West Midlands Trains

"London Northwestern Railway" and "West Midlands Railway" redirect here. For the historical train company, see London and North Western Railway. For former train operating company, see London Midland. For other uses, see West Midlands Railway (disambiguation).

West Midlands Trains^[3] (WMT) is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates passenger trains on the West Midlands franchise between London and the English Midlands under two trade names: West Midlands Railway (WMR) (within the West Midlands region) and London Northwestern Railway (LNR) (outside the region).

West Midlands Trains

Top: Class 172 in WMR livery at Birmingham Moor Street Bottom: Class 350 in the transitional LNR livery at Watford Junction
Overview
Franchise(s)	West Midlands 10 December 2017 – April 2026^[2]
Main region(s)	West Midlands Greater London
Other region(s)	North West East Midlands
Fleet size	West Midlands Railway 2 Class 139 Parry People Mover sets 16 Class 170 Turbostar sets 39 Class 172 Turbostar sets 26 Class 196 Civity sets 26 Class 323 electric multiple units London Northwestern Railway 3 Class 230 D-Train sets 9 Class 319 electric multiple units 87 Class 350 Desiro electric multiple units
Stations called at	178
Stations operated	146
Parent company	Abellio (70%) JR East (15%) Mitsui & Co. (15%)
Reporting mark	LM^[1]
Predecessor	London Midland
Technical
Length	867.4
Other
Website	westmidlandsrailway.co.uk londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk
Route map   West Midlands Railway   London Northwestern Railway

West Midlands Trains was created as a consortium of three companies, Abellio, JR East, and Mitsui & Co., which joined to bid for the West Midlands franchise; they were amongst the three bids to be shortlisted in April 2016, and were awarded the franchise during August 2017. In addition to the DfT, it is also accountable to the West Midlands Rail Executive for services that operate wholly within the West Midlands region. On 10 December 2017, West Midlands Trains took over operations from the prior operator, London Midland. As per the original terms of the franchise, West Midlands Trains is expected to continue to operate it until March 2026.

During October 2017, West Midlands Trains revealed details for its planned procurement of new rolling stock; 26 CAF Civity diesel multiple units (80 carriages) and 81 electric multiple units based on Bombardier Transportation's Aventra platform (333 carriages), have been ordered and will replace various classes inherited from prior operators. It also became the launch customer for the Class 230 diesel electric multiple unit that are upcycled London Underground D78 Stock, these entered service in April 2019. During 2020, service levels were deliberately reduced by West Midlands Trains as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. West Midlands Trains was amongst those train operators that were impacted by the 2022 United Kingdom railway strikes, being only capable of operating a minimal timetable on days of the strikes due to the number of staff involved.

History

Background

 

Passenger journeys on the West Midlands rail franchise from 2010–11 to 2018–19^[4]

In April 2016, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced the shortlist of bidders for the West Midlands franchise, comprising the incumbent operator Govia, MTR Corporation, and West Midlands Trains: a consortium of Abellio (70%), JR East (15%) and Mitsui (15%).^[5][6][7] During July 2016, MTR Corporation abruptly opted to withdraw itself from the bidding process.^[8][9]

In August 2016, a formal invitation to tender for the franchise was issued to the two remaining bidders.^[10] During August 2017, the West Midlands Trains consortium was awarded the franchise; it took over operations from the prior operator, London Midland, on 10 December 2017.^[11][12] The franchise is scheduled to run until March 2026.^[13][14]

Unlike the previous London Midland franchise, which was solely accountable to the DfT, West Midlands is also accountable for services that operate wholly within the West Midlands region to the West Midlands Rail Executive, a group of 16 local authorities.^[15][16][17] However, the DfT must still approve any changes that the West Midlands Rail Executive may wish to make until the franchise is re-let.^{[citation needed]}

Events

By mid-2020, West Midlands Trains had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic.^[18][19] From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including West Midlands Trains services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined.^[20][21]

In May 2021, the company was criticised after it sent an email to 2,500 employees apparently thanking them for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic and offering a financial bonus;^[22] however, employees who clicked on the link within the email were informed that there was, in fact, no bonus and that the email had been a "phishing simulation test”.^[23]

West Midlands Trains was one of several train operators impacted by the 2022 United Kingdom railway strike, which was the first national rail strike in the UK for three decades.^[24] Its workers were amongst those who participated in industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.^[25] West Midlands Trains was only capable of operating a very minimalist timetable on any of the planned dates for the strikes due to the number of staff involved.^[26][27]

Branding

WMT services are split into two businesses which operate under two distinct sub-brands. Train services running on the West Coast Main Line, including those running to/from London Euston, Liverpool Lime Street and Crewe, operate under the London Northwestern Railway brand. This name was chosen in tribute to the former London & North Western Railway (LNWR), the company that operated services on the route between 1846 and 1922. Branding of trains and associated publicity use a green colour scheme with a logo composed of the letters L, N and W.^[28][29]

Services running in Birmingham and the West Midlands region – previously operated by London Midland under the London Midland City brand – are operated by WMT under the West Midlands Railway brand. WMT have chosen to operate these services as a distinct business unit in order to facilitate a possible future devolution of these services from the national DfT to the West Midlands Combined Authority.^[28] These services bear an orange and purple colour scheme and are branded with a hexagonal "WM" monogram adopted as part of a shared branding initiative under Transport for West Midlands, in which several transport modes in the West Midlands County use similar branding to emphasise integrated transport. Each mode bears a variant of the "WM" logo: West Midlands Buses use a red logo, West Midlands Metro trams use a blue logo, cycling initiatives are branded with a green logo, West Midlands Railway bears an orange logo, and the West Midlands Rail Executive uses a turquoise logo.^[30]

London Northwestern Railway services

WMT's services along the West Coast Main Line rail corridor are operated under the London Northwestern Railway brand. These services include:^[31]

• services out of London Euston;
• branch line services off the south of the West Coast main line.

As of December 2022, the typical off-peak Monday - Saturday London Northwestern Railway service pattern, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), includes:^[32]

West Coast Main Line
Route	tph	Calling at
London Euston – Tring	2	Harrow & Wealdstone, Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted
London Euston – Milton Keynes Central	2	Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley
London Euston – Birmingham New Street	2	Watford Junction (1tph), Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International
London Euston – Crewe	1	Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford
Birmingham New Street – Crewe	1	Tame Bridge Parkway, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Longport, Kidsgrove, Alsager
Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street	1	Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway
Abbey Line
Route	tph	Calling at
Watford Junction – St Albans Abbey	1	Watford North, Garston, Bricket Wood, How Wood, Park Street
Marston Vale Line
Route	tph	Calling at
Bletchley – Bedford	1^[a]	Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick, Bedford St Johns

1. As of December 2022 and until further notice, the route is being served by rail-replacement bus (due to failure of Vivarail, the manufacturers and maintainers of the Class 230 trains used on this line).^[33]

West Midlands Railway services

In the West Midlands region, WMT's train services are operated under the West Midlands Railway brand. These services include:^[31]

• services through Birmingham;
• the Leamington to Coventry and Coventry to Nuneaton branch lines.

Services on the short Stourbridge Town branch line are run by the open access operator Pre Metro Operations, who operate services on behalf of WMT under the West Midlands Railway brand name.

As of December 2022, the typical off-peak Monday - Saturday West Midlands Railway service pattern, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), includes:^[34]

Birmingham – Shrewsbury
Route	tph	Calling at
Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury	1	Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford, Shifnal, Telford Central, Oakengates, Wellington
Malvern Line
Route	tph	Calling at
Birmingham New Street – Hereford	1	University, Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury
Cross-City Line
Route	tph	Calling at
Lichfield Trent Valley – Bromsgrove	2	Lichfield City, Shenstone, Blake Street, Butlers Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Wylde Green, Chester Road, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Aston, Birmingham New Street, Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bournville, Kings Norton, Northfield, Longbridge, Barnt Green (1tph)
Four Oaks – Redditch	2	Sutton Coldfield, Wylde Green, Chester Road, Erdington, Gravelly Hill, Aston, Duddeston, Birmingham New Street, Five Ways, University, Selly Oak, Bournville, Kings Norton, Northfield, Longbridge, Barnt Green, Alvechurch
Chase Line & West Coast Main Line
Route	tph	Calling at
Wolverhampton – Walsall	2	Coseley, Tipton, Dudley Port, Sandwell and Dudley, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Smethwick Rolfe Street, Birmingham New Street, Duddeston, Aston, Witton, Perry Barr, Hamstead, Tame Bridge Parkway, Bescot Stadium
Birmingham International – Rugeley Trent Valley	2	Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Adderley Park (1tph), Birmingham New Street, Tame Bridge Parkway, Walsall, Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Landywood, Cannock, Hednesford, Rugeley Town
Snow Hill lines
Route	tph	Calling at
Stratford-upon-Avon – Kidderminster	1	Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Wilmcote (limited), Bearley (limited), Claverdon (limited), Lapworth (limited), Dorridge, Widney Manor, Solihull, Olton, Acocks Green, Tyseley (Kidderminster-bound only), Small Heath (Kidderminster-bound only), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Langley Green, Rowley Regis, Old Hill, Cradley Heath, Lye, Stourbridge Junction, Hagley, Blakedown
	1	Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Wilmcote, Wootton Wawen,^[a] Henley-in-Arden, Danzey,^[a] Wood End,^[a] The Lakes,^[a] Earlswood, Wythall, Whitlocks End, Shirley, Yardley Wood, Hall Green, Spring Road, Tyseley (Kidderminster-bound only), Small Heath (Kidderminster-bound only), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Langley Green, Rowley Regis, Old Hill, Cradley Heath, Lye, Stourbridge Junction, Hagley, Blakedown
Whitlocks End – Worcester Foregate Street	1	Shirley, Yardley Wood, Hall Green, Spring Road, Tyseley (Whitlocks End-bound only), Small Heath (Whitlocks End-bound only), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction, Hagley, Kidderminster, Hartlebury, Droitwich Spa Some trains terminate at Worcester Shrub Hill in lieu of Worcester Foregate Street.
Dorridge – Worcester Foregate Street	1	Widney Manor, Solihull, Olton, Acocks Green, Tyseley (Dorridge-bound only), Small Heath (Dorridge-bound only), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Rowley Regis, Cradley Heath, Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster, Droitwich Spa
Branch lines
Route	tph	Calling at
Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town	6	Shuttle service
Leamington Spa – Nuneaton	1	Kenilworth, Coventry, Coventry Arena, Bedworth, Bermuda Park

1. Request stop

Sunday services are generally hourly on most routes however:

• Two trains per hour run on the Cross city line between Lichfield Trent Valley and Redditch with both trains calling at Duddeston. An hourly service operates between Birmingham New Street and Bromsgrove.
• Services at local stations between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International are provided by additional calls on London Northwestern Railway services between Birmingham New Street and Northampton.
• On the Snow Hill lines, services operate hourly from Stratford-upon-Avon to Worcester Foregate Street via Shirley and do not call at Wood End, Danzey, Small Heath, Langley Green, Old Hill or Lye but calls at Tyseley in both directions. An hourly service also operates between Dorridge and Stourbridge Junction in the daytime which picks up the calls at Langley Green, Old Hill and Lye and runs non-stop between Birmingham Moor Street and Acocks Green.
• Services between Leamington Spa and Nuneaton are split at Coventry.
• Services between Stourbridge Junction and Stourbridge Town are reduced to 4 trains per hour.

Planned changes

 

Map of the Birmingham & West Midlands rail network (2017)

Planned changes included:^[13]

• reintroduction of calls at Barlaston and therefore closure of Wedgwood. This will mean the end of the long-standing rail replacement bus service.^{[citation needed]} From 10 December 2017, the Stafford – Stoke-on-Trent rail replacement bus was cut back to run only between Stoke-on-Trent and Norton Bridge, via Wedgwood, Barlaston and Stone.
• reintroduction of calls at Polesworth, refurbishing and reopening both platforms.

Rolling stock

WMT inherited a fleet of Class 139, 150, 153, 170, 172, 319, 323 and 350 units from London Midland, but as the newer units enter service, some will be returned to the leasing companies that own them.^[35][36]

Current fleet

Class 139 Parry People Movers

The concept of using the lightweight railcar dates from 2006 when a year-long pilot scheme began on the Stourbridge Town branch line on Sundays, using a Parry People Movers PPM50 unit constructed in 2002 and numbered as 999900 under TOPS.^[37] The success of this trial led to the provision of regular services using the technology in the franchise plans for the new West Midlands Franchise. Following the award of the franchise to London Midland, it placed an order for two PPM60 units with Parry People Movers, through Porterbrook. The service itself was operated for London Midland by Pre Metro Operations.^[38]

These two units are 139 001 and 139 002, composed of vehicle numbers 39001 and 39002 in the British carriage and wagon numbering and classification system. The vehicles are mechanically similar to 999 900, but are approximately one metre longer. They were intended to start operating on the Stourbridge Town branch in 2008. In January 2009 it was confirmed that 139001 was still undergoing testing at Chasewater Railway and 139002 was still not completed.

Despite the difficulties in the commissioning of the two Class 139 units, London Midland consistently outlined its faith that they would be ready to enter service. In March 2009, it was announced that the first unit had received its passenger certification from Network Rail, allowing it to carry passengers. London Midland stated that they would begin a phased entry into service, starting with weekend operation in April, leading up to a full service by the timetable change in May 2009. Until then, London Midland temporarily returned a Class 153 to operating the branch service. 139 002 officially entered service on 29 March 2009 as part of the type's phased entry. This unit had previously worked in full service, including all-day on Monday 11 May 2009 and previously had worked all morning services during February and March 2009. In May 2009, the first unit, 139 001 was finally delivered to Stourbridge, with 999 900 removed at the same time.^[39] Test unit 999 900 had been on the branch line between 2005 and 2009. At the point of introduction, they displaced a single Class 153 DMU that was previously allocated to the branch line. By December 2009, the 200,000th passenger had been carried by the railcars.

Class 170 and 172 DMUs

West Midlands Trains operate a total of 35 two-car and three-car Class 172 units, 27 of which had been ordered by predecessor London Midland, who originally planned for them to enter service by the end of 2010 on services to and from Birmingham Snow Hill, replacing Class 150s. The original 27 sets have revised front ends with end gangways which make the trains look like the Electrostar family of units.

From 1 September 2011, the Class 172s started operating on the Snow Hill Lines with some weekend work from Birmingham – Hereford. When first used in service, the units suffered a fault with engine vibration in the passenger cabin, which has since been rectified.

The units were originally meant to replace all of the Class 150s, however three were retained until 2019 and moved on to Northern after the Class 172/0 and Class 230 units entered service. Between late 2018 and early 2019 West Midlands Railway inherited the London Overground 172/0s to replace the remaining Class 150s and Class 153s operating on the Coventry to Leamington line, the Coventry to Nuneaton line and Birmingham to Hereford. All had entered service by May 2019.

During November and December 2020, the centre vehicles of the Class 170/6 units were removed and transferred to CrossCountry to extend some of their two-carriage Class 170 units. The Class 170/6 units which remained at West Midlands Trains have been renumbered to reflect them becoming Class 170/5 units, before being moved to East Midlands Railway after the Class 196 units are introduced.^[40]

In May 2021, Chiltern Railways' fleet of four Class 172/1s transferred to West Midlands Trains. This transfer means that all of the Class 172 units are operated by West Midlands Trains. The initial sublease contract was until December 2021, the end of Chiltern Railways' franchise agreement, but the units have remained with West Midlands Trains,^[41] with Chiltern stating that the 172/1s would not be returning to them.^[42]

Class 196 Civity

WMT is in the process of replacing its fleet of 23 Class 170/5 and 170/6 Turbostar and eight Class 153 units, which operate on West Midlands Railway services, with 26 new Class 196 Civity units.^[43]

The Class 153 units left West Midlands Trains at the end of 2020,^[44] and the Class 170 units will move to East Midlands Railway, with the exception of the centre cars of the 170/6s which moved to CrossCountry to lengthen its 170/5s.^[45]

The first of these new units entered service on the Shrewsbury line on 17 October 2022.^[46]

Class 230 D-Trains

West Midlands Trains are also the first operator of the Class 230, a new class of diesel electric multiple unit that are upcycled London Underground D78 Stock. During October 2017, the company announced its plans to procure three two-car D-Train units for use on the Marston Vale line.^[47][48] During April 2019, four months later than intended, the first Class 230 entered regular service.^[49]

Class 319, 323, and 350 EMUs

The Class 319, Class 323 and all Class 350/2 units will be replaced by brand new Class 730 units.

Seventeen of the Class 323 units will be transferred to Northern Trains to work with the existing 323 units already in service with them.^[50]

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Carriages	No.	Routes operated	Built
				mph	km/h
Shunting locomotive
	08^[51]		Shunter	15	24	N/A	2	Stock movements	1952–1962
West Midlands Railway
Parry People Mover	139		Railcar	40	64	1	2	Stourbridge Town branch line	2009
Bombardier Turbostar	170/5		DMU	100	161	2	16	Birmingham–Hereford Birmingham–Shrewsbury Snow Hill Lines Shrewsbury-Walsall via Birmingham New Street	1999–2000
	172/0					2	8	Birmingham–Hereford Snow Hill Lines Leamington Spa to Nuneaton	2010
	172/1						4		2011
	172/2						12
	172/3					3	15
CAF Civity	196/0		DMU	100	160	2	12	Snow Hill lines Birmingham–Shrewsbury Birmingham–Hereford Shrewsbury–Walsall via Birmingham New Street	2019–20
	196/1					4	14
Hunslet Transportation Projects/Holec^[52]	323		EMU	90	145	3	26	Redditch–Four Oaks Bromsgrove–Lichfield Trent Valley	1992–1995
London Northwestern Railway
Vivarail D-Train	230^[53]		DEMU	60	97	2	3	Bedford-Bletchley	2016–2018^[nb 1]
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	319/0 319/2 319/4		EMU	100	161	4	9	West Coast Main Line services: London Euston–Tring/Milton Keynes Central London Euston–Northampton	1987–1988
Siemens Desiro	350/1			110	177		30	Abbey Line West Coast Main Line services: Birmingham New Street–Northampton Birmingham New Street–Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent London Euston–Tring/Milton Keynes Central London Euston–Northampton London Euston-Crewe via Trent Valley Line London Euston–Birmingham New Street London Euston^[a]/Birmingham International^[b]-Rugeley Trent Valley via Birmingham New Street London Euston/Birmingham New Street–Liverpool Lime Street Wolverhampton–Walsall via Birmingham New Street as WMR	2004–2014
	350/2						37
	350/3						10
	350/4						10

Future fleet

In October 2017, details were announced of planned new rolling stock for West Midlands Trains.^[36][54][55] Specifically, West Midlands Trains placed orders for 26 new CAF Civity diesel multiple units (80 carriages) as well as 81 electric multiple units based on Bombardier Transportation's Aventra platform (333 carriages), when combined, this totals 107 new trains that will be operated by the company.^[56]

Class 730 Aventra

Eighty-one Class 730 Aventras sets are to be purchased.^[57] They will be built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works.^[58] 36 three car trains and 45 five car trains will be built.^[59]

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Cars per unit	Number	Route(s) to be operated	Built	In service
				mph	km/h
Alstom Aventra	730/0		EMU	90	145	3	48^[59]	Redditch–Four Oaks (WMR)^[60] Bromsgrove–Lichfield Trent Valley (WMR)^[60] Wolverhampton–Walsall via Birmingham New Street (WMR) West Coast Main Line services: London Euston–Tring/Milton Keynes Central (LNR)^[61] London Euston–Northampton (LNR)^[61]	2020–21	Early 2023^[62]
	730/1			110	177	5	29	Electrified LNR suburban services^[63]
	730/2						16	Long distance LNR services^[63]

Past fleet

Former units operated by West Midlands Trains include:

Family	Class	Image	Type	Carriages	Number	Built	Lines served	Withdrawn
Sprinter	150/1		DMU	2	3	1985–86	Marston Vale Line as LNR Birmingham–Hereford	2019
	153			1	8	1987–88	Birmingham–Hereford Snow Hill Lines	2020
Bombardier Turbostar	170/5			2	1	1999–2000	Birmingham–Hereford Birmingham–Shrewsbury Snow Hill Lines Shrewsbury-Walsall via Birmingham New Street	2021
	170/6			3	6

Notes

1. Operated by London Northwestern Railway
2. Operated by West Midlands Railway

1. Converted from London Underground D78 Stock originally built between 1979 and 1983.

References

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External links

  Media related to West Midlands Trains at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by London Midland

Operator of West Midlands franchise 2017–2026

Succeeded by Incumbent