A brand new West Midlands Railway (WMR) train fleet has welcomed its first passengers on board today (Monday 17 October).
Passengers – plus a small band of railway enthusiasts - climbed aboard the Class 196 train at Shrewsbury railway station shortly before 7am for the maiden journey to Birmingham New Street.
The train – 196101 – was officially named “Charles Darwin” by the High Sheriff of S
Rail passengers in the West Midlands will soon have the chance to climb on board a brand new train fleet - the first to be introduced in the region in more than a decade.
A total of 26 trains – known as Class 196s – are being introduced as part of West Midlands Railway's £690m investment in new trains and infrastructure.
The first trains in the fleet will enter service on the Shrewsbury Line
Major work on the West Coast main line to keep trains running at full speed between Coventry and Birmingham International is now complete.
The railway reopened yesterday (Monday 10 October) after a £1.4m investment to make future journeys between Birmingham and London more reliable for passengers and freight.
During the two-day closure near Berkswell, 650 metres of railway has been replaced
British Transport Police are keen to talk to men captured in three images hoping they can help with the investigation of cable theft at Tyseley, West Midlands.
A large amount of cable was stolen overnight on Friday 5 August at around 2.50am before it is believed that offenders returned to the area at 9.50am.
Rail services were severely disrupted for those travelling to and from Birmingham d
Railway communities across the region are preparing to get stuck into a range of new projects thanks to funding from West Midlands Railway (WMR).
More than a dozen schemes, which include art projects, children’s activities and help for young station adopters will receive a slice of £800,000 in funding from the operator’s “Your Community, Your Fund” pool.
The funding is provided by the Depart
A community hub celebrating Wolverhampton, offering passengers and residents a place to meet, access business advice and enjoy local art is open in the city’s railway station.
The ‘Changemakers’ scheme is the brainchild of the Wolverhampton Business Improvement District (BID) in a partnership between station operator West Midlands Railway and rail firm CrossCountry.
The facility is being fit
West Midlands Railway (WMR) has thanked passengers after confirming record-breaking travel numbers during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which finish today (Monday).
In total, the operator estimates approximately two million journeys were made on rail in the West Midlands during the Games, with records broken at a number of individual stations close to venues.
In addition to its usu
West Midlands Railway (WMR) is urging passengers to plan their travel in advance ahead of two separate days of strike action next week.
On Wednesday 27 July, a very limited service will be in operation due to strike action by members of the RMT union. Passengers are advised to only travel if essential as trains will only run between 7.30am and 6.30pm on a small number of routes – full details b
Passengers travelling with West Midlands Railway (WMR) are advised to expect disruption across the network on Wednesday 20 July due to damage from extreme heat.
Overhead wires and tracks were damaged as temperatures reached 40°C yesterday (Tuesday).
Due to the extent of the repairs required, passengers are urged to amend plans if they can and check their journeys before they travel.
Spe
Rail passengers travelling are advised not to travel this afternoon (Tuesday 19 July) on all West Midlands Railway services due to severe disruption caused by the extreme temperatures.
The Met Office has issued a red warning, with temperatures rising to 40°C – exceeding those on Monday 18 July.
Extreme heat can cause damage to tracks and overhead wires and a number of routes across the netw
Rail passengers are urged not to travel unless their journey is essential on Tuesday 19 July due to Met Office red weather warning.
Passengers travelling on West Midlands Railway (WMR) services have been encouraged to only travel if essential on Monday 18 July and Tuesday 19 July as high temperatures hit the country.
The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for extreme heat, with temperatures set to reach 37°C on Monday and Tuesday.
Extremely hot temperatures can deem railway tracks unsafe, as steel is easily able