West Midlands Trains

West Midlands Trains[2] (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

350232 in the transitional LNR livery at Watford Junction
Overview
Franchise(s)	West Midlands 10 December 2017 – March 2026
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 23 Class 170 Turbostar sets 35 Class 172 Turbostar sets 26 Class 323 electric multiple units London Northwestern Railway 3 Class 230 D-Train sets 15 Class 319 electric multiple units 87 Class 350 Desiro sets
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	wmtrains.co.uk
Route map   West Midlands Railway   London Northwestern Railway

It is owned by a consortium of three companies: Abellio, JR East and Mitsui & Co.

History

Passenger journeys on the West Midlands rail franchise from 2010–11 to 2018–19[3]

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%).[4][5][6] In July 2016, MTR Corporation withdrew from the bidding process.[7][8]

The invitation to tender was issued in August 2016.[9] In August 2017, the West Midlands Trains consortium was awarded the franchise, and it took over from London Midland on 10 December 2017.[10][11] The franchise is scheduled to run until March 2026.[12][13]

Management

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 West Midlands Rail Executive, a group of 16 local authorities.[14][15] However, DfT must still approve any changes West Midlands Rail wish to make until the franchise is re-let.

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.[16][17]

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.[16] 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.[18]

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:[19]

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

Oyster card and contactless card payments can be used on London Northwestern Railway at Watford Junction, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central and Euston stations.

As of December 2020, the typical off-peak weekday London Northwestern Railway service pattern, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), includes: [20]

West Coast Main Line
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
London Euston – Tring	2	Wembley Central (limited service)[lower-alpha 1], Harrow & Wealdstone, Bushey, Watford Junction, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted	319 350
London Euston – Milton Keynes Central	1	Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring (London-bound only), Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley
London Euston – Northampton	1	Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring (Northampton-bound only), Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton
London Euston – Birmingham New Street	1	Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green (Birmingham-bound only)	350
Northampton – Birmingham New Street	1	Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green
London Euston – Crewe	1	Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth (limited service)[lower-alpha 2], Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford
Birmingham New Street – Crewe	1	Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Stone, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove, Alsager
Birmingham New Street – Liverpool Lime Street	1	Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge (irregular service)[lower-alpha 3], Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway
Abbey Line
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Watford Junction – St Albans Abbey	​^4⁄3	Watford North, Garston, Bricket Wood, How Wood, Park Street runs roughly every 45 minutes	319
Marston Vale Line
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Bletchley – Bedford	1	Fenny Stratford, Bow Brickhill, Woburn Sands, Aspley Guise, Ridgmont, Lidlington, Millbrook, Stewartby, Kempston Hardwick, Bedford St Johns Train services run roughly every 2-hours during the day, supplemented with a rail-replacement bus service in the other hours. The bus service consists of two services: an all-stops service, and a service that skips Fenny Stratford, Aspley Guise, Millbrook and Kempston Hardwick	230 Bus

1. Wembley Central served by 1 train per day, except Saturdays, when it is served hourly
2. Polesworth served by one train per day, northbound-only
3. Acton Bridge is served most hours, but there are some 2-hour gaps in service

West Midlands Railway services

In the West Midlands region, WMT's train services are operated under the West Midlands Railway brand. These services include:[19]

• 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 2020, the typical off-peak weekday West Midlands Railway service pattern, with frequencies in trains per hour (tph), includes: [21]

Birmingham – Shrewsbury
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Birmingham New Street – Shrewsbury	1	Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Bilbrook, Codsall, Albrighton, Cosford, Shifnal, Telford Central, Oakengates, Wellington	170
Malvern Line
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Birmingham New Street – Hereford	1	University, Bromsgrove, Droitwich Spa, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern, Colwall, Ledbury	170
Cross-City Line
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
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)	323
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	Stock
Birmingham International – Birmingham New Street	1	Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford	323 350
Birmingham New Street – Rugeley Trent Valley	1	Tame Bridge Parkway, Walsall, Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Landywood, Cannock, Hednesford, Rugeley Town
Birmingham International – Rugeley Trent Valley	1	Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Adderley Park, Birmingham New Street, Tame Bridge Parkway, Bescot Stadium, Walsall, Bloxwich, Bloxwich North, Landywood, Cannock, Hednesford, Rugeley Town
Wolverhampton – Birmingham New Street	1	Coseley, Tipton, Dudley Port, Sandwell and Dudley, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Smethwick Rolfe Street
Birmingham New Street – Walsall	1	Duddeston, Aston, Witton, Perry Barr, Hamstead, Tame Bridge Parkway, Bescot Stadium
Wolverhampton – Walsall	1	Coseley, Tipton, Dudley Port, Sandwell and Dudley, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Smethwick Rolfe Street, Birmingham New Street, Duddeston, Aston, Whitton, Perry Barr, Hamstead, Tame Bridge Parkway, Bescot Stadium
Snow Hill lines
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Stratford-upon-Avon – Stourbridge Junction	1	Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Dorridge, Widney Manor, Solihull, Olton, Acocks Green, Tyseley (Stourbridge-bound only), Small Heath (Stourbridge-bound only), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Langley Green, Rowley Regis, Old Hill, Cradley Heath, Lye	172
	1	Stratford-upon-Avon Parkway, Wilmcote, Wootton Wawen,[lower-alpha 1] Henley-in-Arden, Danzey,[lower-alpha 1] Wood End,[lower-alpha 1] The Lakes,[lower-alpha 1] Earlswood, Wythall, Whitlocks End, Shirley, Yardley Wood, Hall Green, Spring Road, Tyseley (Stourbridge-bound only), Small Heath (Stourbridge-bound only), Birmingham Moor Street, Birmingham Snow Hill, Jewellery Quarter, The Hawthorns, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Langley Green, Rowley Regis, Old Hill, Cradley Heath, Lye
Whitlocks End – Kidderminster	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, Blakedown
Dorridge – Worcester Shrub Hill[lower-alpha 2]	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, Hagley, Kidderminster, Hartlebury, Droitwich Spa
Branch lines
Route	tph	Calling at	Stock
Stourbridge Junction – Stourbridge Town	6	shuttle	139
Leamington Spa – Nuneaton	1	Kenilworth, Coventry, Coventry Arena, Bedworth, Bermuda Park Trains run every 2 hours, with service in the other hour provided by 3 rail-replacement bus services: Leamington Spa - Nuneaton (both directions), Coventry - Leamington Spa (southbound-only) and Coventry - Nuneaton (northbound-only).	172 Bus

1. Request stop
2. Most services start/terminate at Shrub Hill; however some do so at Worcester Foregate Street instead with some trains serving both stations by running to/from Foregate Street via Shrub Hill, where trains reverse before continuing. Additional services are extended to Great Malvern, calling at Malvern Link.

Future

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

Future changes include:[12]

• extension of the Birmingham to Wolverhampton service to Crewe via Stoke-on-Trent. This will replace the London Euston to Crewe service via Stoke-on-Trent that will operate directly from Stafford to Crewe via the West Coast Main Line.[22] The change of this service has angered councillors in Staffordshire as to the loss of the direct service (although Avanti West Coast will continue to operate a London-bound service through Stoke-on-Trent). The change of service is necessitated by West Midlands Trains increasing the number of carriages up to twelve in peak hours, which makes stopping at Alsager, Stone and Kidsgrove impossible due to the platforms not being long enough to take 12-car trains.[23] West Midlands Rail have since stated these stations will retain a direct service to London taking a slower route via Birmingham and Northampton.[24]
• reintroduction of calls at Barlaston and therefore closure of Wedgwood. This will mean the end of the long-standing rail replacement bus service.[25] 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.

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 come on stream, some will be returned to the leasing companies that own them.[26][27]

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.[28] 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, they placed an order for two PPM60 units with Parry People Movers, through Porterbrook, with the service itself operated for them by Pre Metro Operations.[29]

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/March 2009. In May 2009 the first unit, 139 001 was finally delivered to Stourbridge, with 999 900 removed at the same time.[30] Test unit 999 900 had been on the branch line between 2005–2009. 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 have been removed from their consist. They will have a minor refurbishment: along with being reliveried externally, internally the vehicle will be changed to the house colours of the new operator CrossCountry. These vehicles will be used to extend some of their 2-carriage Class 170 units. The Class 170/6 units which remain at West Midlands Trains will be renumbered to reflect them becoming Class 170/5 units, before being moved to East Midlands Railway after the Class 196 units are introduced.[31]

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. WMT placed an order for three two-car units, which entered service in April 2019 on the Marston Vale Line.[32]

Class 319, 323, and 350 EMUs

The Class 319, (some) 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.[33]

Trainset	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Carriages	No.	Routes operated	Built
				mph	km/h
Shunting locomotive
	08		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	21	Birmingham–Hereford Birmingham–Shrewsbury Snow Hill Lines Shrewsbury-Walsall via Birmingham New Street	1999–2000
	170/6					3	2
	172/0					2	8	Snow Hill Lines Leamington Spa to Nuneaton	2010
	172/2						12		2011
	172/3					3	15
	323		EMU	90	145		26	Redditch–Lichfield Trent Valley Bromsgrove–Lichfield Trent Valley Wolverhampton–Walsall via Birmingham	1992–1996
London Northwestern Railway
Vivarail D-Train	230[34]		DMU	60	97	2	3	Bedford-Bletchley	2016–2018[nb 1]
	319/0 319/2 319/4		EMU	100	161	4	15	Abbey Line West Coast Main Line services	1987–1988
Siemens Desiro	350/1			110	177		30	West Coast Main Line services: Birmingham New Street–Northampton London Euston–Tring/Milton Keynes Central London Euston–Northampton London Euston-Crewe via Trent Valley Line London Euston–Birmingham New Street London Euston[lower-alpha 1]/Birmingham International[lower-alpha 2]-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.[27][35][36]

West Midlands Trains has ordered 26 new CAF Civity diesel multiple units (80 carriages) and 81 electric multiple units based on Bombardier Transportation's Aventra platform (333 carriages), giving a total of 107 new trains for the operator.[37] The new trains are set to be delivered to West Midlands Trains between 2020 and 2021.

Class 196 Civity

WMT is to replace 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.

The Class 153 units left West Midlands Trains at the end of 2020, and the Class 170 units will move to East Midlands Railway, with the exception of the centre cars of the 170/6s moving to CrossCountry to lengthen its 170/5s.[38][39]

Class 730 Aventra

Eighty-one Class 730 Aventras sets are to be purchased.[40] They will be built at Derby Litchurch Lane Works.[41] 36 3 carriage long trains will replace the Class 323 units.[42] 45 5 carriage long trains will replace the Class 319 & Class 350/2 units.

Trainset	Class	Image	Type	Top Speed		Carriages	Number	Route(s) to be operated	Built	In service
				mph	km/h
CAF Civity	196/0		DMU	100	160	2	12	Snow Hill lines Birmingham–Shrewsbury Birmingham–Hereford Shrewsbury–Walsall via Birmingham New Street	2019–2020	2021
	196/1					4	14
Bombardier Aventra	730/0		EMU	90	145	3	36	Redditch–Lichfield Trent Valley (WMR)[43] Bromsgrove–Lichfield Trent Valley (WMR)[43] Wolverhampton–Walsall via Birmingham New Street (WMR)	2020–2021	2021
	730/1			110	180	5	29	Electrified LNR suburban services[44]
	730/2						16	Long distance LNR services[44]

Past fleet

Former units operated by West Midlands Trains include:

Trainset	Class	Image	Type	Carriages	Number	Built	Notes	Withdrawn	Lines served
Sprinter	150/1		DMU	2	3	1985–1986	Transferred to Arriva Rail North[45]	2019	Marston Vale Line as LNR Birmingham-Hereford
Sprinter	153		DMU	1	8	1987-1988	Put into long-term storage	2020	Birmingham–Hereford Snow Hill Lines

Notes

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

1. London Underground D78 Stock initially built between 1979 and 1983

References

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3. "ORR Data Portal". Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
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5. East Japan Railway on LNWR franchise shortlist Archived 11 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine Railway Gazette International 7 April 2016
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10. West Midlands Trains announced as winning bidder for West Midlands franchise Archived 10 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine Abellio 10 August 2017
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30. "Class 139s enter service at Stourbridge". The Railway Magazine. No. 1301. September 2009. p. 139.
31. https://www.railmagazine.com/news/network/government-and-crosscountry-work-on-train-capacity-plan
32. "First D-Trains lined up for West Midlands Trains in 2018". Rail (UK). PressReader.com. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
33. First refurbished Class 323 for Northern Trains Railways Illustrated January 2020 page 9
34. "West Midlands Trains" (PDF). Stourbridge Line User Group. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
35. Gibbs, Nigel (November 2017). "Vivarail 230s for new West Mids franchise as 170s to go". Today's Railways (191): 8.
36. "Bombardier and CAF win West Midlands train contracts". Railway Gazette International. 17 October 2017. Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
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39. https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk/about-us/blog-post/retiring-our-class-153s
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42. "Class 730 Fleet | West Midlands Railway". www.westmidlandsrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
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45. Three more 150s for Northern Today's Railways UK issue 211 July 2019 page 64

External links

Media related to West Midlands Trains at Wikimedia Commons