assistance they require .
“ It is not only trains and stations which bring opportunities for innovation . We meticulously plan our timetables to make sure we are using our resources in the right way , ensuring we have the right number of carriages and services to meet demand without profligate spending . We ’ re also committed to identifying and developing new routes and services for our passengers – our ambitious growth plans will improve connectivity and capacity . With significant change on the way in the rail industry , we believe that innovating to improve connectivity , increase passenger numbers and bring in additional revenue for the taxpayer is more vital than ever .
“ Away from trains and timetables , we know our most valuable asset is our people , which is why we are committed to making our business a place where colleagues want to work . We are also committed to young people , with an active apprenticeship program , a work placement scheme and a new graduate scheme in partnership with the University of Birmingham .
“ With a new government , the rail industry in the UK is set to undergo significant change and with innovation at our heart , we are fully committed to helping build a railway fit for the future ,” Ian concludes . ■
www . westmidlandsrailway . co . uk
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