New services pledged for West Coast Main Line
FirstGroup reveals Midland rail plans as Virgin loses franchise after 20 years
TRANSPORT giant FirstGroup has pledged to improve rail services across the Midlands as it was revealed Virgin is to lose the West Coast Main Line franchise after two decades.
Upgrades to stations includ
ing Birmingham International and New Street have been promised, while old rolling stock will be phased out or refurbished. Walsall will also get a direct service to London for the first time and services on key routes like Birmingham to Euston will start earlier and finish later.
Passengers will also be offered a refund if their service is delayed by 15 minutes.
First Group will run the line in partnership with Italian firm Trenitalia. The group said the route would pave the way for the era of high-speed rail. It will also operate HS2 services when they start in 2026.
THE rail company replacing Virgin Trains on the West Coast Main Line is promising direct services to Walsall, more seats –and free Wi-Fi for everyone.
FirstGroup and Trenitalia, which is owned by the Italian government, have formed a new business which will take over services from December 8.
The franchise involves running inter-city services between Scotland, the North-West of England, North Wales, the Midlands and London, That includes services between Birmingham New Street and Euston.
It means the Virgin Trains brand will disappear after more than 20 years.
But the decision, revealed this week by the Department for Transport, is controversial, with Labour and rail unions arguing that trains should be run by businesses owned directly by the government.
It also comes in the middle of a review of the rail franchising system led by former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams, who will
publish his findings in the autumn. FirstGroup plc and Trenitalia still have not decided what the new service will be called.
Promised changes include:
■ Replacing many trains with 23 new vehicles, due to be in use by December 2022. Existing diesel trains called Voyagers will be phased out.
■ The other trains currently in use, called Pendolinos, will stay – but they will be refurbished. West Coast Rail say this will create more seating for passengers and much more luggage space.
■ Wi-Fi will be free for all customers. At the moment you have to pay if you’re not in first class. And it will apparently be more reliable.
■ The food on offer will be changed. According to FirstGroup and Trenitalia, it will be “full of tempting treats from household names”
■ Stations across the network will be upgraded and several locations will benefit from better facilities, including more car parking and greater accessibility.
■ Passengers will get a refund if their service is delayed 15 minutes. At the moment there are only refunds if a service is delayed for 30 minutes.
■ There will be direct services to Walsall and Gobowen, in Shropshire, for the first time. The Gobowen stops will allow passengers to connect to Oswestry.
■ There will also be direct services to Liverpool South Parkway. And there will be more stops at stations including Rugby, Llandudno Junction and Motherwell.
FirstGroup and Trenitalia also say they will cut the fleet’s carbon emissions by more than 60 per cent.
The firms said they will not employ staff on zero-hour contracts, and will pay the ‘Real Living Wage’ to staff. Sub-contractors will also have to pay at least the same rate for all workers.
As well as taking over West Coast services, the new franchise-holders will prepare to operate HS2 trains between London and Birmingham from 2026.
Sir John Peace, chairman of regional transport body Midlands Connect, welcomed the franchise announcement. He said: “This new franchise is a fresh opportunity to guarantee our region benefits from the quality railway it needs and deserves.
“There’s a lot of work to do to prepare for the arrival of high speed services in Birmingham in 2026 and make sure the region is ready to take advantage of the capacity HS2 will release on the existing West Coast Mainline for both passengers and freight.
“It’s encouraging to see First Trenitalia making a clear commitment to more services, better stations, clearer fairs, and greener trains.
“These things are important to Midlands Connect, they’re important to our partnership – and above all they’re important to the people who travel to, from and through the Midlands.” FirstGroup chief executive Matthew Gregory said: “We are committed to deliv-ering a range of improvements for InterCity West Coast passengers during the first phase of the partnership and our aim is to provide exceptional service as standard for our customers.”
But Labour argues that allowing private firms to run rail services has been a failure, and the Government should use state-owned businesses to operate trains.
Andy McDonald, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said: “The ghost of Chris Grayling’s rank incompetence still haunts our rail services.
“The new Transport Secretary Grant Shapps follows his predecessor in putting private profit before passengers and the public interest,” he added.
Rail union the RMT condemned the decision. General secretary Mick Cash said: “Instead of following the popular public sector route the Tories are taking yet another gamble on the crucial West Coast lines with one of the dwindling number of private operator consortia left in the game in a move that RMT believes is doomed to failure and is sure to result in yet more rail chaos.”