London Midland pledges improved services in West Midlands after £62m investment
COMMUTERS using London Midland trains in the West Midlands have been promised more frequent and improved trains following a £62m investment in new rolling stock by the Government.
The fleet of brand new electric trains, which will bring thousands of extra seats, is being provided by London Midland, Siemens and Angel Trains, following the investment by the Department for Transport.
The 10 new Class 350/3 Desiro units are due to enter service in London and across the West Midlands from December. However, some of the new trains will be brought into service as early as Monday (October 6). The trains will be used to lengthen some of the busiest morning and evening peak services into and out of London Euston, before the new winter timetable comes into effect on Sunday December 14.
Rail minister Claire Perry said: “As part of our long-term economic plan, we are investing record amounts in transforming the rail network, providing more seats, more trains and better journeys for millions of passengers. Over the next five years, more than £38bn will be invested in building a world-class railway across the country.
“It is fantastic news that London Midland’s customers will start to enjoy this much-needed extra capacity earlier than expected, and I am looking forward to seeing the remaining trains start running from December.”
The new Siemens Class 350/3 Desiro trains join the existing fleets of Class 350/1 and 350/2 fleets maintained by Siemens at Kings Heath train care facility in Northampton and operated by London Midland on the West Coast Mainline.
All standard class saloons in the new trains have plug sockets, catering to business travellers along the busy route, and there will also be more on-board litterbins and two-plus-two seating.
The Siemens-built trains will be leased to London Midland by Angel Trains.
Patrick Verwer, Managing Director of London Midland said: “We are committed to improving the overall journey experience for our passengers, and adding more carriages to some of our busiest train services over the next few weeks will make a real difference to our London bound commuters.
“This investment will also allow us to deliver more passenger services on the Cross City line between Birmingham and Redditch from December – our busiest commuter route in the West Midlands”.
Steve Scrimshaw, Managing Director of the Rail Systems business at Siemens, said: “This £62m investment is part of Siemens’, and London Midland’s, ambitious plans to ensure more frequent services and improve the overall commuter experience in and out of the capital.
“We are delighted to be working with London Midland and Angel Trains to bring these next-generation trains to one of the busiest commuter routes in the country.”
Kevin Tribley, Chief Operating Officer of Angel Trains added: “This is another significant investment by Angel Trains in the UK’s rolling stock.
“Since privatisation, we have put £3.5bn in the UK rail industry, making us one of the largest investors in the industry. We are delighted to work with London Midland to procure and finance the new units from Siemens which will bring real benefits to London Midland’s passengers.”
