Trains on the Cross City line are currently undergoing a major overhaul, to improve the experience for passengers on the line. The trains are having a fully accessible toilet fitted, along with upgraded passenger information screens, new seat covers and a deep clean of the interior.
A busy railway station on the Shakespeare line is getting an upgrade. Project partners Network Rail, West Midlands Railway and Warwickshire County Council are working to give Stratford-upon-Avon station a range of upgrades. These include new waiting and seating areas, improved retail facilities, accessible toilets, and bicycle racks.
Staff at Milton Keynes businesses are being offered savings on travelling to work using London Northwestern Railway, when employers sign up to SmartGo. SmartGo Milton Keynes is a scheme to help encourage commuters to use various forms of public transport, by providing offers with local operators.
Passengers at Worcester Foregate Street are invited to share their views on plans for the redevelopment of the station. West Midlands Railway is investing over £1m into upgrading the concourse area and improving customer facilities.
Local Scout groups, animal charities and social groups tackling loneliness in their communities are among those already nominated as the region’s Cross City Heroes. The campaign has also seen entries highlighting a local charity which supports neonatal units and a group working with their local library.
Passengers travelling to and from Liverpool for tonight’s football match at Everton, are advised to check before they travel as trains may be delayed or cancelled throughout this evening. Overhead line problems near Hartford have been disrupting services between Crewe and Liverpool.
London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway have committed to making rail travel more accessible for those with dementia. Through a year long partnership with Alzheimer’s Society, the train operators will be taking steps to make stations and trains more dementia friendly. The charity will also be educating frontline staff around best practice in helping those with the condition.
48 penalty fares have been issued to ticketless travellers at Wolverhampton station this afternoon (5 Feb). Revenue protection and security managers from West Midlands Railway were checking tickets as passengers made their way in and out of the station, whilst supporting a knife arch exercise taking place at the same time.
A new compact community library has opened for passengers at Berkswell station. The initiative has been launched by station adopters from The Berkswell Society, who hope to engage with travellers and create a warm welcome for commuters.
A special display at Wellington station will be sharing a message of love with rail passengers this Valentine’s day. The local Women’s Institute (WI) are working with The Climate Coalition for their annual 'Show the Love' project. This year’s initiative will be based on the platforms at Wellington station from Monday (11 Feb) onwards.
Passengers are advised to check before they travel throughout this afternoon and evening, as services are being disrupted between Rugby and Stafford. Overhead lines have been damaged near to Lichfield and work is continuing to reopen the lines through the affected area.
Special artwork has been unveiled at Stone station, to celebrate 170 years of train services to and from the town. Students from Abbey Hill School in Longton have produced a set of paintings, which depict the station then and now. 11 of these pictures are now displayed around the waiting shelter on platform one.
As part of a six-month residency in Chelmsley Wood, artist Chris Alton is co-producing a contemporary take on a ‘Mystery Play’ to be performed in Spring 2019. Alton will work with local residents to explore story telling through a series of creative writing, performance, set and costume making workshops from January-April 2019.
Local children have come together with community volunteers and railway staff, to fill new planters outside Milton Keynes station. Great Linford Scouts were joined by Milton Keynes Model Railway Society and London Northwestern Railway staff on Saturday (26 January), to put the display together outside the main station entrance.
Railway station volunteers from across the country will be recognised at a special awards ceremony in Shropshire, later this year. The Association of Community Rail Partnerships (ACoRP) ‘Community Rail Awards’ dinner will be hosted at The International Centre in Telford, on 3 October 2019. West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway will be headline sponsors at this year's event.
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, has been praising the work of railway station volunteers across the region. He recently met with a group of local station adopters at Stechford, to learn about their work and encourage more groups to get involved in their local area.
West Midlands Railway has been clamping down on ticketless travel and antisocial behaviour on the Chase line. On Friday (18 January), a total of 25 revenue protection managers were stationed at six locations on the line between Bloxwich and Rugeley Town from 1500 until 1830.
Samaritans volunteers will be at railway stations across the network today, to raise awareness of Brew Monday. The annual campaign encourages railway staff and customers to take time out for a cup of tea and a chat. Brew Monday coincides with ‘Blue Monday’, which is considered to be the most difficult day of the year.
Adderley Park station has reopened, following an incident at the station earlier today (16 Jan). The station was closed for a number of hours and reopened at around 1730.
Adderley Park station will be closed until further notice, following an incident at the station this afternoon. Trains between Birmingham New Street, Northampton and London Euston are also being delayed or cancelled as a result.
