New trains at the heart of West Midlands franchise win
MORE than 400 new vehicles form part of the new West Midlands franchise that has been awarded to West Midlands Trains Ltd.
A joint venture between Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Ltd will run the franchise from December 10 (replacing Govia, which took over the London Midland franchise in November 2007). The new deal will end in March 2026, and it is the first time a Japanese firm has been successful in the UK franchise bid market.
Announcing the winner on August 10, the Department for Transport claimed that almost £1 billion would be invested in the West Midlands network, including £700 million on new and refurbished trains, while more than £70m is to be spent on new and existing depots.
An Abellio spokesman told RAIL on August 22 that it was due to announce the winning train manufacturer in September. Of the 400 new vehicles to be ordered, 80 will be diesel. They will all be in traffic by 2021, adding an extra 85,000 passengers on rush hour services in Birmingham and London.
Free WiFi will be rolled out across the franchise’s main line services by the end of the decade, and 25% compensation will be available for the first time if trains are more than 15 minutes late.
Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling said: “We are improving the whole travelling experience with live train crowding information, compensation for people delayed by 15 minutes or more, smart ticketing and better value tickets for part-time workers. This shows we are delivering on our commitment to build a railway that works for everyone.”
Dominic Booth, Managing Director of Abellio UK, said: “We will be investing nearly £1bn into the network, delivering new trains, better stations and a whole host of other benefits for passengers.”
As part of the franchise, trains running only in the West Midlands will be jointly managed by DfT and West Midlands Rail (WMR), which is a consortium of 16 local councils.
“We want to see a new golden era for our local trains, and today’s announcement is an important step towards that,” said West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.
“Having the ability to use our local knowledge and understanding to shape what West Midlands Trains will deliver for passengers under this franchise has also been a game-changer.
“I believe the deal secured today will help create a railway that can not only improve people’s journeys, but keep our economy growing. We look forward to working with West Midlands Trains in making that happen.”
DfT also confirmed that the railways in the West Midlands will be run by a local team.
WMR Chairman Roger Lawrence, who is leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “We have spent many months working closely with the DfT on developing a franchise deal that can bring tangible improvements for passengers, particularly in terms of the frequency and capacity of their services.
“It’s important to remember that tens of thousands of people rely on this local network to not only get to work each day, but to undertake wider business trips and enjoy the cultural and leisure attractions of our region.
“This deal, together with the significant transport infrastructure set to be built in the West
Midlands, will help ensure we have efficient train services that connect with the rest of the wider bus and tram network and, of course, the forthcoming high-speed rail line. That will underpin economic growth and the new jobs being created in our region.”
Transport Focus Director David Sidebottom said: “It is good to see the new franchise putting passengers’ interest at the heart by providing longer carriages with more seats, which should reduce overcrowding. It is also good news that Delay Repay compensation will kick in at 15 minutes (rather than 30), and better ticket deals for part-time workers to help improve value for money.
“We’ll be watching for closer partnership working between track and train, to check they do deliver on promises to improve performance.
“Passengers across this network, which stretches across the North West, Midlands and London, told us that their key priorities for improvement are better value for money services and the ability to get a seat on frequent, punctual services. We pressed for these passenger issues to be addressed in the new franchise.”