Powering the Midlands Engine

Changes happening now in the Midlands

Below are press releases from rail companies in the Midlands promoting changes and improvements happening in the area.

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Network Rail begins vital improvement work at Grantham railway bridges
Network Rail is advising motorists in Grantham that Barrowby Road will close next month, as major work begins on a £2.7million...
Network Rail and Cycling UK launch partnership
As government guidance around returning to the workplace comes into effect, a new YouGov study commissioned by Network Rail...
Major service boost with new £40 million Stevenage station platform
Rail passengers now have more frequent and reliable services as well as better long-distance connections thanks to a new £40...
CrossCountry gains ‘We’re Good to Go’
CrossCountry has received the ‘We’re Good to Go’ seal of approval from the national tourism agency Visit Britain, which is...
Hull Trains reveals return date for Summer
People in Hull and East Riding can take advantage of more direct trains to London next month as Hull Trains is pleased to...
LNER to launch 'at-seat' food and drink delivery service onboard
In a first for the UK rail industry, LNER will begin trials of an ‘at-seat’ catering offer onboard trains this August. The...

Big Changes in 2020

Passengers, communities and businesses in the Midlands will benefit from big changes happening on our railway.

Trains

On East Midlands Railway a new half-hourly service from St Pancras International-Luton-Corby
Continued rollout by West Midlands Trains of 180 new train carriages and standing room for an extra 50,000 passengers to and from Birmingham in Metro style carriages
Faster journeys on CrossCountry routes between the Midlands and North East of England

Stations, tracks, depots

Station improvements underway at Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford, Market Harborough, Kidderminster, Warwick and Banbury
Continued rollout by West Midlands Trains of 180 new train carriages and room for 50,000 extra passengers to and from Birmingham in metro style carriages
200 new train crew now on West Midlands Trains

Communities

East Midlands Railway will manage 30 preapprenticeships for local young people and host 25 employability masterclasses at schools
Birmingham New Street station now has a dedicated waiting lounge and team to support additional mobility and sensory needs
Chiltern Railways will be trialling a greener and noisereducing hybrid battery-diesel train

Major upgrade work

Electrification of the Midland Main Line to Corby will go live in 2020
New Wolverhampton Interchange Project is on track to open for customers in Summer 2020 as part of a £150 million transport hub

View all the big changes happening across Britain

People across the Midlands support rail companies’ proposals for change

The rail industry recognise the need for big changes, that's why together we submitted proposals for a radical alternative to the current franchising system to the independently-chaired Williams review looking into the future of Britain's railway. We proposed for a more customer focussed, joined-up and accountable railway.

Find out more about our Big Plan for change