News

New Midlands Trains to get Free WiFi

(31 Aug 2016, BWCS Staff)

The UK Department for Transport has announced a raft of new services, including on-train WiFi, will be offered by the yet-to-be-announced new train operator for the Midlands region. The current incumbent, London Midland, is expected to be moved on by October of next year.

However, the new free WiFi is not mandated to appear until 2019. An extra 300 Sunday services are also slated to appear by 2021, as part of a major shake-up to services across the region. Changes will also see Wolverhampton Station transferred from Virgin Trains to another company.

Councillor Daniel Warren, who sits on Wolverhampton Transport Delivery committee told the Wolverhampton Express and Star “Having WiFi in the trains is really going to bring our services into the 21st century.”

The changes come after a new organisation, West Midlands Rail Ltd (WMR), which is made up of 14 local authorities in the region including Wolverhampton City Council, was set up to work with the Government to design the new franchise.

Two bidders for the new franchise were shortlisted yesterday (August 30th). They are London and West Midlands Railway, a subsidiary of Govia Limited, and West Midlands Trains, a wholly owned subsidiary of Abellio Transport Group with East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Limited as minority partners.

MTR Corp had been included on the original shortlist announced in April, but subsequently withdrew. Bids are to be submitted by November 29th, with the new operator scheduled to take over the franchise in October 2017.

The West Midlands franchise covers local and inter-regional services centred on Birmingham and along the West Coast Main Line. The ITT issued yesterday sets out the minimum level of improvements which bidders must include in their detailed proposals.

Requirements include:

Bespoke local branding of trains as part of a separate business unit managed by West Midlands Rail.

Space for more than 30 000 additional peak time journeys into Birmingham.

Increased frequencies between Birmingham and Bromsgrove and Birmingham and Rugeley following completion of electrification projects.

More than 300 extra Sunday services across the franchise by 2021, with service levels similar to Saturdays.

More evening services from Birmingham to Lichfield City, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Whitlocks End and Dorridge, and later Saturday services from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, Bromsgrove and Liverpool.

A new hourly service from Birmingham and Wolverhampton to Crewe via Stafford and Stoke-on-Trent.

Free WiFi on 'main line' services by the end of 2019.

New ticket options for passengers who travel fewer than five days a week.

New direct peak services between Walsall and London.

At least 60 apprenticeships to be offered.

The problem of how to improve trackside coverage was one of the main topics addressed at the recent WiFi on Trains Conference hosted by BWCS in London. There were several new announcements made during the Conference, all of which can be found at www.Traincomms2016.com .

For more information about next year’s Conference, including speaking and sponsoring opportunities, please contact Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com .



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