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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Multi-million-pound investment to prevent landslips on Chiltern main line
Major work to secure a railway embankment in Warwickshire will mean more reliable journeys for passengers on the Chiltern main...
LNER select startups to help set new standards for rail travel
LNER will be working with five of the most innovative startups around the world to accelerate new projects to improve rail...
Network Rail worker donates PPE to Northumberland school
A Network Rail worker in the North East has donated spare personal protective equipment (PPE) to Collingwood School in Morpeth...
Freightliner hauls vital construction materials for Mendip Rail
In November 2019, Freightliner, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. (G&W), commenced a long-term bulk haulage...
Phase One of new Wolverhampton Station opens to public
Phase one of Wolverhampton’s new railway station will open to the public on Monday 25 May. Work on the first of two...
Network Rail worker in Derby volunteers 550 hours as NHS responder
A Network Rail worker from Derby is supporting vulnerable people as part of the NHS Volunteer Responder Scheme and has helped...

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